County
Butte County
Butte County has an estimated 2025 population of 209,211 across about 1,636.511 square miles of land. The county handles work tied to parcels, courts, records, elections, health, and countywide services. Cities inside it still set many permit and local-service rules.
Starting point
Start with the county layer.
County offices are the usual first stop for records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and unincorporated-area routing.
What changes the answer: Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
How local government works here
County and city rules can share one address.
An address in Butte County can sit inside a city. It can also sit on county land outside any city. That line picks the permit desk and some local rules. It does not move every county job to city hall.
County jobs stay with the county
The county assessor sets property value. The tax collector handles bills. The recorder, court, elections office, benefits office, and usually the health office also stay with Butte County. Berkeley, Long Beach, and Pasadena run separate city health departments.
Permits follow the city line
A city or town usually handles permits, zoning, parking, business licenses, and local code inside its lines. Butte County handles these jobs on county land outside a city.
Districts can cross both layers
Water, sewer, fire, schools, transit, trash, and flood work may belong to a special district or other provider. The parcel or service bill is often the quickest way to name that agency.
2025 population
209,211
Land area
1,636.511 sq mi
Water area
40.62 sq mi
Local front desk
Start with the task in front of you.
Butte County is the working county layer. Use the task rows for the division of work, then open the official office door below.
- Property Open the property-tax path
Assessed value, exemptions, tax bills, and appeals
Butte County assessor handles value and exemptions. The clerk of the board handles a formal value appeal. The tax collector handles the bill, payment, and penalties.
- Records Open the records path
Deeds, birth and death records, marriage records, and name changes
Butte County recorder is the usual deed and public-record door. Vital-record access depends on the record and year. A legal name change or divorce decree can involve Superior Court.
- Property work Open the local-office path
Building permits, ADUs, zoning, code, water, and septic
For an unincorporated address, start with Butte County planning or building. An address inside a city or town starts with that local permit counter.
- Housing Open the housing path
Rent rules, repairs, notices, and eviction papers
Start with a local rent, housing, or code office if one serves the address. Court papers go to the Superior Court self-help path, and the deadline on the papers keeps running.
- Household help Open the benefits path
CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and IHSS
Butte County social-services agency is the main local door. Coverage, food, cash aid, and in-home support remain separate programs with separate notices.
- Public health Open the health path
Vaccines, disease reporting, health records, and local health programs
Butte County public health is the local health jurisdiction. Health coverage and benefits still use separate program doors.
- Business Open the business path
Business setup, seller's permits, local licenses, and regulated work
State filings and tax accounts do not replace county zoning, licensing, building, fire, or health approvals for the address.
- Neighborhood services Open the local-office path
Potholes, streetlights, graffiti, trash, and service requests
For a county-maintained road or service in an unincorporated area, start with Butte County. Caltrans, utilities, transit systems, waste haulers, and special districts can own separate reporting paths.
- School and care Open the school and care path
School enrollment, student records, and child-care checks
The school district handles assignment and records. County offices can help with some family services, while the state licenses child-care facilities.
- Parking Open the parking path
Residential, guest, overnight, and local parking permits
A local parking permit is separate from a citation, moving ticket, and toll notice. Match the permit to the address, vehicle, district, or parking facility.
- Tickets Open the ticket path
Traffic court, parking citations, and toll notices
Butte County Superior Court handles traffic court matters. A city or issuing agency handles parking. The toll operator handles toll notices.
- Safety Open the emergency path
Emergency alerts, evacuations, smoke, roads, and power
Use the county or city alert system for local warnings. Follow the local emergency office for evacuation wording, then use the state fire, smoke, road, and utility sources for the matching layer.
Official county doors
Open the office that owns the next step.
California's statewide directories and verified official corrections supply the county-specific links below. Property and recorder links open the state directory because several county offices can share one task.
Butte County
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Butte County
Community answer · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Chico building permits use online plans and eTRAKiT
Chico's Building Division points people to online plan submittal and eTRAKiT for permit work, with a separate lane for encroachment work in the public right-of-way.
Community answer · Home and property · Reviewed July 3, 2026
Chico sewer billing is separate from the Cal Water bill
Chico sewer customers may receive a separate city sewer bill through Util360, while water account changes still begin with Cal Water.
Community answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Chico business licenses can touch home or downtown rules
Chico businesses inside city limits need a current business license, and home-based or downtown businesses may have added planning or district steps.
Community answer · Home and property · Reviewed July 6, 2026
Chico trash service is built around three carts
Chico residential trash service uses garbage, recycling, and organics carts, with large items and hazardous waste handled through separate hauler or drop-off paths.
Stories & Notes
Stories and local context across Butte County
Community story · History and culture
Bidwell Mansion is now part of Chico's recovery story
Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park honors John and Annie Bidwell, but the park is closed after the December 2024 fire while State Parks works on what comes next.
Community story · History and culture
Paradise Depot Museum keeps the ridge railroad story close
Paradise Depot Museum carries the story of the Butte County Rail Road, logging, produce shipping, and the old route that later became a trail.
Community story · History and culture
Chico has a yo-yo museum with a giant working Big-Yo
The National Yo-Yo Museum in downtown Chico holds a large public yo-yo display, contest history, memorabilia, club activity, and Big-Yo, a 256-pound working wooden yo-yo.
Community story · History and culture
Biggs shows why rice works in the Sacramento Valley
The Rice Experiment Station near Biggs connects a small Butte County city to rice breeding, valley water, farm research, seed work, and a crop many Californians do not expect.
Community story · History and culture
Gridley's museum sits inside an old bank building
Gridley's museum uses the 1909 Veatch Building to tell the story of a Butte County farm town rooted in orchards, rice, local business, and Main Street memory.
Community story · History and culture
Oroville's Chinese Temple keeps Gold Rush community history close
Oroville's Chinese Temple is a city-owned museum and active worship place tied to Chinese community history in Northern California's Gold Rush era.
Community story · Outdoors
Lake Oroville gives Butte County a big Feather River water day
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area has a major reservoir, dam views, boating, trails, camping, swimming, fishing, and Feather River history.
Community story · Outdoors
Bidwell Park gives Chico two very different kinds of green space
Bidwell Park in Chico stretches nearly 11 miles, with flatter shaded Lower Park and rougher Upper Park foothill terrain along Big Chico Creek.