ZIP Code 95973

Chico (CHEE-koh; Spanish for "little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 census, reflecting an increase from 86,187 in the 2010 Census. Chico is the cultural and economic center of the northern Sacramento Valley, as well as the largest city in California north of the capital city of Sacramento. The city is known as a college town, as the home of California State University, Chico, and for Bidwell Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world. The first known inhabitants of the area now known as Chicoa Spanish word meaning "little"were the Mechoopda Maidu Native Americans. The City of Chico was founded in 1860 by John Bidwell, a member of the first wagon trains to reach California in 1843. During the American Civil War, Camp Bidwell 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. By early 1865 it was being referred to as Camp Chico when a post called Camp Bid well was established in northeast California, later to be Fort Bidwell. In 1872 the city became incorporated January 8, 1872, and it was named for John Bid well, a brigadier general of the California Militia, by then a colonel in the California State Militia.

History

Chico is the primary city name, but also Cohasset are acceptable city names or spellings, Nord, Richardson Springs on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Chico. The first known inhabitants of the area now known as Chico were the Mechoopda Maidu Native Americans. 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 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. The city became incorporated January 8, 1872, and was home to a significant Chinese American community when it was first incorporated. In 1886, arsonists burned Chico's Chinatown in February 1886, driving Chinese Americans out of town. In 1979, the founding of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company led to the establishment of a "Green Line" on the western city limits as protection of agricultural lands. In 1900, 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, were among the most seminal events in Chico history. They include the construction and relocation of Route 99E through town in the early 1960s, 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) and the creation of the city's first post office in 1891. In the 1980s, Route 99 was relocated through town.

Geography

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. The city's terrain is generally flat, with increasingly hilly terrain beginning at the eastern city limits. Chico is one of the top metropolitan areas in the nation for number of clear days. It has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa), with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The average annual rainfall is 27 inches (690 mm) Chico has been designated a Tree City USA for 31 years by the National Arbor Day Foundation. It is home to the Chico Symphony Orchestra and Chico High School, which was founded in 1876. It was named after Chico, California, the site of the city's first recorded European settlement in 17th century. The Chico area was once known as the "Chico Valley" because of its rich agricultural history. The area is now known as "The Chico Area" due to its large number of agricultural fields. The Sacramento River runs through the city, and the city is traversed by two creeks and a flood channel, which feeds the Sacramento River. It also has a number of parks, including Bidwell Park, which runs 5 miles (8 km) from the flat city center deep into the foothill areas. The town has a total area of 27.8 square miles (72 km²), of which 27.7 square miles is land and 0.04% is water. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the population of Chico in 2010 was 1,715,000.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Chico had a population of 86,187, which represents an increase of 43.8% since 2000 and a continuation of steady population increase since 1940. The racial makeup of Chico was 69,606 (80.8%) White, 1,771 (2.1%) African American, 1,167 (1.4%) Native American, 3,656 (4.2%) Asian, 210 (0.2) Pacific Islander, 5,437 (6.3%) from other races, and 4,340 (5.0%) from two or more races. There were 13,315 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (15.4%). There were 37,050 housing units at an average density of 1,119.5 per square mile (432.2/km²), of which 34,805 were occupied, of which 14,878 (42.7%) were owner-occupied, and 19,927 (57.3) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rates was 5.8%. Thirty-six thousand eight people (41.8%), 47,001 people (54.5%) lived in rental housing units, and 17,449 families (50.1% of all households) Chico is located in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, and is located on the northern edge of the California Gold Rush region.

Economy

Chico has always been a regional retail shopping destination. Chico's largest retail district is focused around the Chico Mall on East 20th Street. The city is bounded on the west by orchards with thousands of almond trees. almonds are the number one crop in Chico and the surrounding area, only recently edging out rice. Other crops in the area include walnuts, kiwis, olives, peaches, and plums. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the largest craft brewer in the U.S., is based in ChICO. The walnut variety Chico is named after the city. The Chico State University campus is located in the city's downtown area. The town is home to the California State University, Chico, which was founded in 1875. The state's largest employer is the University of California, San Francisco. The top 10 employers in the town are below: Zippia, Build.com, Trader Joe's, and Tinseltown Theater. The largest employer in the community is Chico City College, with 30.3% of its workforce employed there. The average household income is $62,000. The local unemployment rate is 4.2%. The city has a population of 4,000, the highest in the county. The unemployment rate in the state is 3.7%. The town has a high school graduation rate of 9.8%. The highest rate of unemployment is in the San Francisco area, at 6.4%. Chico has a low unemployment rate of 2.3%.

Culture

The National Yo-Yo Museum is the country's largest collection of yo-yo artifacts. Bidwell Mansion is a Victorian house completed in 1868 and the former home of John and Annie Bidwell. The Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology on the Chico State campus presents temporary exhibits researched, designed, and installed primarily by students. The theatres in Chico include Blue Room Theatre, Chico Performances, Chico Theater Company, and California Regional Theatre. In 2003, author John Villani named Chico one of the top 10 Best Small Art Towns in America. The Gateway Science Museum is a leading center for science education and Northern California's local history, natural resources, seacoast, Sacramento Valley, and surrounding foothills and mountains. 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 Chico Air Museum is an aviation museum, which opened in 2004, and is adjacent to an old hangar from World War II. The California State University, ChICO Theatre Department also offers a variety of entertainment throughout the school year. The city is home to the California State Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1883. The museum is across from the main entrance of the Miriam Library, next to the Janet Turner Print Museum. The grand opening of the museum was held on January 28, 2010, and it is located in a former Carnegie Library building.

Sports

Chico is home to Nettleton Stadium (also called The Net) baseball stadium on the California State University campus. It is the home field for the Chico State Wildcats baseball team, in NCAA Division 2. Chico is one of few cities to be home to two championship baseball teams in two different leagues simultaneously. In 1997, Chico was ranked as the number one cycling city in the nation by Bicycle Magazine and also hosts the Wildflower Century, an annual 100-mile (160 km) bike ride throughout Butte County every April. The city is in the process of creating a network of bicycle paths, trails, and lanes. The 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. In the summer of 2016, the ChICO Heat returned to the Western Baseball League, where they also won the championship in 2007 and 2010. The Chico Rooks (soccer) and Chico Outlaws (baseball Golden Baseball League) were both founded in the late 1990s. The Rooks were champions in both the 1997 and 1999 Division II College World Series. The Outlaws were founded in 2005, and have won the league three times in the last five years. The City of Chico has also gained a reputation as being a bicycle-friendly city. In 2013, the city was named the No. 1 cycling city by Bicycle Magazine.

Government

The City of Chico is a charter city and has a councilmanager government. Chico's city council consists of seven nonpartisan councilmembers each elected at-large in November of even-numbered years. The mayor is chosen by and from among the council members and serves for two years. No person shall produce, test, maintain, or store within the city a nuclear weapon under penalty of Chapter 9.60.030 of the Chico Municipal Code.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. The city is represented in the Butte County Board of Supervisors by the District Two Supervisor Debra Lucero and the District Three Supervisor Tami Ritter. As part of California's 1st congressional district, ChICO is represented by Doug LaMalfa (RRichvale) in the United States House of Representatives. The citizens are represented in California's 3rd Assembly District by Republican James Gallagher and California's 4th Senate District by Democrat Marie Alvarado-Gil in the California State Senate. It is located on the banks of the Sacramento River, which flows into the San Francisco Bay Area. The Chico River runs through the northern part of the city and into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which run into the northern end of the San Diego County foothills. It runs into the southern end of California, where it meets the northern edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Education

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 and Pleasant Valley High School. In 1998, city voters approved a bond to build a third comprehensive 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. Chico State University, Chico (Chico State) Cal Northern School of Law and Butte College of the Arts are also part of the district. The district also serves the Oroville, Oroville and Gridley areas of Northern California, including the cities of Gridley and Oroville. The school district has more than 1,000 students in grades K-12. It also has a number of college programs, including California State University at Chico, San Francisco and Cal State San Francisco-Northern Cohn Valley of the Pleasant Valley. It is also home to the Butte County College of Science and Technology, which offers a variety of certificates and diplomas in science, math and engineering. The Chico School District is the largest school district in the state, with more than 2,500 students. It has also been the site of several high schools, including Canyon View High School, which was built in the 1970s.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Chico, Butte County, California = 14.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 68. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Chico = 4.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 101,475 individuals with a median age of 29.3 age the population grows by 12.20% in Chico, Butte County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,945.57 residents per square mile of area (1,137.24/km²). There are average 2.43 people per household in the 26,345 households with an average household income of $38,682 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.90% of the available work force and has dropped -4.25% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 19.60%. The number of physicians in Chico per 100,000 population = 202.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Chico = 25.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 63. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 249. 96 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 55, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Chico, Butte County, California which are owned by the occupant = 40.13%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 26 years with median home cost = $234,430 and home appreciation of -8.64%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.93 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,305 per student. There are 21 students for each teacher in the school, 3009 students for each Librarian and 744 students for each Counselor. 9.13% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 22.87% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 10.33% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).