Chico, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chico, California
City
Chico State University Senator Theatre Diamond Hotel Chico Plaza Downtown Chico
Seal
Nickname(s):  "City of Trees", "City of Roses"
Location of Chico in Butte County, California
Chico, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Butte
Founded	1860
Incorporated	January 8, 1872
Founded by	John Bidwell
Government
• Type	Council–manager government
Area
• City	34.62 sq mi (89.67 km2)
• Land	34.45 sq mi (89.23 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.45 km2)  0.52%
Elevation	243 ft (74 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	101,000
• Rank	74th in California 329th in the United States
• Density	2,945.57/sq mi (1,137.24/km2)
• Metro	211,632
Demonym(s)	Chicoan
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes	95926–95929, 95973, 95976
Area code	530
FIPS code	06-13014
GNIS feature ID	2409447

Chico (/ˈtʃiːkoʊ/ CHEE-koh) is the largest city in Butte County, California. Its name means "little" in Spanish. It is located in the Sacramento Valley in Northern California. In 2020, about 101,475 people lived there.

Chico is an important center for culture and business in the northern Sacramento Valley. It is also the biggest city in California north of Sacramento. The city is famous for being a college town, home to California State University, Chico. It also has Bidwell Park, which is one of the largest city parks in the world.

History of Chico, California

Chico's origins lie in Rancho del Arroyo Chico, a Mexican-era rancho granted in 1844.

View of Chico in 1856

California State University, Chico was founded in 1887.

The first people known to live in the Chico area were the Mechoopda Maidu Native Americans. They had a village called Bah-hahp'-ke, which means "straight tree."

The city of Chico was started in 1860 by John Bidwell. He was one of the first people to arrive in California by wagon train in 1843. Chico officially became a city on January 8, 1872.

In the early days, many Chinese American people lived in Chico. Sadly, in 1886, a fire destroyed Chico's Chinatown. This caused many Chinese Americans to leave the town.

Important moments in Chico's history include John Bidwell's arrival in 1850. The California and Oregon Railroad came in 1870. In 1887, a school was built that later became California State University, Chico. The Diamond Match Company bought a large lumber company in 1900. Also, an Army Air Base was built, which is now the Chico Municipal Airport.

More recently, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company started in 1979. It became one of the best breweries in the country.

Geography and Climate

Aerial view of Chico.

Chico is on the northeast edge of the Sacramento Valley. This area is known for its rich farms. The Sierra Nevada mountains are to the east and south. Chico's city limits even go into the foothills. The Sacramento River is about 5 miles (8 km) to the west.

The city is mostly flat. It gets hillier as you go towards the eastern edge. Big Chico Creek divides the mountain ranges.

Bidwell Park.

Chico has a total area of about 27.8 square miles (72 km²). Most of this is land.

The city is split by Bidwell Park, which stretches 5 miles (8 km) from the city center into the hills. Two creeks, Big Chico Creek and Little Chico Creek, also run through the city. There is also a flood channel called Lindo Channel. These all flow into the Sacramento River.

Chico has been called a Tree City USA for over 30 years. This means it cares about its trees.

Chico's Weather

Chico has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Summer temperatures can often go above 100 °F (38 °C). Chico has many clear, sunny days. Winters are cool and wet. Most rain falls in January and February. July is usually the hottest month. The average high is 95 °F (35 °C) and the average low is 61 °F (16 °C). January is the coolest month. The average high is 55 °F (13 °C) and the average low is 35 °F (2 °C). The city gets about 27 inches (690 mm) of rain each year. Snow rarely falls in Chico itself.

People in Chico

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

In 2020, Chico's population was 101,475. This was a big increase from 86,187 people in 2010. Most people in Chico are White. There are also many people of Hispanic or Latino origin. Other groups include African American, Native American, and Asian people.

The city has many households. About 26.5% of them have children under 18. The average household size is 2.38 people.

Economy and Jobs

California State University, Chico Science Building.

The local economy is largely shaped by California State University, Chico. Many jobs are in education, health, and social services. Retail stores and restaurants also provide many jobs.

Downtown Chico is a lively area. It has many unique shops and restaurants. Farmers markets are popular on Saturdays and Thursdays. The City Plaza often hosts free concerts in the summer.

W 4th Street in Downtown Chico, with the Hotel Diamond in center.

Chico is a major shopping spot for the region. The biggest shopping area is around the Chico Mall on East 20th Street. Many national stores have opened near this mall.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, a very large craft brewery, is based in Chico.

Farming in Chico

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

Almonds are the top crop grown in Chico and the nearby areas. Walnuts are also a major crop. Other fruits grown here include kiwis, olives, peaches, and plums.

The city is surrounded by thousands of almond trees. These trees bloom with beautiful pink and white flowers in late February or early March. Many bees are brought in to help pollinate the trees.

Walnuts are harvested after almonds, from mid-September into October. Walnut trees are larger and stronger than almond trees. The "Chico" walnut variety is named after the city.

Top Employers in Chico

Chico Museum.

Here are some of the biggest employers in Chico:

• California State University, Chico (2,000 employees)
• Enloe Medical Center (2,000 employees)
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (1,050 employees)
• Tri Counties Bank (1,011 employees)
• Victor (930 employees)
• K*Coe Isom (420 employees)
• Fifth Sun (240 employees)
• Joy Signal Technology (175 employees)
• Miller Buick Oldsmobile (175 employees)
• The Terraces Retirement Community (175 employees)

Culture and Arts

The Senator Theater, built in 1928.

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park.

The Chico Museum opened in 1986. It is in the old Carnegie Library building. The museum has exhibits about Chico's history.

The Chico Air Museum opened in 2004. It displays several aircraft and exhibits. These are in and around an old hangar from World War II.

The National Yo-Yo Museum has the largest collection of yo-yo items in the country. It even has a 4-foot (1.2 m) tall yo-yo! This giant yo-yo is dropped with a crane every few years. You can also take yo-yo classes there.

Symbols of the Californian Bear flag at the historic Madison Bear Garden.

The Chico Art Center is another art museum in the city.

Two other historic buildings are also museums. Bidwell Mansion is a Victorian house from 1868. It was the home of John and Annie Bidwell. It is now a California State Historical Park. Stansbury House, built in 1883, shows what life was like in the 19th century.

The Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology is at Chico State. Students help create the exhibits there. The Gateway Science Museum teaches about science and Northern California's history.

Chico has several farmers markets. They happen on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. There's also a popular market downtown on Thursday nights.

The city has about 40 murals and many art galleries. There are also several theaters, like the Blue Room Theatre and Chico Theater Company. In 2003, Chico was named one of the top 10 "Best Small Art Towns in America."

Sports and Recreation

Laxson Auditorium at California State University, Chico.

Chico is home to Nettleton Stadium. This baseball stadium is on the California State University campus. It's where the Chico State Wildcats baseball team plays.

The Silver Dollar Speedway is a race track at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. It is used for sprint car racing.

Chico has had two championship baseball teams at the same time. The Chico State Wildcats won the Division II College World Series in 1997 and 1999. The Chico Heat won the Western Baseball League in 1997. The Chico Outlaws won the Golden Baseball League championship in 2007 and 2010.

Chico is known as a great city for bicycles. In 1997, Bicycle Magazine called Chico the number one cycling city in the nation. The city is building more bike paths and lanes. Chico also hosts the Wildflower Century, a 100-mile (160 km) bike ride every April.

Education in Chico

Kendall Hall at Chico State.

The Chico Unified School District serves the Chico area. Public high schools include Chico High School, Pleasant Valley High School, and Inspire School of Arts and Sciences.

Colleges and Universities

• California State University, Chico (Chico State)
• Butte College
• Cal Northern School of Law

Media and News

The public stage at Chico Plaza.

Chico has several newspapers. These include the Chico Enterprise-Record and the Chico News & Review. Local TV stations are KCVU-TV (Fox), KHSL-TV (CBS), KNVN-TV (NBC), and KRCR-TV (ABC). There are also many local radio stations, both FM and AM.

Transportation

Chico station is served by Amtrak.

Amtrak trains stop at the Chico station. You can take a train from here to Seattle or Los Angeles. The station is wheelchair accessible. The Greyhound and FlixBus bus stations are also nearby.

The B-Line (Butte Regional Transit) provides bus service around Chico. It has eight routes and special shuttle routes for Chico State students.

Chico is a "gold level" bicycle-friendly community. This means it's great for biking. Pedicabs are also available downtown in the evenings.

Major roads like California State Route 99 and California State Route 32 cross in Chico.

Air Travel

Plane at Chico Municipal Airport

Chico Air Museum

The Chico Regional Airport serves the area. Commercial flights stopped in 2014, but the city is working to bring them back. In 1961, the first-ever aircraft hijacking in the United States happened at this airport. From 1962 to 2010, a company called Aero Union was based at the airport. They changed military planes into firefighting aircraft. Another local airport is Ranchaero Airport.

A world record for unmanned gas balloons was set in Chico in 1972. The balloon reached 51.8 km or 32.2 mi high! Part of the movie Top Gun: Maverick was filmed near Chico in 2019. The film crew used the Chico Airport as a secret base.

Sister Cities

Chico has two sister cities:

• – Tamsui, New Taipei, Taiwan (since 1985)
• – Pascagoula, Mississippi (U.S.) (since 2005)

Famous People from Chico

See also

In Spanish: Chico (California) para niños