Fortuna, the largest city in southern Humboldt County, sits in the Eel River
Valley on the edge of one of the most
beautiful redwood forests in the world. This old growth redwood
section of Humboldt County is a major tourist attraction. Almost one
in five of the remaining ancient trees are in Humboldt Redwoods State Park,
located just a few miles south of Fortuna. The Avenue of the Giants and the
Bull Creek Road pass through some of the remaining forests. Located 250
miles north of San Francisco, the city is home to over 10,000 residents.
With several hotels located in the city
not far from lumber mills and the lumber industry, Fortuna's scenic location
is part of a destination package you'll enjoy along the Redwood Coast.
When you drive through
town, you'll notice several signs announcing you've arrived. There are also
murals painted on the sides of buildings that depict the history of Fortuna,
including one that also includes the town's original name, Springville.
Slide and Springville actually merged to form Fortuna which means good
fortune.
The downtown shopping
area includes an old theatre with a great sign, offices buildings, furniture
stores, churches, schools, the chamber of commerce and most the essentials
located close to each other so you don't spend a lot of time in town
driving.
For those
visiting the nearby village of Ferndale and the cultural heart of this
region, Eureka, you may time your visit for some of the fun events in
Fortuna. The region rains quite a bit so just bring an umbrella and it
will serve you well, just in case you should arrive on one of the days. With
over 40 inches of rainfall per year average, it pays to know when to visit
the north coast of California. We found this handy chart to help you plot
the maximum opportunity.
Fortuna Weather Chart
| |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Avg. High |
55° |
57° |
57° |
58° |
62° |
65° |
68° |
68° |
70° |
66° |
58° |
54° |
| Avg. Low |
38° |
40° |
41° |
44° |
46° |
50° |
52° |
52° |
50° |
47° |
44° |
38° |
| Mean |
47° |
48° |
50° |
51° |
54° |
58° |
60° |
61° |
60° |
57° |
52° |
47° |
| Avg. Precip. |
8.3 in |
6.7 in |
7.1 in |
3.5 in |
1.3 in |
0.4 in |
0.1 in |
0.4 in |
0.9 in |
3.1 in |
7.7 in |
8.5 in |
Fortuna is known as The
Friendly City but was originally called Slide because of the huge slides in
the area. Changed to Springville because of natural springs for which a mill
was named. When mail began arriving in town, however, it was officially
delivered to Slide. On July 3, 1888, the town and post office were
officially named Fortuna, meaning good fortune.
Like most every city of
its time, Fortuna needed transportation to move its huge shipments of lumber
and finally got the rails in late 1914. There's a railroad depot in Rohner
Park now serving as a free museum open to the public. It maintains records
and photographs of the Fortuna's railroad history along with its commerce.
For those who seek information about
visiting Fortuna, the Chamber of Commerce offers visitor information.
Fortuna hosts events such as the spring Daffodil Show in March, Paddle to
the Headwaters canoe race in April, Art & Wine in the Park in June, the
Rodeo and Fortuna Redwood Autorama in July, Civil War Days in September, the
Apple Harvest Festival in October and the Electric Lighted Parade and
Christmas Music Festival in December. Fortuna Chamber of Commerce: 735 14th
Street, Fortuna, CA 95540 Call: (707) 725-3959
