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Elevation

Elevation of Chico

198ft

above sea level · 60 m

Chico is a city in California with 105,081 people, the 68th most populous in the state. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, it’s the 97th lowest.

By the Mapsfera Team

Elevation profile

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Place facts

Coordinates
39.73° N · 121.84° W
In degrees, minutes and seconds: 39° 43′ 43″ N · 121° 50′ 15″ W
UTM coordinates
10S · 599,626 E · 4,398,270 N
Zone 10 · NAD83, the official US datum
County
Butte County
Where the city’s reference point falls
State
California
CA · capital: Sacramento
Time zone
Pacific Time
UTC−8 · UTC−7 in summer (daylight saving time)
Population (2025)
105,081 people
34.6 sq mi of land · 3,041 people/sq mi
Elevation model
USGS 3DEP, 1 m grid
Lidar from January 2019: the ground height at the city’s reference point.

Population

Chico had 105,081 residents on July 1, 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, about the same as in April 2020 (104,579). Its 34.6 sq mi of land work out to 3,041 people/sq mi; the state average is 253 people/sq mi.

It’s the 68th most populous of the 1,617 places the Census counts in California (cities, towns and CDPs), after Los Angeles (3,869,089), and holds 0.3% of the state’s population.

It lies entirely within Butte County. Its reference point in the USGS gazetteer is 2.4 mi from the geographic center the Census gives for the city.

Compared with US cities of 100,000 to 250,000

Chico sits at 198 ft (60 m) above sea level. Of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people, the highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft). The average is 862 ft: Chico is 664 ft below it.

The state capital, Sacramento, is 81 mi away in a straight line and 171 ft lower than Chico.

Of the 75 cities in California with a page, Chico is the 34th highest: the highest is Hesperia (3,178 ft) and the lowest is Stockton (12 ft).

The highest point in California is Mount Whitney, at 14,494 ft according to the USGS: 14,296 ft above Chico, 291 mi away in a straight line.

  1. 151 Richmond 213 ft
  2. 152 Tallahassee 204 ft
  3. 153 Chico 198 ft
  4. 154 Lakeland 196 ft
  5. 155 Hillsboro 195 ft

Each color band is 500 m (1,640 ft), the same colors as the map. See the full list

Nearest cities with a page

Tools for this place

Elevation profile Draw a route from Chico and see how much it climbs and drops. Elevation of a point Compare the elevation of Chico with any other point on the map. Map of Butte County The county on the map with all its cities and towns, ready to print or download. Time zone The time right now in Chico and its clock changes. What county am I in? See which county, city and ZIP code you’re in, from your location. Blank map of California counties Print it blank, with names or to color in.

Step-by-step guide How to find the elevation of any place

Frequently asked questions

What people most often ask about the elevation of Chico.

What is the elevation of Chico?

Chico is 198 feet (60 m) above sea level. That’s the ground height from the USGS 3DEP elevation model at the city’s reference point in the official gazetteer (GNIS). The city doesn’t have a single elevation: it rises and falls from one neighborhood to another.

What are the coordinates of Chico?

Latitude 39.72850 and longitude -121.83748, in decimal degrees (39° 43′ 43″ N · 121° 50′ 15″ W). In UTM, zone 10: 599,626 E and 4,398,270 N, on NAD83.

How does Chico rank among the highest US cities of its size?

It’s the 97th lowest of the 249 US cities with 100,000 to 250,000 people. The highest is Lakewood (5,520 ft) and the lowest is Fort Lauderdale (3 ft).

What county is Chico in?

Butte County, California.

Which is higher, Chico or Sacramento?

Chico. Chico sits at 198 ft and Sacramento at 27 ft: a difference of 171 ft, 81 mi apart in a straight line.

How is elevation measured?

Elevation is the height above mean sea level. In the US the official reference is the NAVD88 vertical datum. Summits are surveyed on the ground, with leveling and precise GPS. The USGS 3DEP is an elevation model of the whole country, largely from 1-meter lidar: it gives the ground height at every point. That’s why it can differ by a few feet from the official figure of a sharp summit.

Sources

  • USGS 3DEP (EPQS service) The elevation: the ground height at the reference point. Public domain.
  • USGS GNIS (official gazetteer) The city’s reference point (“Populated Place”). Public domain.
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates Population, land area (2025 Gazetteer) and counties. Public domain.
  • TIGERweb (U.S. Census Bureau) Which county and city the point falls in. Public domain.
  • timezone-boundary-builder The point’s time zone (ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors).
  • Terrain Tiles, OpenStreetMap and OpenFreeMap The relief shading and the base map (ODbL).

Methodology and sources · Spotted a mistake? Let us know