Chico is the most populous city in Butte County , California , United States . As of the 2010 United States Census , the population was 86,187 , reflecting an increase of 26,233 from the 59,954 counted in the 2000 Census . Following the 2018 Camp Fire that destroyed much of the neighboring town of Paradise , the population of Chico surged as many people who lost their homes in the fire moved to Chico . In 2019 , the California Department of Finance estimated the population of Chico is 112,111 , an increase of more than 20 % from the 2018 population estimate . Chico is now the largest city in California north of Sacramento . The city is the cultural , economic , and educational center of the northern Sacramento Valley and home to both California State University , Chico and Bidwell Park , the country 's 26th largest municipal park and the 13th largest municipally-owned park . Bidwell Park makes up over 17 % of the city
Camp Fire
Camp Fire (2018)
Chico, California