[1] It is located 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Weitchpec along State Route 96 (the "Bigfoot Scenic Byway"), at an elevation of 404 feet (123 m).

When European-American miners arrived, they named their settlement New Orleans Bar.

[3] The Orleans post office was established on December 2, 1857.

[3] Orleans is the nearest inhabited community to the site of the famous Patterson–Gimlin filming of a purported Bigfoot, which is in a remote area about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Orleans.

In the California State Legislature, Orleans is in the 2nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Mike McGuire,[5] and the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Chris Rogers.