Rayford

"This is the middle of nowhere, we left all those people behind for this?! Are you kidding me?"

- Zoey

"City of Rayford, they use to have Boiled Peanuts Festival here... oh man good memories."

- Coach

Rayford is a suburban town in Georgia and is located between Savannah and Griffin County (near Whispering Oaks Amusement Park). It is the main setting for all the Survivors in both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 as the town serves as a meeting point.

History
Rayford has some historic significance and likes to encourage both its residents and tourists to stop by and take interest in learning about its history, culture, and heritage. Along with the town's history, it also displays a vibrant nightlife; several shops use neon signs and lights, and play music everywhere you go.

Most of the town's residents like the Midnight Riders as they advertise the band in local bars and pool halls with posters and signs. The band was also seen preparing for a concert. Rayford's main source of income comes from Rayford Port and shipping where they send and receive goods by boat and train. There was also a Boiled Peanut festival that brought in seasonal income.

The town was trying to expand to other sources of income such as tourism, encouraging people to purchase souvenirs from shops as well as take the scenic "Under the River" tour (which also provided work at the Brick Factory) and with music, where The Midnight Riders were scheduled to play a concert here.

Current Status
After the initial Green Flu outbreak across the Eastern United States and hearing how CEDA and the military failed to maintain the quarantine, the citizens of Rayford preferred to survive the Infection on their own. Well-equipped Survivors were prepared to fight off the Infected, and homemade weapons such as molotovs and pipe bombs were stockpiled in huge numbers by the citizens. However, the sheer number of Infected finally overran the city piece by piece, and many of the Survivors turned into Infected themselves (the appearance of several Fallen Survivors in the east part of the city). Although the citizens preferred to hold out by themselves, they most likely had no choice but to allow CEDA to intervene.

It seems CEDA tried to help the city due to the presence of several infected CEDA agents roaming the blocked streets (in the Left 4 Dead 2 version of The Sacrifice), as well as the presence of several CEDA evacuation buses parked at various areas. CEDA tried to evacuate as much of the population as possible while establishing a defensive perimeter around Rayford Port. However, they failed, and eventually, neither the CEDA nor the town's citizens' plans worked and the whole population was destroyed by the infection.

At one point, a live Tank specimen was brought through the city. This specific Tank has a unique model compared to any others in the entire game, being that of a former United States Marine due to the Marine Corps tattoo on his arm. However, the train was stopped due to a destroyed bridge up ahead, and the Infected soon derailed the train. Given how a Tank could easily break free of leather binds, it is likely this Tank mutated on the journey before killing everyone inside upon mutation. This Tank was later released and killed by the original Survivors as they passed upon the train wreck, as they had to get across.

Both groups of Survivors come through this city, making it the only location that had been featured in both games. Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey enter from the north by a military train they took all the way from Millhaven (assumed to be in Pennsylvania), of which they stole from the base, and were forced to stop because the tracks don't go on anymore. Bill sacrificed himself to protect the others after several Tanks emerged when the bridge stalled, leaving Francis, Louis and Zoey to fend for themselves. The original Survivors made their way to the bridge from Rayford's industrial area.

Coach, Ellis, Nick and Rochelle enter by Jimmy Gibbs Jr.'s stock car from the east after stealing it from Liberty Mall to escape. Due to the raised bridge from the original Survivors, the Left 4 Dead 2 Survivors had to look for an alternate route after they were informed that they had to lower the bridge themselves, which was on the other side of town. The Left 4 Dead 2 Survivors managed to get to the other side through the Under the River tour, filled the generator to lower the bridge, allowing the original Survivors to make their way to the Key West islands while the Left 4 Dead 2 Survivors continued their journey to New Orleans.

Landmarks in Rayford

 * Armed Forces Reserve Center
 * Rayford Bridge
 * Souvenir Shops and Internet café
 * Rayford Docks
 * Yacht Club
 * Rayford Park
 * Brick Factory
 * Renovating apartment building
 * Pool Hall
 * Tattoo Parlor
 * Jazz Club
 * Rayford Historic Underground Tour
 * Rayford Port and Shipping