Butte County Seat on the Feather River
Welcome to Oroville, the Butte County seat set along the Feather River at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, home to the tallest dam in the United States.
Oroville sits in Butte County, California, in the northern Sacramento Valley, along the Feather River at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. It is the county seat, a role it has held since 1856, and lies about 75 miles north of Sacramento. Its population is about 20,000. The city's name tells its origin story: "Oro," Spanish for gold, combined with "Ville," French for town. Oroville grew out of the Gold Rush as the head of navigation on the Feather River, a supply hub for miners after gold was discovered at nearby Bidwell Bar. That mining boom drew railroads and industry, and the town matured into the seat of Butte County. Its Gold Rush and river heritage is still visible in the historic downtown built around the courthouse. Modern Oroville is defined by water and infrastructure. Just northeast of the city, Oroville Dam — at 770 feet the tallest dam in the United States — impounds Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir and a centerpiece of the State Water Project. The lake and its more than 167 miles of shoreline anchor recreation, drawing boaters, anglers, and campers from across the region, while the Thermalito Afterbay adds further water-based recreation. Education is provided by the Oroville Union High School District, which serves about 2,200 secondary students, along with local elementary districts and Butte College for higher education. State Route 70, the "Feather River Highway," runs through the city and climbs the scenic Feather River Canyon toward the Sierra's east side. Oroville suits households seeking an affordable, historically rooted county-seat town with strong access to lake, river, and foothill recreation in Northern California.
Oroville is located in Butte County, California, and serves as the county seat. It lies along the Feather River at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, in the Sacramento Valley about 75 miles north of Sacramento.
The name Oroville combines the Spanish word "oro" (gold) with the French "ville" (town), meaning roughly "gold town." The name reflects the city's origins as a Gold Rush supply center on the Feather River.
Oroville is best known for Lake Oroville and the Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the United States at 770 feet. The lake is California's second-largest reservoir, with more than 167 miles of shoreline for boating, fishing, and camping.
Oroville is about 75 miles north of Sacramento, at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley. State Route 70 runs through the city and continues northeast through the Feather River Canyon toward Quincy and the Nevada border.
Secondary students in Oroville attend the Oroville Union High School District, which serves about 2,200 students in the greater Oroville area. Younger students are served by elementary school districts within the city and surrounding communities.
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