Cottonwood, California Facts for Kids

For the place in Yolo County, California, see Cottonwood, Yolo County, California. For the place in Kern County, California, see Cottonwood, Kern County, California.

Quick facts for kids Cottonwood
census-designated place
Front Street in Cottonwood, August 2022
Location in Shasta County and the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Shasta
Area
• Total	13.225 sq mi (34.25 km²)
• Land	13.225 sq mi (34.25 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0 km²) 0%
Elevation	492 ft (150 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	6,268
• Density	473.95/sq mi (182.993/km²)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	96022
Area code(s)	530
FIPS code	06-16630
GNIS feature ID	2407668

Cottonwood is a small community in Shasta County, California. It's called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a place that looks like a town but isn't officially run by its own local government.

Cottonwood's population was 6,268 people in 2020. This was a big jump from 3,316 people in 2010. The town started as a stagecoach stop in 1849. Its first Post Office opened in 1852. Cottonwood is about 15 miles (24 km) from both Redding and Red Bluff. It is also 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Anderson.

Exploring Cottonwood's Location
Cottonwood's Growing Population
- Who Lives in Cottonwood?
Becoming an Official Town
Schools in Cottonwood
Big Lottery Win!
Famous People from Cottonwood
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Cottonwood's Location

Cottonwood was once part of Rancho Buena Ventura. This was a large land grant from Mexico.

Cottonwood is located in northern California. Its exact spot is 40°23′20″N 122°16′55″W / 40.38889°N 122.28194°W / 40.38889; -122.28194. The community covers about 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) of land.

The town gets its name from Cottonwood Creek. This creek flows through the area. Cottonwood is on both the north and south sides of the creek.

Cottonwood's Growing Population

Cottonwood has grown quite a bit over the years. It first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1970. It became a census-designated place in 1980.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1970	1,288	—
1980	1,553	20.6%
1990	1,747	12.5%
2000	2,960	69.4%
2010	3,316	12.0%
2020	6,268	89.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Who Lives in Cottonwood?

The U.S. Census collects information about people living in different places. This helps us understand the community.

**Cottonwood CDP (Shasta County), California – Racial and ethnic composition**
*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.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	2,411	2,653	4,818	81.45%	80.01%	76.87%
Black or African American alone (NH)	7	4	22	0.24%	0.12%	0.35%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	82	86	147	2.77%	2.59%	2.35%
Asian alone (NH)	90	107	116	3.04%	3.23%	1.85%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	1	3	0.00%	0.03%	0.05%
Other Race alone (NH)	3	4	14	0.10%	0.12%	0.22%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	89	109	454	3.01%	3.29%	7.24%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	278	352	694	9.39%	10.62%	11.07%
Total	2,960	3,316	6,268	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

In 2020, Cottonwood had 6,268 residents. Most people identified as White. There were also growing numbers of people from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. About 11% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, the population was 3,316 people. About 85.8% were White. Other groups included Native American, Asian, and people of two or more races. About 10.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2000, Cottonwood had 2,960 residents. The community was mostly White, with smaller numbers of other racial groups. About 9.39% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Becoming an Official Town

Some people in Cottonwood want the community to become an officially incorporated city. This would allow the town to make its own rules. It would also help prevent nearby cities from expanding into Cottonwood's area.

Cottonwood is one of several communities in Shasta County that are thinking about becoming cities. Other towns include Burney and Shingletown.

Schools in Cottonwood

Cottonwood has several schools for students of all ages.

West Valley High School (grades 9–12) has about 900 students.
West Cottonwood Junior High School (grades 5–8).
North Cottonwood Elementary (grades K–4).
Cottonwood Creek Charter (grades K-8) has about 250 students.

There are also elementary and middle schools on the Tehama County side of Cottonwood.

Big Lottery Win!

A very exciting event happened in Cottonwood recently. The winning ticket for one of the biggest Mega Millions lottery jackpots ever was sold here. The jackpot was a huge $1.22 billion! This happened on December 27, 2024.

Famous People from Cottonwood

Cottonwood has been home to some notable people:

Norm Stephens: A world-famous guitar player. He played with music legends like Merle Haggard.
Tom Hubert: A former NASCAR driver. He was born in Cottonwood.
Nicole Teter: A talented 800-meter runner. She competed in the Olympics in 2008. Nicole holds an American record for the indoor 800m. She graduated from West Valley High School.