James California Map

About James, California

James is a locality in Butte County, California, United States. It has a population of approximately 3,478. James is located at 39.6532°N, 121.5497°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. ZIP code: 95965.

James sits upon a landscape defined by the sharp, arid character of the interior, where the earth turns to a brittle gold under the relentless heat of the summer sun. It lies 9.6 miles north of Oroville, CA (from Oroville, CA: bearing 2°T), and is situated 8.3 miles south-southeast of Paradise. The terrain consists of rugged slopes and dry, scrub-dusted topography that drops away into the depths of Vinton Gulch, a reminder of the tectonic and erosive forces that have long shaped the region. Only a mile away, the West Branch Feather River carves its path through the stone, providing a narrow vein of moisture that contrasts with the parched uplands. To the east, the distant, hazy silhouette of the Cascade Range anchors the horizon, a reminder of the immense scale of the geography that isolates James from the moisture of the distant coast.

Lake Oroville State Recreation Area encompasses the immediate surroundings, drawing the rhythm of local life toward the blue expanse of Lake Oroville, which sits just a mile from the center of James. The economy here remains tethered to the land and the management of these vital water resources, reflecting a history of resource extraction and the steady, quiet labor of those who maintain the infrastructure of the interior. Life in James moves at the pace of the seasons, dictated by the transition from the wet, gray winters to the long, tinder-dry months when the smell of dry grass and heated pine needles hangs heavy in the air. It is a place where the stillness of the afternoon is often broken only by the wind moving through the oak savanna, a persistent, dry breath that defines the character of the terrain.

About This James Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of James, California. Coordinates: 39.653218, -121.549693. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for James includes the ZIP code (95965), telephone area code (530), county seat of Butte County (Oroville), and school district assignment.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.