Redding is the county seat and largest city of Shasta County, in the far northern reaches of California's Sacramento Valley. Roughly 94,000 people live in the city, which sits along the Sacramento River between the Cascade Range to the east and the Trinity Alps to the west, just south of Shasta Lake. The city traces its origins to the Gold Rush and the railroad. The site, then called Poverty Flats, was chosen in 1872 as the northern terminus of the California and Oregon Railroad, and the town that grew around the terminus was named for Benjamin B. Redding, the railroad's first land agent. Redding incorporated in 1887 and developed as the transportation, commercial, and government hub of the region, a role it still fills today. Redding's economy is anchored by healthcare, which employs a large share of the local workforce, alongside government, retail, manufacturing, and forestry. As the largest city between Sacramento and the Oregon border, it serves as the shopping, medical, and cultural center for a wide swath of Northern California. The city's defining modern landmark is the Sundial Bridge, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Sacramento River designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2004. Its cantilevered tower doubles as a working sundial, and it links the campuses of Turtle Bay Exploration Park, a museum and botanical center on the riverfront. The bridge has become the symbol of a downtown oriented around the river. Outdoor recreation surrounds Redding on every side. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area lies eight miles west, Shasta Lake is immediately north, and Lassen Volcanic National Park is within easy driving distance to the east. This combination of riverfront civic life, mountain and lake recreation, and regional services defines a city that serves as the gateway to California's far north.