Wendel is an unincorporated community in Lassen County, California. It is located 23 miles east-southeast of Susanville, at an elevation of 4012 feet. Wendel's ZIP Code is 96136. The Wendel post office opened in 1915, closed in 1920, and re-opened in 1921. The name Wendel was bestowed by Thomas Moran, the president of the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway, for a friend. Wendel was once a crew change point for the railroad, with housing, hotels, and other services for train workers.