The Town of Arcata, CA

Arcata is on the Pacific Coast of Northern California

Arcata is 4 miles South of McKinleyville and 8 miles North of Eureka.

Jump to: Hospital Visitor’s Center Lodging Row Restaurants

We “found” Arcata in 2000 after driving by it on our way to somewhere else all the times we had passed through this area. Part of the problem is that you can’t see much of the town from Highway 101. When we took the time to get off the highway and see what was there we fell in love with the Town.

Arcata is a college town. Humboldt State University is located here. The University’s influence on the community is obvious and it gives the town a youthful feeling.

Arcata’s strongest asset is the old fashioned Town Square, right in the middle of the downtown area, that they call Arcata Plaza. As you can see from the photo at the right, this gives the downtown area an open, warm, friendly feeling. Life is a little slower when you stand in the middle of the Plaza and it is a pleasant place to take a driving break. For those who think a driving break means shopping, this is a fine opportunity. Unique specialty shops and galleries located in wonderfully restored historic buildings ring the Arcata Plaza. The town also contains many colorfully restored historic Victorian homes. You can pick up a walking tour map at the Chamber of Commerce.

The Farmer’s Market takes over the Plaza on Saturdays and is a fantastic outing for a look back in time to when small merchants sold their wares in the open air. The Place is crowded and musical and a great place for people watchers and shoppers.

Directions to the Arcata Plaza: Take the Samoa Boulevard exit of Highway 101 and turn West toward Samoa. Go to “G Street” and turn right, it is about 4 blocks to the Town Square.

There are two “must visit” tourist attractions in Arcata. The first is the Humboldt State University’s

Natural History Museum at 13^th and “G” Streets. It is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM.

The other is the

Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary and interpretive Center at 600 South “G” Street. It is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. It offers quiet trails and suburb bird watching. The marsh is a wonderful view of a natural water reclamation system.

Arcata has a new and visitor friendly

California Welcome Center at the North end of town, on Highway 101 take the first exit from the North, Giuntoli Lane / Janes Rd, turn West (right if Southbound) onto the Janes Road, go one block and turn a hard left on to the Heindon Road, it will be on the right in ½ block. The Arcata Chamber of Commerce is also located here, too. Their address is 1635 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521.

Visit the Arcata Chamber’s Web Site

HOSPITAL: If you continue on the Janes Road past the Welcome Center about ½ mile around a curve to the South you will find the Mad River Community Hospital on the left. Their address is 3800 Janes Road, Arcata, 95521 Telephone: 822-3621

Also at the North end of town is Valley West Boulevard. This is Arcata’s new “Lodging Row” and it is full of motels and Inns built in the last few years. If you like staying in new facilities you should be able to find a facility to your liking here.

Valley West Boulevard is off of Giuntoli Lane, the North most exit off Highway 101 in Arcata. Turn East (Left if Southbound), go one block on Giuntoli Lane and turn right on Valley West Boulevard. The street has restaurants and lodging along with an espresso stand. We recommend the following places to stay in Arcata. On “lodging row” you will find [Howard Johnson Express Inn] [North Coast Inn] and on the Plaza [Hotel Arcata]

For food we recommend the following Arcata locations, on “lodging row,” [Wild Iris at the North Coast Inn] and on the Plaza [Tomo Japanese Restaurant] [Plaza Grill] [Abruzzi Fine Italian Restaurant]

Hot Link to the Eureka / Arcata Area [Restaurants Page] [Lodging Page]

Hot Link to McKinleyville Area to the North of Arcata.

Hot Line to Eureka Area to the South of Arcata

The photo above is actually three photos of buildings facing Arcata Plaza. The buildings are not as out of square as the photos would have you believe and some tricks were used to remove cars in the foreground. The photo does show the colorful restorations of the historic buildings.

Some of the history of Arcata.

In the latter part of 1849 some miners and gold rush suppliers decided that Humboldt Bay would make a good site for a town. In early 1850 the town was formed and the Plaza and surrounding area had been surveyed and city blocks laid out. The towns first name was Union. By 1855 a deep water wharf had been constructed and the first railroad in California had been built to transfer goods from the bay to the depot at the South West corner of the Plaza. When the town was incorporated in 1858 the name was changed to Arcata.

Even though the original business which made the town thrive was supplying the gold rush miners it soon became apparent that it was the local timber which was the areas greatest resource. Redwood forests covered the region and soon a very unique industry, which had to meet the challenges of falling, transporting the trees to the mills, and making lumber from the giant logs, was formed. The entire work force, economy, and social structure of the community soon revolved around the harvesting of the Redwood forests.

The Plaza has been the center of the city from business to social life since the beginning of the city. Although none of the orginal structures for the 1850’s still exist most of the current buildings were built in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. The Minor Theatre that was built in 1914 claims to be the oldest movie theater still in operation in the United States.

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