Chico (/ˈtʃiːkoʊ/ CHEE-koh; Spanish for "little")[9][10] is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States.

Within the boundaries of modern day Chico, there existed a Maidu village, whose name was recorded as Bah-hahp'-ke, meaning "straight tree".

[12] The City of Chico was founded in 1860 by John Bidwell, a member of one of the first wagon trains to reach California in 1843.

[16] Other events include the construction and relocation of Route 99E through town in the early 1960s, the founding of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in 1979—what would become one of the top breweries in the nation[17]—and the establishment of a "Green Line" on the western city limits as protection of agricultural lands.

The Sierra Nevada mountains lie to the east and south, with Chico's city limits venturing several miles into the foothills.

Chico and the Sacramento Valley have a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa), with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

Ten thousand four hundred nineteen households (29.9%) were made up of individuals, and 3,100 (8.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Chico's downtown is a thriving area for unique, independent retail stores and restaurants.

Performance venues large and small, bars, coffee shops, bookstores, and city offices contribute to a lively and flavorful experience.

Chico is also home to the North Valley Plaza Mall, the city's first enclosed shopping center.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the largest craft brewer in the U.S., is based in Chico.

Almonds are the number one crop in Chico and the surrounding area, only recently edging out rice.

In addition, the museum has two smaller, permanent galleries displaying the diverse history of Chico.

[40] The Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology on the Chico State campus presents temporary exhibits researched, designed, and installed primarily by students.

Residents are also able to enjoy a farmers and live market downtown on Thursday nights between April and September.

The California State University, Chico Theatre Department also offers a variety of entertainment throughout the school year.

In 2003, author John Villani named Chico one of the top 10 Best Small Art Towns in America.

It is the home field for the Chico State Wildcats baseball team, in NCAA Division 2.

The Chico State Wildcats were champions in both the 1997 and 1999 Division II College World Series.

In 1997, Chico was ranked as the number one cycling city in the nation by Bicycle Magazine[citation needed] and also hosts the Wildflower Century, an annual 100-mile (160 km) bike ride throughout Butte County every April, put on by Chico Velo Cycling Club.

Local television stations include KCVU-TV (Fox), KHSL-TV (CBS), KNVN-TV (NBC), and KRCR-TV (ABC).

Amtrak operates the Chico station at Fifth and Orange Streets for the Coast Starlight service.

Chico is a gold level bicycle-friendly community as designated by the League of American Bicyclists.

Commercial passenger flights were discontinued by SkyWest on December 2, 2014, due to nonviability, as indicated by United Airlines in June 2014.

[51] On July 31, 1961, the first-ever aircraft hijacking on United States soil occurred at the Chico Regional Airport.

[52][53] In the early 1980s, the airport was the home base and headquarters for Pacific Express, a scheduled passenger airline that served Chico with British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven twin jets.

From 1962 to 2010, the airport was also home to Aero Union, a company that refitted and operated surplus military aircraft such as the Lockheed P-3 Orion turboprop as fire fighting aircraft for state and federal agencies until their move to McClellan Airfield, near Sacramento.

Another local airfield is Ranchaero Airport, surrounded by orchards on the west edge of Chico.

An altitude record for unmanned gas balloons was set in Chico in October 1972 (51.8 km or 32.2 mi).

Top Gun: Maverick was filmed in the foothills outside Chico in July 2019 for the final scenes between the F-14 and two SU-57's, which was performed using two L-39's and CGI.