Gridley, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
City of Gridley
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Gridley City Hall in December 2023
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| Nickname(s):
A Distinguished California City
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| Motto(s):
The Small Town that Loves Company
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Location of Gridley in Butte County, California
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 Gridley, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  California |
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| County | Butte | |
| Incorporated | November 23, 1905 | |
| Named for | George W. Gridley | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.08 sq mi (5.40 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.08 sq mi (5.40 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% | |
| Elevation | 95 ft (29 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,421 | |
| • Density | 3,568/sq mi (1,374.3/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) | |
| ZIP code |
95948
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| Area code | 530 | |
| FIPS code | 06-31260 | |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277526, 2410665 | |
Gridley is a city in Butte County, California. It is about 29 miles (47 km) south of Chico, California and 56 miles (90 km) north of Sacramento, California. In 2020, about 7,421 people lived there. You can reach Gridley by California State Route 99, and Interstate 5 and California State Route 70 are also close by.
Contents
History of Gridley
The area around Butte County used to be full of oak trees, fields, and wetlands. Many wild animals like deer, geese, and fish lived there. The Maidu people were the first to live in this region.
In the 1850s, a farmer named George W. Gridley settled in the area. He owned a lot of land and raised wool and grain. The town was named after him when the Oregon and California Railroad was built through it in 1870. The railroad helped the town grow.
Growth of the Community
In the early 1900s, a company advertised Gridley as "The Place Where Crops Never Fail." This brought many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Gridley, starting in 1906. They came from places like Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. By 1908, about 500 Latter-day Saints lived in Gridley. They built a large meetinghouse in 1912, which could hold 1,000 people. It was the biggest of its kind west of Salt Lake City at that time.
Recent Events
In November 2018, a big fire happened in Paradise, California. Gridley helped by setting up 400 temporary homes for people who lost their houses. This area was called the "Gridley Camp Fire Community."
In 2020, Gridley became famous when former NASA engineer and YouTube star Mark Rober set a world record. He created the World's Largest Elephant's Toothpaste Explosion, which was 60 feet (18 meters) tall! He broke his own record in 2021 with an explosion 250 feet (76 meters) high.
Geography and Climate
Gridley covers about 2.1 square miles (5.4 square kilometers) of land.
Gridley's Climate
Gridley has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
| Climate data for Gridley | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
78 (26) |
84 (29) |
95 (35) |
106 (41) |
108 (42) |
113 (45) |
113 (45) |
112 (44) |
101 (38) |
84 (29) |
72 (22) |
113 (45) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 52 (11) |
59 (15) |
63.2 (17.3) |
73.4 (23.0) |
80.6 (27.0) |
88 (31) |
96 (36) |
93.5 (34.2) |
89.8 (32.1) |
77.5 (25.3) |
63.4 (17.4) |
54.1 (12.3) |
74.2 (23.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.8 (1.6) |
37.9 (3.3) |
41.6 (5.3) |
46.3 (7.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
57.1 (13.9) |
60.9 (16.1) |
58.4 (14.7) |
55.7 (13.2) |
48.3 (9.1) |
40.1 (4.5) |
37.5 (3.1) |
47.6 (8.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 19 (−7) |
24 (−4) |
26 (−3) |
28 (−2) |
36 (2) |
42 (6) |
48 (9) |
48 (9) |
42 (6) |
28 (−2) |
20 (−7) |
22 (−6) |
19 (−7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.07 (129) |
3.05 (77) |
2.62 (67) |
1.04 (26) |
0.86 (22) |
0.26 (6.6) |
0.03 (0.76) |
0.02 (0.51) |
0.36 (9.1) |
0.89 (23) |
2.25 (57) |
3.72 (94) |
20.19 (513) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.4 (1.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 12 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 61 |
Population of Gridley
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 352 | — | |
| 1890 | 686 | 94.9% | |
| 1910 | 987 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,636 | 65.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,941 | 18.6% | |
| 1940 | 2,338 | 20.5% | |
| 1950 | 3,054 | 30.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,343 | 9.5% | |
| 1970 | 3,534 | 5.7% | |
| 1980 | 3,982 | 12.7% | |
| 1990 | 4,631 | 16.3% | |
| 2000 | 5,382 | 16.2% | |
| 2010 | 6,584 | 22.3% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 7,246 | 10.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2010
The 2010 United States Census counted 6,584 people living in Gridley. Most people (65.1%) were White. About 23.6% were from other races, and 5.2% were from two or more races. A large part of the population, 45.6%, was Hispanic or Latino.
Most people (98.3%) lived in homes with families or roommates. About 41.7% of homes had children under 18. The average home had about 3 people.
The population included 28.7% under 18 years old. About 14.1% were 65 years or older. The average age in Gridley was 33.1 years.
Economy and Tourism
Gridley is close to the Sacramento metropolitan area, which is a very large city area in California.
Fun Things to Do in Gridley
- The Gridley area is great for outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and exploring nature.
- The Gray Lodge Wildlife Waterfowl Management Area is about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Gridley. It's a huge area of wetlands, covering 8,400 acres (3,400 ha). Many birds use this area as a stop on their long journeys.
- Lake Oroville is about 24 miles (39 km) from Gridley. It's a popular spot for fun on the water. You can go camping, picnicking, horseback riding, hiking, boating, water-skiing, fishing, and swimming.
- The Oroville Dam is one of the biggest dams in the world and the tallest in the U.S. It's an earth-filled dam.
- At the base of the dam, the Feather River Fish Hatchery raises Chinook salmon and steelhead fish.
- The Lake Oroville Visitor Center has a museum about the dam and the California State Water Project. It also has a 47-foot (14 m) viewing tower where you can see the lake and the area around it.
Parks and Recreation
Gridley has many parks and trails. They have playgrounds, picnic tables, and benches for everyone to enjoy.
Boat Launch Park has a new boat ramp and dock. It also has restrooms, lights, and a fish cleaning table. This park is about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Gridley.
Education in Gridley
The schools in Gridley are part of the Gridley Unified School District.
Schools in Gridley
- Gridley High School
- Esperanza High School
- Sycamore Middle School
- McKinley Elementary School
- Wilson Elementary School
- Manzanita Elementary School
Colleges and Universities Nearby
- California State University, Chico (Chico State)
- Butte College
- Yuba Community College
- Cal Northern School of Law
City Services and Transportation
Healthcare
Orchard Hospital is a hospital in Gridley that provides general medical care and emergency services.
Highways
Gridley is located in the Central Valley along California State Route 99. It's about 56 miles (90 km) north of Sacramento. California State Route 70 and Interstate 5 are both within 20 miles (32 km) of Gridley.
Public Transportation
B-Line Butte Regional Transit is the public bus system for Butte County. People in Gridley can use B-Line to travel within the city or to other towns like Chico and Oroville. There are also plans to start passenger train service to Gridley in the future.
Airports
Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is a public airport about 52 miles (84 km) south of Gridley. It's a busy airport, serving over 10 million passengers in 2016.
The Oroville Municipal Airport is another airport about 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Gridley.
Notable People from Gridley
- G. Vernon Bennett, a Los Angeles City Council member
- Isaac Austin, a retired NBA basketball player
- Wally Westlake, an MLB All-Star baseball player
- Leslie Deniz, who won an Olympic silver medal in women's discus in 1984
See also
In Spanish: Gridley (California) para niños
