View source for Chico, California

{{Short description|City in California, United States}}
{{distinguish|Chino, California}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Chico, California
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities in California|City]]
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| border                  = infobox
| perrow                  = 3/2
| total_width             = 265
| caption_align           = center
| image1                  = Kendall Hall, Chico State (cropped).jpg 
| caption1                = [[Chico State University]]
| image2                  = Senator Theatre Building, Chico, in fall 2020 (cropped).jpg
| caption2                = Senator Theatre
| image3                  = Entrance of the Diamond Hotel on 4th in Chico (cropped).jpg
| caption3                = Diamond Hotel
| image4                  = ChicoSquare (cropped).jpg
| caption4                = Chico Plaza
| image5                  = 201 Broadway Street - Chico, California - DSC03037.JPG
| caption5                = Downtown Chico
| spacing                 = 2
| position                = center
| color_border            = white
| color                   = white
| size                    = 280
| foot_montage            = Clockwise from top left: [[California State University, Chico]]; Senator Theatre; Diamond Hotel; shops in Downtown Chico; Chico Plaza.
}}
| image_flag         =
| image_seal         = Seal of Chico, California.png
| seal_size          = 
| nicknames           = "City of Trees", "City of Roses"<ref>{{cite web | title=Chico: The City of Trees and The City of Roses? | website=Anika Burke | url=https://www.anikaburke.com/the-blog/chico-the-city-of-trees-and-the-city-of-roses/ | access-date=March 1, 2021 | archive-date=June 21, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621042541/https://www.anikaburke.com/the-blog/chico-the-city-of-trees-and-the-city-of-roses/ | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| motto              = 
| image_map          = File:Butte County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Chico Highlighted 0613014.svg
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location of Chico in Butte County, California
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| pushpin_map        = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| coordinates        = {{coord|39|44|24|N|121|50|8|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[California]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in California|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Butte County, California|Butte]]
| established_title2 = [[Pioneer Days (Chico, California)|Founded]]
| established_date2  = 1860<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chico.ca.us/about/ |title=About |publisher=City of Chico |access-date= November 4, 2014}}</ref>
| established_title3 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date3  = January 8, 1872<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc 
 |title=California Cities by Incorporation Date 
 |format=Word 
 |publisher=California Association of [[Local Agency Formation Commission]]s 
 |access-date=March 27, 2013 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103002921/http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc 
 |archive-date=November 3, 2014  
}}</ref>
| founder            = [[John Bidwell]]
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government]]
| leader_title1      = [[List of mayors of Chico, California|Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = Kacey Reynolds
| leader_title2      = [[City Manager]]
| leader_name2       = Mark Sorensen
| leader_title4      = [[California State Legislature|State Legislators]]
| leader_name4       = [[California's 1st State Senate district|Sen.]] {{Representative|casd|1|fmt=sleader}}<ref name=SSenate>{{cite web
  | url=https://www.senate.ca.gov/senators
  | title=Senators 
  | access-date=August 4, 2025
  | publisher=State of California}}</ref><br />[[California's 3rd State Assembly district|Asm.]] {{Representative|caad|3|fmt=sleader}}<ref name=SAssembly>{{cite web
  | url=https://www.assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers
  | title                    = Members Assembly
  | access-date              = August 4, 2025
  | publisher                = State of California}}</ref>
<!-- Area ----------------->| total_type         = [[List of municipalities in California|City]]
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 30, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 34.62
| area_land_sq_mi    = 34.45
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.17
| area_total_km2     = 89.67
| area_land_km2      = 89.23
| area_water_km2     = 0.45
| area_water_percent = 0.52
| area_metro_sq_mi   = 
| area_metro_km2     = <!-- Elevation ------------>
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis>{{Cite web |url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:24094472409447 |title=GNIS: City of Chico |access-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727210403/https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:24094472409447 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| elevation_ft       = 243
| elevation_m        = <!-- Population ----------->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 101,000
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| population_rank    = [[List of largest California cities by population|72nd]] in California<br />[[List of United States cities by population|330th]] in the United States
| population_density_sq_mi = 2945.57
| population_metro   = 211,632{{Citation needed | date = May 2023}}
| population_demonym = Chicoan
<!-- Time zones ----------->| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;8
| timezone_DST       = [[Pacific Daylight Time|PDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;7
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s<ref>{{Cite web
 | url                      = https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action
 | title                    = ZIP Code(tm) Lookup
 | publisher                = [[United States Postal Service]]
 | access-date              = November 20, 2014}}</ref>
| postal_code        = 95926–95929, 95973, 95976
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| area_code          = [[Area codes 530 and 837|530, 837]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = {{FIPS|06|13014}}
| blank2_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank2_info        = 2409447<ref name=gnis/>
| website            = {{URL|www.chico.ca.us}}
| population_density_km2 = 1137.24
}}

'''Chico''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|iː|k|əʊ}} {{respell|CHEE|koh}}; [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "little boy")<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ibMwDwAAQBAJ&q=chico&pg=PR9 California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=RZRGHbZlolAC&q=chico&pg=PA1 1000 California Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning]</ref> is the most populous city in [[Butte County, California]], United States. Located in the [[Sacramento Valley]] region of [[Northern California]], the city had a population of 101,475 in the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], an increase from 86,187 in the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]]. Chico is the cultural and economic center of the northern Sacramento Valley, as well as the most populous city in [[California]] north of the capital city of [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]. The city is known as a [[college town]], as the home of [[California State University, Chico]], and for [[Bidwell Park]], one of the [[List of urban parks by size|largest urban parks in the world]].

==History==
{{Main|History of Chico, California}}
[[File:Diseño_del_Rancho_del_Arroyo_Chico.png|thumb|left|Chico's origins lie in [[Rancho del Arroyo Chico]], a Mexican-era [[ranchos of California|rancho]] granted by Governor Manuel Micheltorena in 1844.]]
[[File:Chico-ca-1856 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|View of Chico in 1856]]
[[File:Kendall Hall as seen from Laxson Auditorium-01006.jpg|thumb|left|[[California State University, Chico]] was founded in 1887.]]
The first known inhabitants of the area now known as Chico—a Spanish word meaning "little"<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gannett |first1=Henry |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |date=1905 |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |page=80 |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0258/report.pdf |access-date=December 29, 2019}}</ref> — were the [[Mechoopda]] [[Maidu]] Native Americans. Within the boundaries of modern day Chico, there existed a Maidu village, whose name was recorded as '''Bah-hahp'-ke''', meaning "straight tree".<ref>Heizer, Robert F.  Hester, Thomas R. (1970) ''Papers on California Ethnography - Chapter 9: Names and Locations of Some Ethnographic Patwin and Maidu Villages''. pages 79–118. [https://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/anthpubs/ucb/proof/pdfs/arf009-006.pdf]</ref>

The City of Chico was founded in 1860 by [[John Bidwell]], a member of one of the first wagon trains to reach California in 1843. During the [[American Civil War]], [[Camp Bidwell]] (named for John Bidwell, by then a [[brigadier general]] of the [[California Army National Guard#History|California Militia]]), was established a mile outside Chico, by Lt. Col. A. E. Hooker with a company of cavalry and two of infantry, on August 26, 1863.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/international-training-programs/susi/chico_life.shtml | title=Life in Chico | work=[[California State University, Chico]]}}</ref>

By early 1865, it was being referred to as Camp Chico when a post called Camp Bidwell was established in northeast California, later to be [[Fort Bidwell]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jb89AAAAYAAJ&q=%22Camp+Bidwell%22 |title=The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies |year=1897|volume=L, Part II-Correspondence, etc.|series=1|pages=593–594, 1125|access-date=November 4, 2011 |publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]]|location=Washington DC}}</ref> The city was incorporated on January 8, 1872.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.chicoer.com/2022/01/08/chico-hits-150-year-milestone/ | title=Chico hits 150 year milestone | work=[[Chico Enterprise-Record]] | first=Michael | last=Weber | date=January 8, 2022}}</ref>

Chico was home to a significant [[Chinese Americans|Chinese American]] community when it was first incorporated, but arsonists burned Chico's Chinatown in February 1886, driving Chinese Americans out of town.<ref>{{cite news|author=<!--not stated-->|date=March 29, 1877 |title=THE CHICO MASSACRE|volume=3|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU18770329.2.12&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1| work=[[Sacramento Daily Union]]|type=newspaper|location=Sacramento|via=the [[California Digital Newspaper Collection]]|access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Michele|first=Shover|date=December 1988|title=Chico Women: Nemesis of a Rural Town's Anti-Chinese Campaigns, 1876-1888|url=https://online.ucpress.edu/ch/article-abstract/67/4/228/32583/Chico-Women-Nemesis-of-a-Rural-Town-s-Anti-Chinese|format=PDF|journal=[[California History]]|series=|location=[[San Francisco]]|publisher=[[California Historical Society]]|volume=67|issue=4|pages=228–243|doi=10.2307/25158493 |jstor=25158493 |issn=0162-2897|eissn=2327-1485|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Historian W.H. "Old Hutch" Hutchinson identified five events as the most seminal in Chico history. They included the arrival of John Bidwell in 1850, the arrival of the [[California and Oregon Railroad]] in 1870, the establishment in 1887 of the Northern Branch of the State Normal School, which later became [[California State University, Chico]] (Chico State), the purchase of the Sierra Lumber Company by the [[Diamond Match Company]] in 1900, and the development of the Army Air Base, which is now the [[Chico Municipal Airport]].<ref name="ca20thcph">{{cite book |last1=Cummins |first1=Fredd |title=Chico: A 20th Century Pictorial History |date=January 1, 1995 |publisher=Enterprise-Record: James L. Dimmitt}}</ref>

Other events include the construction and relocation of [[California State Route 99|Route 99E]] through town in the early 1960s, the founding of [[Sierra Nevada Brewing Company]] in 1979—what would become one of the top breweries in the nation<ref>"Brewers Association Releases Top 50 Breweries of 2016". Brewers Association. March 15, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.</ref>—and the establishment of a "Green Line" on the western city limits as protection of agricultural lands.<ref name="Chico green line 2030 general plan">{{cite web |last1=Snellings |first1=Tim |title=Chico Area Greenline Five-Year Review General Plan 2030 Land Use Element- Action Item LU-A13.1 |url=https://www.buttecounty.net/Portals/10/Docs/PC/2015/2015-10-22/Chico_Area_Greenline_Five_Year_Review_Memo.pdf |website=Butte County |publisher=Department of Development Services |access-date=April 4, 2022}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:CA Chico 20180912 TM geo (image layer) - cropped.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of Chico.]]
Chico is at the Sacramento Valley's northeast edge, one of the richest agricultural areas in the world. The [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] mountains lie to the east and south, with Chico's city limits venturing several miles into the foothills. To the west, the [[Sacramento River]] lies {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} from the city.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

Chico sits on the [[Sacramento Valley]] floor close to the foothills of the [[Cascade Range]] to the north and the Sierra Nevada range to the east and south. [[Big Chico Creek]] is the demarcation line between the ranges.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.becnet.org/local-watersheds-101| title =Local Watersheds 101 | last = | first = | date = | website =Butte Environmental Council | publisher = | access-date = August 19, 2023| quote =Big Chico Creek begins its 45 mile journey from a series of springs on Colby Mountain, at the interface between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Cascade Mountains.}}</ref> The city's terrain is generally flat, with increasingly hilly terrain beginning at the eastern city limits.
[[File:Big_Chico_Creek_in_Upper_Bidwell_Park.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Bidwell Park]].]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|34.3|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|34.1|sqmi|km2}} is land and 0.50% is water.

The city is bisected by [[Bidwell Park]], which runs {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} from the flat city center deep into the foothills.

The city is also traversed by two creeks and a flood channel, which feeds the Sacramento River. They are named Big Chico Creek, [[Little Chico Creek]], and Lindo Channel (also known as Sandy Gulch, locally).

The city has been designated a [[Tree City USA]] for 31 years by the [[National Arbor Day Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2010 Tree City USA Communities|url=http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/map.cfm| work=arborday.org |publisher=[[Arbor Day Foundation]]|access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Street Trees | website=City of Chico | date=June 15, 2020 | url=https://chico.ca.us/street-trees-0 | access-date=March 1, 2021}}</ref>

Chico is made up of many districts and neighborhoods, including Downtown Chico, the [[South Campus Neighborhood|South Campus]] neighborhood, and [[Barber, California|Barber]].

===Climate===
Chico and the [[Sacramento Valley]] have a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] Csa), with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

Temperatures can rise well above {{convert|100|F|abbr=on}} in the summer. Chico is one of the top metropolitan areas in the nation for number of clear days.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chico Facts|url=http://www.csuchico.edu/pa/chico-facts.shtml|work=csuchico.edu|publisher=[[California State University, Chico]]|access-date=November 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128074142/http://www.csuchico.edu/pa/chico-facts.shtml|archive-date=November 28, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Winters are cool and wet, with the greatest rainfall occurring in January and February. July is usually the hottest month, with an average high temperature of {{convert|94|°F}} and an average low temperature of {{convert|61|°F}}. January is the coolest month, with an average high temperature of {{convert|55|°F}} and an average low temperature of {{convert|35|°F}}. The average annual rainfall is {{convert|27|in|mm}}. [[Tule fog]] is sometimes present during the autumn and winter months.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/as-central-valley-fog-disappears-fruit-nut-5496710.php | title=As Central Valley fog disappears, fruit, nut crops decline | first=Peter | last=Fimrite | work=[[SFGate]] | date=May 22, 2014}}</ref>  Snow occasionally falls in the hills east of Chico, but has become quite rare in Chico itself; as of 2024, measurable snow has not occurred in Chico since December 1988.<ref name = WRCC>{{cite web |url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca1715 |title= Chico Univ Farm, California: Total Snowfall |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2 Jun 2024 |website=Western Regional Climate Center |access-date=2 Jun 2024 |quote=}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Chico, California (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 77
|Feb record high F = 83
|Mar record high F = 93
|Apr record high F = 98
|May record high F = 108
|Jun record high F = 115
|Jul record high F = 117
|Aug record high F = 116
|Sep record high F = 115
|Oct record high F = 107
|Nov record high F = 91
|Dec record high F = 78
|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 68.2
|Feb avg record high F = 73.3
|Mar avg record high F = 79.0
|Apr avg record high F = 88.6
|May avg record high F = 95.8
|Jun avg record high F = 103.5
|Jul avg record high F = 106.1
|Aug avg record high F = 105.2
|Sep avg record high F = 103.5
|Oct avg record high F = 93.8
|Nov avg record high F = 79.1
|Dec avg record high F = 67.9
|year avg record high F = 108.5

|Jan high F = 56.1
|Feb high F = 62.2
|Mar high F = 66.7
|Apr high F = 72.8
|May high F = 81.3
|Jun high F = 89.3
|Jul high F = 95.2
|Aug high F = 94.3
|Sep high F = 90.9
|Oct high F = 79.7
|Nov high F = 65.0
|Dec high F = 56.6
|year high F = 75.8
| Jan mean F = 46.1
| Feb mean F = 50.3
| Mar mean F = 54.2
| Apr mean F = 59.0
| May mean F = 66.8
| Jun mean F = 73.4
| Jul mean F = 78.1
| Aug mean F = 76.7
| Sep mean F = 72.9
| Oct mean F = 63.5
| Nov mean F = 52.4
| Dec mean F = 46.4
| year mean F = 61.7
|Jan low F = 36.2
|Feb low F = 38.3
|Mar low F = 41.6
|Apr low F = 45.3
|May low F = 52.2
|Jun low F = 57.4
|Jul low F = 61.0
|Aug low F = 59.0
|Sep low F = 54.9
|Oct low F = 47.4
|Nov low F = 39.8
|Dec low F = 36.3
|year low F = 47.4

|Jan avg record low F = 26.4
|Feb avg record low F = 29.4
|Mar avg record low F = 31.8
|Apr avg record low F = 35.5
|May avg record low F = 42.5
|Jun avg record low F = 48.4
|Jul avg record low F = 53.6
|Aug avg record low F = 52.4
|Sep avg record low F = 46.4
|Oct avg record low F = 36.8
|Nov avg record low F = 29.6
|Dec avg record low F = 26.6
|year avg record low F = 23.8

|Jan record low F = 12
|Feb record low F = 16
|Mar record low F = 23
|Apr record low F = 27
|May record low F = 30
|Jun record low F = 38
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 38
|Sep record low F = 35
|Oct record low F = 23
|Nov record low F = 20
|Dec record low F = 11
|year record low F =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 5.12
|Feb precipitation inch = 5.14
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.63
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.95
|May precipitation inch = 1.35
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.64
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.03
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.10
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.25
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.73
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.41
|Dec precipitation inch = 5.04
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 11.4
|Feb precipitation days =  9.9
|Mar precipitation days =  9.1
|Apr precipitation days =  6.0
|May precipitation days =  4.4
|Jun precipitation days =  1.9
|Jul precipitation days =  0.2
|Aug precipitation days =  0.5
|Sep precipitation days =  1.9
|Oct precipitation days =  3.8
|Nov precipitation days =  7.2
|Dec precipitation days = 10.2

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00041715&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Chico UNIV Farm, CA
|access-date = April 3, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=sto
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Sacramento
|access-date = April 3, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1880 = 3300
| 1890 = 2894
| 1900 = 2640
| 1910 = 3750
| 1920 = 9339
| 1930 = 7961
| 1940 = 9287
| 1950 = 12272
| 1960 = 14757
| 1970 = 19580
| 1980 = 26716
| 1990 = 40079
| 2000 = 59954
| 2010 = 86187
| 2020 = 101475
| estyear = 2025
| estimate = 113847
| estref = <ref name=pop20250101/>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
[[File:St John-Baptist Catholic Church, Chico, USA - panoramio (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.]]

===2020===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Chico, California – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Chico city, California|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US0613014|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web |title = P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Chico city, California |url = https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0613014&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web |title = P2 Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Chico city, California |url = https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0613014&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|46,258
|63,561
|style='background: #ffffe6; |66,361
|77.16%
|73.75%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |65.40%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|1,174
|1,636
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,822
|1.96%
|1.90%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.80%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|625
|791
|style='background: #ffffe6; |938
|1.04%
|0.92%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.92%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|2,488
|3,589
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,349
|4.15%
|4.16%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.29%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|109
|189
|style='background: #ffffe6; |320
|0.18%
|0.22%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.32%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|166
|164
|style='background: #ffffe6;|624
|0.28%
|0.19%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.61%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race or Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|1,783
|2,942
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,423
|2.97%
|3.41%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.33%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|7,351
|13,315
|style='background: #ffffe6; |20,638
|12.26%
|15.45%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |20.34%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''59,954'''
|'''86,187'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''101,475'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

The [[2020 United States census]] reported that Chico had a population of 101,475. The population density was {{convert|2,972.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Chico was 70.4% [[White Americans|White]], 2.0% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.6% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 4.4% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.4% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 9.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 12.1% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 20.3% of the population.<ref name=DP1>{{cite web |title=Chico city, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0613014 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 11, 2025}}</ref>

The census reported that 96.7% of the population lived in households, 2.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 41,887 households, out of which 25.4% included children under the age of 18, 34.3% were married-couple households, 9.7% were [[cohabitation|cohabiting]] couple households, 32.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 23.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 31.7% of households were one person, and 12.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.34.<ref name=DP1/> There were 21,831 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (52.1% of all households).<ref>{{cite web |title=Chico city, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0613014 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 11, 2025}}</ref>

The age distribution was 19.1% under the age of 18, 18.2% aged 18 to 24, 27.2% aged 25 to 44, 19.8% aged 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 33.2{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 44,429 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,301.3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 41,887 (94.3%) were occupied. Of these, 43.2% were owner-occupied, and 56.8% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in 2023 was $67,929, and the [[per capita income]] was $38,201. About 12.6% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chico city, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=1600000US0613014 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 11, 2025}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Chico State Science Building in March 2022-02699.jpg|thumb|left|[[California State University, Chico]] Science Building.]]
Much of the local economy is driven by the presence of Chico State. Industries providing employment: educational, health and social services (30.3%), retail trade (14.9%), arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services (12.6%).

Chico's downtown is a thriving area for unique, independent retail stores and restaurants. Farmers markets attract crowds on Saturday mornings and Thursday evenings. City Plaza hosts free concerts regularly during the summer. Performance venues large and small, bars, coffee shops, bookstores, and city offices contribute to a lively and flavorful experience.

Chico has long been a regional retail shopping destination. Chico's largest retail district is focused around the [[Chico Mall]] on East 20th Street. In the two decades since the Chico Mall was constructed, many national retailers have located nearby.
[[File:Hotel Diamond, Chico, CA USA - panoramio (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|W 4th Street in Downtown Chico, with the Hotel Diamond in center.]]
Chico is also home to the North Valley Plaza Mall, the city's first enclosed shopping center. Construction on this mall began in 1965, and it was the county's largest shopping center until the Chico Mall was completed in 1988. For a few years, the "old" mall and the "new" mall competed against one another. The North Valley Plaza Mall was dealt a blow when [[JCPenney]], one of the old mall's anchors, moved to the Chico Mall in 1993. The "old" mall slowly declined with increasing vacancies. After several failed attempts at revitalization, the North Valley Plaza Mall was overhauled in 2002, with the center of the mall demolished.

[[Sierra Nevada Brewing Company]], the largest [[craft brewer]] in the U.S., is based in Chico.

===Agriculture===
[[File:Sierra Nevada Brewery, April 2021.jpg|thumb|left|[[Sierra Nevada Brewing Company]].]]
[[Almond]]s are the number one crop in Chico and the surrounding area, only recently edging out rice. Other crops in the area include [[walnut]]s, [[Kiwifruit|kiwi]]s, [[olive]]s, [[peach]]es, and [[plum]]s.

The city is bounded on the west by orchards with thousands of almond trees, and there are still a few pockets of orchards remaining within the contiguous city limits. The trees bloom with a pink/white flower in late February or early March. Millions of bees are brought in for pollination.

Walnuts are also major agricultural products in the area north and west of town. Unlike the almond crops of the area, walnuts do not have the same appeal as they do not bloom in the spring. However, the trees themselves grow much larger, live longer, and are far more resilient to harsh weather than almond trees, which are known to be sensitive to frost and can be felled easily in winter storms. In the area, walnuts are harvested following the almond harvest season, beginning in mid to late September and stretching well into October.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.californiawalnutcompany.com/harvest-time/|title=Harvest Time|date=June 14, 2012 |publisher=California Walnut Co.|access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> The walnut variety Chico is named after the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://calag.ucanr.edu/download_pdf.cfm?article=ca.v022n04p8|title=Ten new walnut varieties released|publisher=California Agriculture|date=April 1, 1968}}</ref>

===Top employers===
[[File:Trinity Hall, Chico State, April 2020.jpg|thumb|right|Trinity Hall at [[Chico State]].]]
[[File:Chico Museum - Chico, California - DSC03158 (cropped).JPG|thumb|right|Chico Museum.]]

According to Zippia, the Top 10 employers in Chico are below.<ref>{{Cite web|title=20 Biggest Companies In Chico, CA – Zippia |url=https://www.zippia.com/company/best-biggest-companies-in-chico-ca/|access-date=August 8, 2021 |website=www.zippia.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!#
!Employer
!# of Employees
|-
|1
|[[California State University, Chico]]
|2,000
|-
|2
|Enloe Medical Center
|2,000
|-
|3
|[[Sierra Nevada Brewing Company]]
|1,050
|-
|4
|Tri Counties Bank
|1,011
|-
|5
|Victor
|930
|-
|6
|K*Coe Isom
|420
|-
|7
|Fifth Sun
|240
|-
|8
|Joy Signal Technology
|175
|-
|9
|Miller Buick Oldsmobile
|175
|-
|10
|The Terraces Retirement Community
|175
|}

==Culture==
[[File:Senator-theater-across-from-chico-city-plaza (2905305359).jpg|left|thumb|The Senator Theater, built in 1928 by architect [[Timothy L. Pflueger]] for Michael Naify and the [[Nesser brothers|Nesser Brothers]].]]
[[File:Bidwell Mansion, May 2021.jpg|thumb|left|[[Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park]].]]
The Chico Museum first opened in February 1986 in the former Carnegie Library building in downtown Chico. It currently features a [[World War I]] exhibit. The museum has two main galleries, which host a variety of temporary and traveling exhibits. In addition, the museum has two smaller, permanent galleries displaying the diverse history of Chico.

The [[Chico Air Museum]] is an aviation museum, which opened in 2004. Several aircraft and exhibits are displayed in and adjacent to an old hangar, one of the few remaining from World War II.

The National Yo-Yo Museum<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rafat |first=MIS |date=December 12, 2021 |title=Moving Companies In California 2022 |url=https://buzzmoving.com/moving-companies/california/ |access-date=December 26, 2022 |website=BuzzMoving |language=en-US}}</ref> is the country's largest collection of [[yo-yo]] artifacts, which also includes a {{convert|4|ft|m|adj=on}} tall yo-yo that is dropped with a crane every few years, the world's largest functional yo-yo. Classes are available as well for those new to yo-yo and those who just want to get better. An art museum, the Chico Art Center, is also located in the city.
Two other historical buildings are also museums. Bidwell Mansion is a Victorian house completed in 1868 and the former home of John and [[Annie Bidwell]]. Bidwell Mansion is a California State Historical Park. Stansbury House, former home of physician Oscar Stansbury, is a museum of 19th-century life, completed in 1883.<ref>[http://www.chicochamber.com/Visitors___Relocation/Things_to_See___Do/Points_of_Interest.html Museums & Historic Buildings] Chico city website {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121050933/http://www.chicochamber.com/Visitors___Relocation/Things_to_See___Do/Points_of_Interest.html |date=January 21, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Stansbury Home History |url=http://thestansburyhome.com/stansbury-home-history/dr-oscar-stansbury-biography/ |website=The Stansbury Home}}</ref>
[[File:Madison Bear Garden Sign.JPG|thumb|right|Symbols of the Californian [[Bear flag]] at the historic Madison Bear Garden.]]
[http://www.csuchico.edu/anthmuseum/ The Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology] on the Chico State campus presents temporary exhibits researched, designed, and installed primarily by students. The museum was renamed November 18, 2009, by the Chico State Board of Trustees in honor of professor emerita Valene L. Smith, whose contributions and commitments to the museum have totaled over $4.6&nbsp;million. The grand opening was held on January 28, 2010. The museum is across from the main entrance of the Miriam Library, next to the [[Janet Turner Print Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology Has Grand Opening January 28 Highlighting New Exhibit: Living On Top Of The World: Arctic Adaptation, Survival And Stewardship|url=http://news.csuchico.edu/2010/01/13/valene-l-smith-museum-of-anthropology-has-grand-opening-jan-28-highlighting-new-exhibit-living-on-top-of-the-world-arctic-adaptation-survival-and-stewardship/|work=CSU, Chico News |publisher=[[California State University, Chico]]|access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref>

The Gateway Science Museum is a leading center for science education and [[Northern California|Northern California's]] local history, natural resources, seacoast, Sacramento Valley, and surrounding foothills and mountains.<ref>{{cite web|title=Home|url=http://www.gatewayscience.org|publisher=Gateway Science Museum|access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref>

Chico is home to the Chico Certified Farmers Market; they host local farmers markets every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Residents are also able to enjoy a farmers and live market downtown on Thursday nights between April and September.

About 40 [[murals]] and several galleries can be found in the city, including Chico Paper Company, 1078 Gallery, Avenue 9, The Space, 24-Hour Drive-By, and numerous other galleries. The theatres in Chico include Blue Room Theatre, Chico Performances, Chico Theater Company, and California Regional Theatre. The California State University, Chico Theatre Department also offers a variety of entertainment throughout the school year. In 2003, author John Villani named Chico one of the top 10 Best Small Art Towns in America.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newsreview.com/chico/content/state-of-the-arts/27847/ | title=State of the Arts | first=Jason | last=Cassidy | work=[[News & Review]] | date=November 6, 2003}}</ref>

==Sports==
[[File:Laxson Auditorium - California State University, Chico - DSC03133.JPG|thumb|right|Laxson Auditorium at [[California State University, Chico]].]]
Chico is home to [[Nettleton Stadium]] (also called ''The Net'') [[Baseball park|baseball stadium]] on the California State University campus. It is the home field for the [[Chico State Wildcats]] baseball team, in [[List of NCAA Division II institutions|NCAA Division 2]].

Chico is also home to the [[Silver Dollar Speedway]], a race track at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds used for [[sprint car racing]].

Chico is one of few cities to be home to two championship baseball teams in two different leagues simultaneously. The Chico State Wildcats were champions in both the 1997 and 1999 Division II College World Series. The [[Chico Heat]] were also champions in the [[Western Baseball League]] in 1997. The [[Chico Outlaws]] were founded with the [[Golden Baseball League]] in 2005, where they also won the championship in 2007 and 2010. Starting in the summer of 2016, the [[Chico Heat (Great West League)|Chico Heat]] returned as a part of the [[Great West League]], a collegiate summer wood-bat league, until 2018 when the league folded due to financial issues from several other participating teams.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Woodard|first1=Nick|title=Chico Heat Return to Nettleton Stadium|url=http://www.chicoer.com/sports/20141125/chico-heat-return-to-nettleton-stadium|access-date=December 3, 2014|publisher=Chico Enterprise-Record|date=November 25, 2014}}</ref>

Chico has also gained a reputation as being a bicycle-friendly city. In 1997, Chico was ranked as the number one cycling city in the nation by ''Bicycle Magazine''{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} and also hosts the Wildflower Century, an annual {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=on}} bike ride throughout Butte County every April, put on by Chico Velo Cycling Club. The city is in the process of creating a network of bicycle paths, trails, and lanes.

Chico is the former home of the [[Chico Rooks]] (soccer), the Chico Heat (baseball – Western Baseball League), and Chico Outlaws (baseball – Golden Baseball League).

==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Chico, California}}
[[File:Old Municipal Building in Chico California.JPG|thumb|left|Chico's Old Municipal Building.]]
[[File:North Butte County Courthouse at sunset.jpg|thumb|[[Butte County Superior Court]].]]
[[File:United States Post Office - Chico, California - DSC03042.JPG|thumb|left|[[Chico Midtown Station]].]]
The City of Chico is a [[charter city]] and has a [[council–manager government]]. The City of Chico's administration offices are located at 411 Main Street, immediately adjacent to the City Council Chambers. Chico's [[city council]] consists of seven nonpartisan council members each elected from one of the seven districts in November of even-numbered years. The districts were officially created in February 2020.<ref name="CC">{{cite web |title=City Council – Government |url=https://chico.ca.us/Your-Government/Template-COUNCIL/City-Council-Directory/index.html |access-date=March 5, 2025 |publisher=City of Chico}}</ref>

Their terms begin on the first Tuesday in December and end on the first Tuesday in December four years thereafter. The mayor is chosen by and from among the council members and serves for two years. City council meetings are on the first and third Tuesday of each month.

As of 2025, the council consists of Mayor Kasey Reynolds, Vice Mayor Dale Bennett, Bryce Goldstein, Katie Hawley, Mike O'Brien, Tom van Overbeek, and Addison Winslow.<ref name=CC/>

Chico is represented in the [[Butte County Board of Supervisors]] by the District Two Supervisor Peter Durfee, District Three Supervisor Tami Ritter, District 4 Supervisor Tod Kimmelshue and District 5 Supervisor Doug Teeter.

The citizens of Chico, as constituents of [[California's 3rd Assembly District]], are represented by {{Representative|caad|3|fmt=spfl}} in the [[California State Assembly]],<ref name="SAssembly"/> and as members of [[California's 1st Senate District]], are represented by {{Representative|casd|1|fmt=spfl}} in the [[California State Senate]].<ref name="SSenate"/> As part of [[California's 1st congressional district]], Chico is represented by {{Representative|cacd|1}} in the [[United States House of Representatives]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite GovTrack|CA|1|access-date=August 4, 2025}}</ref>

Chico was designated to be the provisional capital of California if a disaster occurred that would cause evacuation of Sacramento after a [[civil defense]] exercise named [[Operation Chico]] was deemed a success.<ref>News From Our Past, Chico ER, December 6, 2008</ref><!--could not locate this article in online archives!--> No person shall produce, test, maintain, or store within the city a [[nuclear weapon]], component of a nuclear weapon, nuclear weapon delivery system, or component of a nuclear weapon delivery system under penalty of Chapter 9.60.030 of the Chico Municipal Code.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://library.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/California/chico_ca/title9publicpeacesafetyandmorals/divisionixnuclearweapons/chapter960nuclearfreezonelaw?f=templates$fn=altmain-nf.htm$3.0|title=library.amlegal.com|website=library.amlegal.com|access-date=November 9, 2018}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:California State University, Chico - panoramio (6).jpg|thumb|right|Kendall Hall at [[Chico State]].]]
The [[Chico Unified School District]] serves all of the greater Chico area, including areas not within the city limits. Public high schools include [[Chico High School]], [[Pleasant Valley High School (California)|Pleasant Valley High School]] and [[Inspire School of Arts and Sciences]].

In 1998, city voters approved a bond to build a third comprehensive high school that was to be called Canyon View High School. However, after a long search for a suitable site, the school district opted not to build the new high school, a decision based largely on declining enrollment figures. The money from the bond has now been used to improve the Chico and Pleasant Valley high schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicoer.com/2017/08/02/work-underway-at-canyon-view-but-no-third-high-school-planned/|title=Work underway at Canyon View, but no third high school planned|last=Anguiano|first=Dani|website=[[Chico Enterprise-Record]]|date=August 2, 2017 |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>

;Higher Education
*[[California State University, Chico]] (Chico State)
*[[Butte College]]
*[[Cal Northern School of Law]]

==Media==
[[File:Chico City Plaza - Chico, California - DSC03021.JPG|thumb|right|The public stage at Chico Plaza.]] 
Chico is served by several print newspapers, including the ''[[Chico Enterprise-Record]]'', the ''[[News & Review|Chico News & Review]]'', ''[[The Orion (California State University, Chico)|The Orion]]'', and by ''[[Videomaker Magazine]]''.

Local television stations include [[KCVU|KCVU-TV]] (Fox), [[KHSL-TV]] (CBS), [[KNVN|KNVN-TV]] (NBC), and [[KRCR-TV]] (ABC).

Local FM radio stations include: [[KALF|KALF (FM)]] 95.7, [[KBQB|KBQB (FM)]] 92.7, [[KCEZ|KCEZ (FM)]] 102.1, [[KCHO (FM)]] 91.7, [[KPAY-FM]] 93.9, [[KHHZ|KHHZ (FM)]] 97.7, [[KHSL-FM]] 103.5, [[KMXI|KMXI (FM)]] 95.1, [[KRQR|KRQR (FM)]], 106.7, [[KTHU|KTHU (FM)]] 100.7, [[KZAP (FM)]] 96.7, [[KZFR|KZFR (FM)]] 90.1.

Local AM stations include [[KPAY (AM)|KPAY]] 1290 and [[KZSZ]] 107.5.

==Transportation==
[[File:Chico station-00769.jpg|thumb|left|[[Chico station]] is served by [[Amtrak]].]]
[[Amtrak]] operates the [[Chico (Amtrak station)|Chico station]] at Fifth and Orange Streets for the [[Coast Starlight]] service. The terminal is partially wheelchair accessible, has an enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, free short-term and long-term parking. Trains run between [[Seattle]] and [[Union Station (Los Angeles)|Los Angeles]] with a northbound and a southbound train departing from the station daily. The [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]] and [[FlixBus]] station is also located at Fifth and Orange Streets.

The B-Line ([[Butte Regional Transit]]) serves the Chico Urban area with eight routes operating Monday through Saturday and two shuttle routes for Chico State students during the academic year.

Chico is a gold level [[bicycle-friendly]] community as designated by the [[League of American Bicyclists]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/communities/beyond_platinum.php |title= Beyond Platinum |access-date= May 12, 2013 |year= 2013 |publisher= League of American Bicyclists |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130115072650/http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/communities/beyond_platinum.php |archive-date= January 15, 2013 |df= mdy-all }}</ref> Chico was also named "America's Best Bike Town" by ''[[Bicycle (magazine)|Bicycle]]'' magazine in 1997.
[[Pedicab]]s are commonly available downtown during the evenings.

[[California State Route 99]] and [[California State Route 32]] intersect in Chico.

===Air===
[[File:Cessna O-2A Super Skymaster (M337), CDF - California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection AN0252969.jpg|thumb|right|Plane at [[Chico Municipal Airport]]]]
[[File:Chico Air Museum aerial view.jpg|thumb|[[Chico Air Museum]]]]
[[Chico Municipal Airport|Chico Regional Airport]] serves the area and is north of the city limits. It was served by [[United Airlines]]' [[United Express]] flights operated by [[SkyWest Airlines]] nonstop to San Francisco (SFO). Commercial passenger flights were discontinued by SkyWest on December 2, 2014, due to nonviability, as indicated by United Airlines in June 2014. The city administration is trying to restore air service, which would be provided by alternate airlines.<ref>Chico Municipal Airport official website</ref> On July 31, 1961, the first-ever [[aircraft hijacking]] on United States soil occurred at the Chico Regional Airport. Two men were critically wounded, and the hijacker was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.<ref>Chico: A 20th century Pictorial History</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Welter|first=Greg|title=First U.S. skyjacking attempt was in Chico, 45 years ago|url=http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_4116071|access-date=November 4, 2011|newspaper=[[Chico Enterprise-Record]]|date=July 31, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708144005/http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_4116071|archive-date=July 8, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the early 1980s, the airport was the home base and headquarters for [[Pacific Express]], a scheduled passenger airline that served Chico with [[British Aircraft Corporation]] [[BAC One-Eleven]] twin jets. From 1962 to 2010, the airport was also home to [[Aero Union]], a company that refitted and operated surplus military aircraft such as the [[Lockheed P-3 Orion]] turboprop as fire fighting aircraft for state and federal agencies until their move to [[McClellan Airfield]], near Sacramento.

Another local airfield is [[Ranchaero Airport]], surrounded by orchards on the west edge of Chico.

An [[List of altitude records reached by different aircraft types|altitude record]] for unmanned gas balloons was set in Chico in October 1972 ({{convert|51.8|km|abbr=on|disp=or}}). The record was broken on May 23, 2002.

''[[Top Gun: Maverick]]'' was filmed in the foothills outside Chico in July 2019 for the final scenes between the [[F 14|F-14]] and two [[Su 57|SU-57's]], which was performed using two [[Aero L-39 Albatros|L-39's]] and [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]]. The film crew spent 10 days filming and secretly used the Chico Airport for a staging area. Geographic identifiers in the film include the Feather River Canyon, Bucks Lake, Feather Falls and Mount Lassen.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saam |first=Kelly |date=June 16, 2022 |title=Chico's top secret mission in the filming of 'Top Gun: Maverick' |url=https://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/chicos-top-secret-mission-in-the-filming-of-top-gun-maverick/article_1a7ea352-ed72-11ec-81ae-0b8aa75679e1.html |access-date=June 16, 2022 }}</ref>

==Sister cities==
*{{Flagicon|ROC}} – [[Tamsui District|Tamsui, New Taipei]], [[Taiwan]] 1985<ref>{{cite news|last=Sheckter |first=Alan |title=Chico considers establishing permanent sister city guidelines |url=http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_7308345 |access-date=November 4, 2011 |newspaper=[[Chico Enterprise-Record]] |date=October 28, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927003624/http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_7308345 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref>
*{{flagicon|US}} – [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]] (U.S.) 2005<ref>{{cite news|last=Gascoyne|first=Tom|title=Chico gets a Southern sister|url=http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A43367|access-date=November 4, 2011|newspaper=[[Chico News & Review]]|date=October 27, 2005|archive-date=February 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202015330/http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A43367|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Emily Azevedo]], Olympian, world champion in [[bobsled]]
*[[Annie Bidwell]], civil rights leader
*[[John Bidwell]], pioneer and founder of Chico
*[[Big Poppa E]], slam poet
*[[Joseph Bottom]], swimmer, Olympic silver medalist, NCAA and world champion
*[[Lisa Butts]], national team player, women's rugby
*[[Brian Cage]], professional wrestler
*[[Glynnis Talken Campbell]], author, composer, musician, and voice actor.
*[[Bill Carter]], documentary filmmaker, author
*[[Raymond Carver]], writer
*[[Eugene A. Chappie]], politician
*[[Pat Clements]], professional baseball pitcher
*[[Edwin Copeland]], botanist, founder [[University of the Philippines Los Banos College of Agriculture]]
*[[Clay Dalrymple]], professional baseball catcher
*[[Leslie Deniz]], Olympic silver medalist in discus
*[[Amanda Detmer]], actress
*[[Newton T. Enloe]], founder of Enloe Health medical system
*[[Ashley Everett]], dancer, lead backup dancer, and dance captain for [[Beyoncé]]
*[[Pat Gillick]], executive in [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]
*[[Ken Grossman]], founder, [[Sierra Nevada Brewing Company]]
*[[Jerry Harris (artist)|Jerry Harris]], sculptor
*[[Russell Hayden]], actor
*[[Joseph Hilbe]], [[Chico State University]] graduate, author, professor, statistician
*[[Marty James]], musician
*[[Mat Kearney]], musician
*[[Adnan Khashoggi]], billionaire businessman
*[[Kurt Kitayama]], professional golfer
*[[Janja Lalich]], author, professor, sociologist
*[[Harold Lang (dancer)|Harold Lang]], dancer and actor
*Major [[Ted W. Lawson]], U.S. Army Air Forces pilot
*[[Kyle Lohse]], [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] pitcher, [[2011 World Series]] champion
*[[Pat Mastelotto]], musician
*[[Michael Messner]], notable author, sociologist
*[[William Morris (glass artist)|William Morris]], glass artist
*[[The Mother Hips]], musical artists
*[[Joe Nelson]], professional baseball player
*[[Matt Olmstead]], writer and producer
*[[Elena Orlando]], professional ice hockey player
*[[Andranik Ozanian]], Armenian general and activist
*[[Pete Parada]], professional musician, drummer for [[The Offspring]]
*[[Kathleen Patterson]], politician
*[[Michael Perelman (economist)|Michael Perelman]], author, economist, professor 
*[[Jackson Pollock]], abstract expressionist painter<ref name="Chico News and Review">{{cite news |last=Resnick |first=Carla |title=Bench marks: The city of Chico's latest public-art projects combine form and function |url=http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid%3A33357 |access-date=November 4, 2011 |newspaper=[[Chico News & Review]] |date=January 6, 2005 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927234759/http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=oid:33357 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Jonathan Richman]], Singer, songwriter and former frontman of the Modern Lovers
*[[Aaron Rodgers]], quarterback, Super Bowl champion and 4-time [[National Football League|NFL]] MVP
*[[Jordan Rodgers]], [[SEC Network]] sportscaster
*[[Ed Rollins]], political consultant
*[[Jason Ross (writer)|Jason Ross]], TV writer
*[[Rigoberto Sanchez]], professional football punter
*[[Mike Sherrard]], professional football player, [[Super Bowl XXIV]] champion
*[[Carolyn S. Shoemaker]], astronomer
*[[Robert C. Stebbins]], herpetologist and illustrator
*[[Gentry Stein]], world yo-yo champion and performer
*[[Jeff Stover]], professional football player
*[[Mike Thompson (California politician)|Mike Thompson]], politician
*[[Douglas Tilden]], sculptor
*[[Niki Tsongas]], politician, widow of [[Paul Tsongas]]
*[[Muddy Waters (football coach)|Muddy Waters]], coach in [[College Football Hall of Fame]]
*[[Bill Wattenburg]], scientist, radio talk show host
*[[Don Young]], politician
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|California}}
*[[College town]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Chico (California)|Chico, California}}
*{{Official website}}
*[http://www.chicochamber.com/ Chico Chamber of Commerce]

{{Chico, California}}
{{Cities of Butte County, California}}
{{Sacramento Valley}}
{{Shasta Cascade}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Chico, California| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Butte County, California]]
[[Category:Former county seats in California]]
[[Category:Geography of the Sacramento Valley]]
[[Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Sacramento River]]
[[Category:Nuclear-weapon-free zones]]
[[Category:Shasta Cascade]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1872]]
[[Category:1872 establishments in California]]