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Chico California Map

Explore Chico, California, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Chico, California

How to Use This Chico, California Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Chico, California. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of California or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Chico.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Chico
State	California (CA)
County	Butte County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles)

Latitude	39.758951
Longitude	-121.81772
Population	101,475
Density	1147.6 /km²
Incorporated	Yes
ZIP Codes	95928, 95973, 95926, 95927, 95929
Area Code	530
County Seat	Oroville
School District	Chico Unified School District

🌦 Goto Chico Weather Page: Chico, California — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Chico, California

Chico is a locality in Butte County, California, United States. With a population of 101,475, Chico is a major urban centre in California. The population density is 1147.6 people per km². Chico is located at 39.7590°N, 121.8177°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. Chico is an incorporated locality. ZIP codes: 95928, 95973, 95926.

Chico thrives as a persistent pulse of life within the flat, expansive floor of the northern Central Valley, where the horizon stretches toward the distant, hazy silhouettes of the Cascade Range. It lies 21.1 miles northwest of Oroville, CA (from Oroville, CA: bearing 315°T), and is situated 6.0 miles north-northwest of Durham. Big Chico Creek carves a vital, shadowed artery through the landscape, its cool waters offering a rhythmic respite from the intense, golden heat that settles over the valley during the summer months. The earth here is defined by the transition from the rich, alluvial plains to the rugged, uneven terrain of Sandy Gulch, creating a textured topography that shifts from sun-baked orchards to shaded riparian corridors. Plaza Park serves as the central anchor of the urban grid, providing a quiet, green intersection where the pace of the afternoon slows to match the swaying of the oaks.

John Bidwell arrived in this region during the mid-nineteenth century, recognizing the latent potential of the fertile soil and the reliable flow of local water to sustain a substantial agrarian enterprise. The subsequent founding of Chico transformed a vast landscape of native grasses and scattered woodlands into a hub of agricultural innovation and settlement. Early development relied heavily on the mastery of the land, with mills and large-scale farming operations establishing the foundational character that still lingers in the architecture of the older districts. Every street corner in Chico whispers of this transition, where the legacy of early ranching and the arrival of the railroad shaped the way the grid expands toward the horizon.

Economic vitality in Chico remains deeply rooted in the agricultural output of the surrounding plains, particularly in the cultivation of almonds and walnuts that define the regional export market. California State University, Chico, functions as the primary intellectual and professional engine, drawing a steady influx of students who infuse the streets with a distinct, youthful energy. This academic presence supports a diverse infrastructure, including a specialized manufacturing sector and a burgeoning medical community that serves the broader inland region. As business flows outward toward the nearby Lake Oroville, the regional economy maintains a steady, productive rhythm, balancing the traditional demands of the harvest with the evolving requirements of a modern, technology-literate workforce.

Cultural life in Chico finds its expression in the spirited support for collegiate sports, where the athletic programs serve as a rallying point for the entire population. Annual festivals often celebrate the intersection of local harvest cycles and the arts, bringing a sense of communal purpose to the downtown plazas and public spaces. Notable individuals, such as the pioneering agriculturalist John Bidwell, remain etched in the local consciousness, their influence still visible in the preservation of historic homes and the stewardship of public lands. When the sun dips low, the light catches the dust motes above the valley floor, illuminating a place where the connection to the land is not merely a matter of geography, but a daily, lived experience.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Verbena Fields (Local Recreation) — 0.3 mi, 178° S
Bidwell Park (Local Park) — 0.7 mi, 075° E
Wildwood Park (Local Park) — 0.7 mi, 064° NE
Wildwood Estate Preserve (State Conservation Area) — 0.8 mi, 041° NE
Bidwell Ranch Preserve (Local Conservation Area) — 0.9 mi, 044° NE
Foothill Preserve (Local Conservation Area) — 0.9 mi, 355° N
Little Chico Creek Greenway (Local Recreation) — 1.2 mi, 347° N
Museum of Northern California Art (Museum) — 2.1 mi, 223° SW
IN LOVING MEMORY OF Kristina Chesterman 1992-2013 (Monument) — 2.3 mi, 166° S
Chico Community Labyrinth (Monument) — 2.3 mi, 215° SW
Downtown Kaleidoscope (Public Artwork) — 2.3 mi, 213° SW
Phagna Norapamok Memorial (Monument) — 2.4 mi, 208° SW
National Yo-Yo Museum (Museum) — 2.4 mi, 210° SW
Vertebrate Museum (Museum) — 2.4 mi, 217° SW
Janet Turner Print Museum (Museum) — 2.5 mi, 214° SW
Chico Art Center (Arts Centre) — 2.9 mi, 212° SW
Stone Ridge Ecological Reserve (State Conservation Area) — 3.1 mi, 333° NW
Plant Introduction Station Other (National Forest) — 3.6 mi, 153° SE · 204 acres
Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park (State Park) — 7.1 mi, 253° W
Butte Creek Watershed Overlook (Viewpoint) — 7.3 mi, 105° E
Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge (National Wildlife Refuge) — 7.6 mi, 243° SW · 21k acres
Black Box Theatre (Theatre) — 11.8 mi, 130° SE
Lassen National Forest (National Forest) — 13.3 mi, 066° NE · 1.1M acres
Phantom Falls (Attraction) — 17.1 mi, 127° SE
Beatson Falls (Attraction) — 17.1 mi, 133° SE
Beatson Corral (Historic Ruins) — 17.6 mi, 132° SE
Alta Schmidt House Museum (Museum) — 20.0 mi, 267° W
Prime Cinemas (Cinema) — 35.5 mi, 323° NW
Veterans Memorial Auditorium (Theatre) — 44.1 mi, 164° S
Vehicle (Historic Ruins) — 47.1 mi, 054° NE

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