There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside, Weed proper, including Edgewood, Carrick, and Lake Shastina.

Weed is about 10 miles (16 km) west-northwest of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark, and the second-tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.

[citation needed] On September 15, 2014, the Boles Fire spread through Weed, driven by 40-mph winds.

The fire started behind the Boles Creek Apartments in the central part of Weed at approximately 1:30 p.m., and within four hours quickly spread to over 200 acres (80 hectares).

Evacuations were immediately ordered, and a shelter was first set up at College of the Siskiyous, but as fire headed towards the college, the evacuation center was relocated first to the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds in Yreka, then to Yreka and Mount Shasta High Schools, then to the armory in Mt.

[7] In March 2021, it was reported that the parties involved had reached a compromise which will allow Weed to continue to have access to water from Beaughan Spring in perpetuity.

[8] In early September 2022, the Mill Fire started in or near Weed, burning down the Lincoln Heights neighborhood.

According to the United States Census Bureau,[10] the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12 km2), of which 0.10% is covered by water.

The nearest depot for Amtrak train travel is in Dunsmuir, approximately 15 miles (24 km) to the south.

Shasta Brewing Company, relies on tourists for 92 percent of its business, according to co-owner Vaune Dillman.

Retail at the south end of Weed, in the form of restaurants and hotels, caters primarily to tourist travel on the Interstate 5 corridor.

[citation needed] Weed is part of the Shasta Valley Enterprise Zone which provides tax breaks, fee reductions, and permit fast-tracking for employers locating in the area.

[17] As of 2007, the largest employers in Weed were: As a small community with few retail outlets, taxable sales within the city are somewhat limited, totaling $89 million in 2012.

[18] In the November 2014 general election, the voters of Weed passed Measure J, which raised the city's sales and use tax rate by 0.25 percent.

[20] The College of the Siskiyous, located in Weed, provides a steady source of employment for faculty and staff, a source of visitors for the local economy, and offers a two-year junior college education with various associate degree and vocational certificate programs.

Visitors use Weed as a base to engage in trout fishing in the nearby Klamath,[21] Sacramento[21][22][23] and McCloud[21][22] Rivers, or come to see and climb Mount Shasta, Castle Crags or the Trinity Alps.

[25] Many shops have popped up around town selling shirts and other trinkets that say "I Love Weed, California".

Education: seven percent of Weed residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

[33] Weed's historic lumber industry and manufacturing facilities made it a magnet for ethnic minority migration, that may not have otherwise been the case in this region of the country.

A large number of Italian immigrants migrated to Weed, and other towns in southern Siskiyou County at the turn of the 20th century.

While immigrants were a source of labor for the region, they were not always well treated, in fact in 1909 complaints from workers in the lumber industry reached the Italian consul.

The company promised to advance travel expenses and provide housing for workers relocating to Weed.

[37] The city council of Weed is composed of five members who are elected at large and serve four-year terms.

[40] Federally, Weed is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.

Weed is the setting of a large subplot in Harry Turtledove's alternate history The Hot War.

The song "Velvety" from the 2002 album Devil's Workshop by Frank Black and the Catholics mentions the town of Weed.