Butte County, California

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement

Butte County (Template:IPAc-en) is a county located in the northern central part of the U.S. state of California. In the 2020 census, its population was 211,632.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Oroville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref>

Butte County comprises the Chico, California, metropolitan statistical area. It is in the California Central Valley, north of the state capital of Sacramento.

Butte County is drained by the Feather River and the Sacramento River. Butte Creek and Big Chico Creek are additional perennial streams, both tributary to the Sacramento. The county is home to California State University, Chico and Butte College.

History

Butte County is named for the visually striking +Template:Convert Sutter Buttes in neighboring Sutter County.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Butte County was incorporated as one of California's 27 original counties on February 18, 1850. The county went across the present limits of the Tehama, Plumas, Colusa, and Sutter Counties.<ref>George C. Mansfield, History of Butte County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Hathitrust.org, 1918</ref> Suffragists from Butte County including Minnie Sharkey Abrams played a notable role in the women's suffrage campaign in 1911.

Between November 8 and 25, 2018, a major wildfire, the Camp Fire, destroyed most of the town of Paradise, the adjacent community of Concow, and a large area of rural, hilly country east of Chico. More than 80 people were killed, 50,000 were displaced, over 150,000 acres were burned, and nearly 20,000 buildings were destroyed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Camp Fire was California's most destructive and deadliest fire.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On July 24, 2024, the Park Fire ignited four miles south of downtown Chico in Bidwell Park. This was due to an act of arson by Chico resident Ronnie Dean Stout II, as he revved the engines of his mom's 2007 Toyota Yaris because he got stuck in the grass, causing the surrounding area to catch fire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Over the course of the next 64 days, the fire crossed the county line with Tehama County, burned 429,603 acres, killed one person, and destroyed 709 structures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It became the largest wildfire caused by arson in the state's history, the fourth largest fire in the state's history, the largest fire of the 2024 California Wildfire Season, and the second largest single fire in the state's history (as opposed to a complex fire, with multiple ignition points).

Geography

File:South Table Mountain Butte County.jpg
South Table Mountain Near Oroville

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (2.4%) are covered by water.<ref name="QF"/>

The county is drained by the Feather River and Butte Creek. Part of the county's western border is formed by the Sacramento River. The county lies along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, the steep slopes making it prime territory for the siting of hydroelectric power plants. About a half dozen of these plants are located in the county, one of which, serves the Oroville Dam.

National protected areas

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 census

Butte County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 130,522 158,242 162,564 165,416 139,651 90.73% 86.89% 80.01% 75.19% 65.99%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,686 2,238 2,699 3,133 3,320 1.17% 1.23% 1.33% 1.42% 1.57%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 2,062 2,946 3,295 3,395 3,050 1.43% 1.62% 1.62% 1.54% 1.44%
Asian alone (NH) 1,287 4,961 6,676 8,921 10,333 0.89% 2.72% 3.29% 4.06% 4.88%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x x 273 401 508 x x 0.13% 0.18% 0.24%
Other race alone (NH) 752 127 435 318 1,184 0.52% 0.07% 0.21% 0.14% 0.56%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x x 5,890 7,300 13,474 x x 2.90% 3.32% 6.37%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7,542 13,606 21,339 31,116 40,112 5.24% 7.47% 10.50% 14.14% 18.95%
Total 143,851 182,120 203,171 220,000 211,632 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2011

Population, ethnicity, and income
Total population<ref name="US-CB-B02001">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref> 220,000
  White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 165,416 75.2%
  Black or African American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 3,353 1.5%
  American Indian or Alaska Native<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 3,395 1.5%
  Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 9,000 4.2%
  Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 400 0.2%
  Some other race<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 8,000 3.4%
  Two or more races<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 12,329 5.6%
 Hispanic or Latino (of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref> 31,116 14.1%
Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> $23,431
Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> $42,971
Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> $54,175

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place Type<ref name="US-CB">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> Other<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
<ref name="other" group=note>Other = Some other race + Two or more races</ref> 		Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> Black or African
American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> 		Native American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
<ref name="na" group=note>Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native</ref> 		Hispanic or Latino
(of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003"/>
Bangor CDP 416 88.5% 5.0% 2.2% 0.0% 4.3% 0.0%
Berry Creek CDP 1,305 85.9% 11.7% 0.2% 0.0% 2.1% 4.1%
Biggs City 1,707 74.2% 19.8% 3.3% 0.6% 2.1% 35.6%
Butte Creek Canyon CDP 924 96.6% 2.4% 0.6% 0.0% 0.3% 3.6%
Butte Meadows CDP 21 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Butte Valley CDP 954 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10.5%
Cherokee CDP 105 86.7% 0.0% 13.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Chico City 86,187 80.0% 6.3% 4.2% 2.1% 1.4% 15.5%
Clipper Mills CDP 91 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Cohasset CDP 955 98.4% 1.0% 0.0% 0.5% 0.0% 3.0%
Concow CDP 581 78.0% 12.4% 2.4% 3.8% 3.4% 1.0%
Durham CDP 5,800 91.8% 2.6% 3.8% 0.2% 1.5% 11.6%
Forbestown CDP 291 72.9% 24.7% 0.0% 0.0% 2.4% 10.0%
Forest Ranch CDP 1,294 93.9% 6.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.5%
Gridley City 6,600 79.8% 18.8% 0.0% 1.0% 0.4% 50.5%
Honcut CDP 745 54.6% 43.9% 0.0% 1.5% 0.0% 52.5%
Kelly Ridge CDP 2,246 99.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.8% 0.0% 0.0%
Magalia CDP 11,188 90.5% 5.7% 1.8% 0.2% 1.8% 9.2%
Nord CDP 196 89.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 20.4%
Oroville City 16,000 71.0% 12.8% 11.4% 3.3% 1.4% 11.3%
Oroville East CDP 9,663 82.1% 9.7% 2.4% 1.2% 4.6% 7.9%
Palermo CDP 4,775 77.0% 19.7% 0.8% 1.0% 1.4% 23.2%
Paradise Town 26,348 91.0% 6.0% 1.4% 0.8% 0.7% 7.7%
Rackerby CDP 254 96.5% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.5%
Richvale CDP 155 83.9% 16.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 16.1%
Robinson Mill CDP 136 84.6% 15.4% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 15.4%
South Oroville CDP 5,982 63.9% 7.8% 17.3% 8.3% 2.7% 15.2%
Stirling City CDP 271 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Thermalito CDP 6,295 80.2% 5.9% 10.8% 1.3% 1.7% 12.7%
Yankee Hill CDP 240 88.8% 11.2% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2.5%
Places by population and income
Place Type<ref name="US-CB"/> Population<ref name="US-CB-B01003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301"/> Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013"/> Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113"/>
Bangor CDP 416 $18,172 $45,625 $47,917
Berry Creek CDP 1,305 $22,277 $36,164 $51,607
Biggs City 1,927 $17,159 $44,485 $50,714
Butte Creek Canyon [CDP 924 $37,677 $58,750 $76,786
Butte Meadows CDP 21 <ref name="ND">Data unavailable</ref> <ref name="ND"/> <ref name="ND"/>
Butte Valley CDP 954 $28,426 $69,659 $77,500
Cherokee CDP 105 $20,351 $80,714 $80,714
Chico City 85,605 $23,611 $41,632 $56,268
Clipper Mills CDP 91 <ref name="ND"/> <ref name="ND"/> <ref name="ND"/>
Cohasset CDP 955 $21,628 $55,175 $55,425
Concow CDP 581 $26,821 $24,792 $53,750
Durham CDP 5,829 $34,886 $64,720 $75,357
Forbestown CDP 291 $19,434 $58,167 $82,750
Forest Ranch CDP 1,294 $51,819 $46,901 $47,057
Gridley City 6,509 $15,525 $36,563 $41,474
Honcut CDP 745 $8,071 $48,144 $48,277
Kelly Ridge CDP 2,246 $33,366 $49,444 $60,205
Magalia CDP 11,188 $19,400 $37,182 $42,277
Nord CDP 196 $19,182 $69,063 $69,063
Oroville City 15,445 $18,750 $35,678 $45,430
Oroville East CDP 9,663 $24,503 $53,167 $65,142
Palermo CDP 4,775 $19,783 $42,292 $46,458
Paradise Town 26,348 $25,132 $42,363 $54,267
Rackerby CDP 254 $17,387 $46,141 $46,184
Richvale CDP 155 $45,061 $87,150 $87,150
Robinson Mill CDP 136 $21,793 $54,762 $54,762
South Oroville CDP 5,982 $11,666 $32,205 $38,750
Stirling City CDP 271 $14,811 $82,969 <ref name="ND"/>
Thermalito CDP 6,295 $16,301 $37,738 $38,053
Yankee Hill CDP 240 $21,149 $22,054 $44,286

2010 Census

The 2010 United States census reported that Butte County had a population of 220,000. The racial makeup of Butte County was 180,096 (81.9%) White, 3,415 (1.6%) African American, 4,395 (2.0%) Native American, 9,057 (4.1%) Asian, 452 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 12,141 (5.5%) from other races, and 10,444 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31,116 persons (14.1%).<ref>Template:USCensus2010CA</ref>

2000

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 203,171 people, 79,566 households, and 49,410 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 85,523 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 84.5% White, 10.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino, 3.3% Asian, 1.9% Native American, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 87.9% spoke English, 7.8% Spanish and 1.4% Hmong as their first language.

There were 79,566 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,924, and the median income for a family was $41,010. Males had a median income of $34,137 versus $25,393 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,517. About 12.2% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.Template:Clear

Health and crime

There are four major hospitals and the State of California defines Butte County as being inside Health Service Area 1. A special district, the Butte County Air Quality Management District, regulates airborne pollutant emissions in the county. It does this following regional regulations, state, and federal laws. For example, in recent years, the agency changed rules that once allowed residents to burn household trash outdoors.

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Government

Law enforcement

Template:Infobox law enforcement agency

The Butte County Sheriff's Office provides general-service law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Butte County, serving as the equivalent of the county police for unincorporated areas of the county as well as incorporated cities within the county who have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services (known as "contract cities" in local jargon). It also holds primary jurisdiction over facilities operated by Butte County, such as local parks, marinas and government buildings; provides marshal service for the Butte County Superior Court; operates the county jail system; and provides services such as laboratories and academy training to smaller law enforcement agencies within the county. The first sheriff of Butte County was Joseph Q. Wilbur. Kory Honea has been the sheriff since 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Voter registration statistics

Cities by population and voter registration

Local

File:People of Butte County – Tod Kimmelshue (2025)-104A8815.jpg
Tod Kimmelshue, chair of the Butte County Board of Supervisors, in April 2025

The citizens of the county of Butte are represented by the five member Butte County Board of Supervisors.

Tribal

The Berry Creek Rancheria of Tyme Maidu Indians of California is headquartered in Oroville. The Berry Creek Rancheria operates Gold Country Casino.

The Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California is also headquartered in Oroville. The Mooretown Rancheria operates Feather Falls Casino.

The governmental headquarters of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria is located in Chico.

State

Butte County is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Butte County has 172,054 registered voters. Of those, 42,093 (34.4%) are registered Democrats, 41,330 (33.8%) are registered Republicans and 30,377 (24.8%) have declined to state a political party.<ref>CA Secretary of State – Report of Registration – February 10, 2019</ref>

On November 4, 2008, Butte County voted 56.7% for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.<ref>Template:Citation.</ref>

Federal

Butte County is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref>

Butte is a bellwether county in presidential elections, and one of only thirteen to have voted for Barack Obama in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020.Template:Efn

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Education

File:Kendall Hall as seen from Laxson Auditorium-01006.jpg
California State University, Chico was founded in 1887

Public schools

There are roughly 90 public schools in the county according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.Template:Citation needed

The following school districts cover portions of the county:

K-12:<ref name=CensusSDMap2020>Template:Cite map - Text list</ref> Template:Div col

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Secondary:<ref name=CensusSDMap2020/> Template:Div col

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Elementary:<ref name=CensusSDMap2020/> Template:Div col

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Colleges and universities

Public libraries

Butte County Library provides library services to residents of the County through six branches in Biggs, Chico, Durham, Gridley, Oroville and Paradise. The mission of the Butte County Library is to provide all individuals, regardless of age, ethnic background, educational or economic level, with free access to ideas, information, and technology.

For many years, the library served rural and mountain communities through regularly scheduled bookmobile visits; however, due to budget cuts, this service was discontinued in 2009 and the bookmobile was sold. The library serves low-literacy adults through several programs of the Butte County Library Literacy Services division, including the Adult Reading Program, Families for Literacy and the Literacy Coach, a Template:Convert vehicle that provides mobile programming like story times, parent meetings, workshops, and computer and teacher trainings.

The library operates as a department of the County of Butte, governed by the Butte County Board of Supervisors.

Transportation

File:Bidwell Park Chico.jpg
Butte County is home to Bidwell Park in Chico, one of the largest municipal parks in the United States

Major highways

Public transportation

Butte Regional Transit or the B-Line, provides service in and between Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Gridley and Biggs. Chico is also a connection point for Glenn Ride buses to Glenn County and Plumas Transit Systems buses to Plumas County.

Greyhound and FlixBus buses stop in Chico.

Amtrak's Coast Starlight (Los Angeles-Seattle) passenger train makes a stop daily in each direction in Chico's Chico station.

Airports

General Aviation airports in Butte County include:

Communities

File:Bidwell Mansion, May 2021.jpg
Bidwell Mansion in Chico
File:Chico State's Kendall Hall.JPG
Kendall Hall, the administration building at California State University, Chico in Chico

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

Former townships

File:Map of Butte County, California, 1877, showing civil townships.jpg
The 10 civil townships, 1877

In August 1851, the county was divided into six judicial (civil) townships, the four marked by asterisks below, plus Quartz and Mineral, which were separated from Butte County with the formation of Plumas County in 1854.

Between 1851 and 1861, there were several additions and other realignments of the township boundaries; from 1861, the townships were:

Template:Div col

  • Bidwell
  • Chico
  • Concow
  • Hamilton*
  • Kimshew
  • Mountain Spring
  • Ophir*
  • Oregon*
  • Oro*
  • Wyandotte

Template:Div col end

Townships created and dissolved between 1851 and 1861 were Benton, Eureka, and Cascade.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Ghost towns

Population ranking

Template:Update The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Butte County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Chico City 86,187
2 Paradise Town 26,218
3 † Oroville City 15,546
4 Magalia CDP 11,310
5 Oroville East CDP 8,280
6 Thermalito CDP 6,646
7 Gridley City 6,584
8 South Oroville CDP 5,742
9 Durham CDP 5,518
10 Palermo CDP 5,382
11 Kelly Ridge CDP 2,544
12 Biggs City 1,707
13 Berry Creek CDP 1,424
14 Forest Ranch CDP 1,184
15 Butte Creek Canyon CDP 1,086
16 Butte Valley CDP 899
17 Cohasset CDP 847
18 Concow CDP 710
19 Bangor CDP 646
20 Honcut CDP 370
21 Yankee Hill CDP 333
t-22 Forbestown CDP 320
t-22 Nord CDP 320
23 Stirling City CDP 295
24 Richvale CDP 244
25 Rackerby CDP 204
26 Berry Creek Rancheria AIAN 152
27 Clipper Mills CDP 142
28 Robinson Mill CDP 80
29 Cherokee CDP 69
30 Butte Meadows CDP 40
31 Enterprise Rancheria<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> AIAN 1

Several movies have been filmed in Butte County, including Gone with the Wind,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Outlaw Josey Wales,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Friendly Persuasion,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Magic Town,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Klansman,<ref name=":0" /> Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy,<ref name=":0" /> The Adventures of Robin Hood,<ref name=":0" /> and Under Wraps.<ref name=":0" /> A 2013 episode of the television series Sons of Anarchy involves the sons coming into contact with corrupt police in the fictional town of Eden, located in Butte County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

Notes

Notes

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References

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References

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Template:Geographic Location Template:Cities of Butte County, California Template:Sacramento Valley Template:US state navigation box Template:Authority control Template:Coord

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