Butte County, California

Coordinates: 39°40′N 121°36′W / 39.66°N 121.60°W / 39.66; -121.60
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Butte County, California
County of Butte
Butte County in 2005, with a view of the Sutter Buttes in the background
Butte County in 2005, with a view of the Sutter Buttes in the background
Nickname(s): 
"The Land of Natural Wealth and Beauty"
Map
Interactive map of Butte County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
IncorporatedFebruary 18, 1850[1]
Named forThe nearby Sutter Buttes
County seatOroville
Largest cityChico
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • Chair[2]Bill Connelly
 • Vice Chair[3]Tod Kimmelshue
 • Board of Supervisors[4]
Supervisors
  • Bill Connelly
  • Debra Lucero
  • Tami Ritter
  • Tod Kimmelshue
  • Doug Teeter
 • Chief Administrative OfficerAndy Pickett
Area
 • Total1,677 sq mi (4,340 km2)
 • Land1,636 sq mi (4,240 km2)
 • Water41 sq mi (110 km2)
Highest elevation7,124 ft (2,171 m)
Population
 • Total211,632
 • Density130/sq mi (49/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area code530
FIPS code06-007
GNIS feature ID1675842
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.buttecounty.net

Butte County (/ˈbjt/ ) is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. In the 2020 census, its population was 211,632.[6][7] The county seat is Oroville.[8]

Butte County comprises the Chico, CA 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[edit]

Butte County is named for the Sutter Buttes in neighboring Sutter County; butte means "small knoll" or "small hill" in French.[9] 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.[10]

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.[11][12] The Camp Fire was California's most destructive and deadliest fire.[13]

Geography[edit]

South Table Mountain Near Oroville

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,677 square miles (4,340 km2), of which 41 square miles (110 km2) (2.4%) are covered by water.[6]

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[edit]

Adjacent counties[edit]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18503,574
186012,106238.7%
187011,403−5.8%
188018,72164.2%
189017,939−4.2%
190017,117−4.6%
191027,30159.5%
192030,03010.0%
193034,09313.5%
194042,84025.7%
195064,93051.6%
196082,03026.3%
1970101,96924.3%
1980143,85141.1%
1990182,12026.6%
2000203,17111.6%
2010220,0008.3%
2020211,632−3.8%
2023 (est.)207,172[14]−2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]
1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17]
1990–2000[18] 2010[19] 2020[20]

2020 census[edit]

Butte County, California - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[19] Pop 2020[20] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 165,416 139,651 75.19% 65.99%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,133 3,320 1.42% 1.57%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 3,395 3,050 1.54% 1.44%
Asian alone (NH) 8,921 10,333 4.06% 4.88%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 401 508 0.18% 0.24%
Some other race alone (NH) 318 1,184 0.14% 0.56%
Mixed/multiracial (NH) 7,300 13,474 3.32% 6.37%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 31,116 40,112 14.14% 18.95%
Total 220,000 211,632 100.00% 100.00%

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 can be of any race.

2011[edit]

Places by population, race, and income[edit]

2010 Census[edit]

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%).[29]

2000[edit]

As of the census[30] of 2000, there were 203,171 people, 79,566 households, and 49,410 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile (48 people/km2). There were 85,523 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (20/km2). 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.

Health and crime[edit]

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[edit]

Government[edit]

Law enforcement[edit]

Butte County Sheriff's Office
{{{patchcaption}}}
AbbreviationBCSO
Operational structure
HeadquartersOroville, California
Sheriff responsible
  • Kory Honea
Facilities
Jails1
Website
Official website

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 Superior Court of Butte County; 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.[33]

Voter registration statistics[edit]

Cities by population and voter registration[edit]

Local[edit]

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

Tribal[edit]

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[edit]

Butte County is split between the 1st and 3rd Assembly districts, represented by Republican Megan Dahle and Republican James Gallagher, respectively.[36] The county is in the 4th Senate District, represented by Democrat Marie Alvarado-Gil.[37]

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.[38]

On November 4, 2008, Butte County voted 56.7% for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.[39]

Federal[edit]

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

Butte is a bellwether county in presidential elections, and one of only thirteen to have voted for Obama in 2008, Romney in 2012, Trump in 2016, and Biden in 2020.[a]

United States presidential election results for Butte County, California[41]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 48,819 47.60% 50,815 49.54% 2,931 2.86%
2016 45,144 46.54% 41,567 42.85% 10,291 10.61%
2012 44,479 48.87% 42,669 46.88% 3,873 4.26%
2008 46,706 47.32% 49,013 49.66% 2,988 3.03%
2004 51,662 53.73% 42,448 44.14% 2,047 2.13%
2000 45,584 54.45% 31,338 37.43% 6,799 8.12%
1996 38,961 48.98% 30,651 38.53% 9,938 12.49%
1992 31,608 37.18% 32,489 38.22% 20,917 24.60%
1988 40,143 56.04% 30,406 42.45% 1,082 1.51%
1984 45,381 63.06% 25,421 35.32% 1,162 1.61%
1980 38,188 57.85% 19,520 29.57% 8,304 12.58%
1976 28,400 51.77% 24,203 44.12% 2,251 4.10%
1972 28,819 57.61% 18,401 36.78% 2,808 5.61%
1968 22,225 56.68% 12,887 32.87% 4,099 10.45%
1964 19,574 48.43% 20,831 51.54% 14 0.03%
1960 20,838 57.60% 15,163 41.92% 174 0.48%
1956 18,382 58.43% 12,933 41.11% 147 0.47%
1952 19,248 63.27% 10,913 35.87% 263 0.86%
1948 10,948 49.36% 10,133 45.68% 1,100 4.96%
1944 7,852 46.83% 8,811 52.55% 105 0.63%
1940 7,433 40.46% 10,684 58.15% 255 1.39%
1936 5,103 32.04% 10,490 65.86% 335 2.10%
1932 4,322 29.14% 9,645 65.03% 865 5.83%
1928 6,306 60.45% 3,946 37.83% 180 1.73%
1924 4,382 42.25% 1,299 12.52% 4,691 45.23%
1920 5,409 65.69% 2,262 27.47% 563 6.84%
1916 3,956 40.91% 4,888 50.55% 825 8.53%
1912 10 0.11% 4,028 45.66% 4,784 54.23%
1908 3,094 52.74% 2,146 36.58% 626 10.67%
1904 2,799 58.84% 1,574 33.09% 384 8.07%
1900 2,322 52.55% 2,011 45.51% 86 1.95%
1896 2,075 48.31% 2,120 49.36% 100 2.33%
1892 2,180 46.73% 2,141 45.89% 344 7.37%
1888 2,191 48.25% 2,215 48.78% 135 2.97%
1884 2,172 49.06% 2,118 47.84% 137 3.09%
1880 1,814 49.75% 1,832 50.25% 0 0.00%

Education[edit]

California State University, Chico was founded in 1887.

Public schools[edit]

There are roughly 90 public schools in the county according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. The schools are operated by the County Office of Education and 15 school districts, which are:

Colleges and universities[edit]

Public libraries[edit]

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 36-foot (11 m) 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[edit]

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

Major highways[edit]

Public transportation[edit]

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 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[edit]

General Aviation airports in Butte County include:

Communities[edit]

Bidwell Mansion in Chico
Kendall Hall, the administration building at California State University, Chico in Chico

Cities[edit]

Towns[edit]

Census-designated places[edit]

Unincorporated communities[edit]

Former townships[edit]

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:

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

Townships created and dissolved between 1851 and 1861 were Benton, Eureka, and Cascade.[42]

Ghost towns[edit]

Population ranking[edit]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Butte County.[44]

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[45] AIAN 1

In popular culture[edit]

Several movies have been filmed in Butte County, including Gone with the Wind,[46] The Outlaw Josey Wales,[47] Friendly Persuasion,[48] Magic Town,[49] The Klansman,[48] Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy,[48] The Adventures of Robin Hood,[48] and Under Wraps.[48] 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.[50]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

Notes
References
  1. ^ Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  2. ^ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
  3. ^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  4. ^ a b Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Statistical Report of the California State Board of Agriculture for the Year 1918. Sacramento, CA: California State Printing Office. 1919. p. 316. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  2. ^ "Supervisor Bill Connelly".
  3. ^ "District 4 Supervisor".
  4. ^ "Board of Supervisors > Home".
  5. ^ "Butte County High Point". Peakbagger.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
  7. ^ "Butte County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  8. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  9. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States (PDF). United States Geological Survey. p. 62. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ "Death toll jumps to 23 as 'challenging' Camp Fire pushes toward Lake Oroville". The Sacramento Bee. November 10, 2018. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018.
  12. ^ "California wildfires: Death toll rises to 25". BBC. November 11, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  13. ^ Gina Martinez (November 14, 2018). "The California Fire That Killed 48 People Is the Deadliest U.S. Wildfire in a Century". Time. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  14. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  15. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  17. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  18. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Butte County, California". United States Census Bureau.
  20. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Butte County, California". United States Census Bureau.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  22. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  23. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  24. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  25. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  26. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  27. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website . Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g Data unavailable
  29. ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  30. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  32. ^ a b c United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California) Archived June 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  33. ^ "History". Butte County. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Statement of Vote, November 8, 2022, General Election" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  35. ^ a b c d e f California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 – Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  36. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  37. ^ "Senators". State of California. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  38. ^ CA Secretary of State – Report of Registration – February 10, 2019
  39. ^ https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2008-general/ssov/10-ballot-measures-statewide-summary-by-county.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  40. ^ "California's 1st Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  41. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  42. ^ Wells, Frank T. Gilbert, W. L. Chambers, Harry Laurenz; Gilbert, Frank T.; Chambers, W. L. (1882). History of Butte County, California. H.L. Wells. pp. 134–139.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ Colby, Robert; McDonald, Lois (2005). Magalia to Stirling City. Arcadia. p. 66. ISBN 9780738530185.
  44. ^ "2010 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  45. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census Interactive Population Map". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  46. ^ "Where was Gone with the Wind filmed?". giggster.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  47. ^ "195 ACRE RANCH RICH WITH HISTORY". Land.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  48. ^ a b c d e "CN&R • Arts&Culture • Fine Arts • Magic Town • Jun 14, 2001". Chico News & Review. July 6, 2005. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  49. ^ "CN&R • Arts&Culture • Fine Arts • Magic Town • Jun 14, 2001". Chico News & Review. July 6, 2005. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  50. ^ M; October 16, i Bierly Updated; EDT, 2013 at 06:05 AM. "Sons of Anarchy recap: Son Summit". EW.com. Retrieved November 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links[edit]

39°40′N 121°36′W / 39.66°N 121.60°W / 39.66; -121.60