Chowchilla, California
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Chowchilla is a city in
Madera County, California Madera County (), officially the County of Madera, is a County (United States), county located at the geographic center of the U.S. state of California. It features a varied landscape, encompassing the eastern San Joaquin Valley and the central ...
, United States. The city's population was 19,039 at the 2020 census. Chowchilla is located northwest of Madera, at an elevation of . The city is the location of two prisons: Central California Women's Facility and Valley State Prison.


History

The word "Chowchilla" is an anglicized spelling of ''chaushila'', the name of an indigenous
Yokuts The Yokuts (previously known as MariposasPowell, 1891:90–91.) are an ethnic group of Native Americans native to central California. Before European contact, the Yokuts consisted of up to 60 tribes speaking several related languages. Yokuts ...
people who, historically, inhabited the areas in and around Madera County. The first post office at Chowchilla opened in 1912 and the city incorporated eleven years later, in 1923.


1976 bus kidnapping

Chowchilla made national news on July 15, 1976, when 26 children and their school bus driver were kidnapped and held in a buried moving van at a quarry in
Livermore, California Livermore is a city in Alameda County, California. With a 2020 population of 87,955, Livermore is the most populous city in the Tri-Valley, giving its name to the Livermore Valley. It is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisc ...
. The driver and some of the children were able to escape and notify the quarry guard. All the victims returned unharmed. The quarry owner's son and two friends were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.


Geography

Chowchilla is located in California's Central Valley. Via California Route 99, it is northwest of Madera, the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
, and southeast of
Merced Merced (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 86,333, up ...
. It is northwest of
Fresno Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
and north of
Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...
.Bartholomew, Dana.
Last woman convicted in Missy Avila murder released from prison on Monday
" Last woman convicted in Missy Avila murder released from prison on Monday]." ''
Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California, after the unrelated ''Los Angeles Times'', and the flagship newspaper of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado ...
''. December 10, 2012. Retrieved on June 20, 2013.
According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.41%, are water. Ash Slough, a tributary of the
Fresno River The Fresno River (Spanish language, Spanish for "ash tree") is a river in Central California and a major tributary of the San Joaquin River. It runs approximately from the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada Range to the San Joaquin River if me ...
, runs along the northern edge of the city.


Climate

The climate of Chowchilla is
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
. It receives an average of about 12 inches of precipitation per year. The wettest months are December, January, and February, with January being the wettest. Chowchilla has dry, hot summers, and mild to cool, rainy winters. Chowchilla experiences frequent fog from November to March and overcast days are common, especially in January. In 2005, Chowchilla had 20 consecutive cloudy, rainy days. There are days with moderate to heavy rain during the winter months. In January, the high temperature may drop as low as 45 °F (7 °C). During the summer, when there is usually no rain, the temperature may reach as high or higher than 110 °F (43 °C). Snow in Chowchilla is rare.


Demographics

Official population figures include inmates of two prisons. Chowchilla is part of the Madera metropolitan statistical area.


2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Chowchilla had a population of 19,039. The population density was . The racial makeup of Chowchilla was 43.8%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 9.8%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.6% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.2%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 29.8% from other races, and 12.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.6% of the population. The census reported that 69.7% of the population lived in households and 30.3% were institutionalized. There were 4,252 households, out of which 46.2% included children under the age of 18, 48.6% were married-couple households, 7.9% were cohabiting couple households, 27.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.7% had a male householder with no partner present. 18.1% of households were one person, and 8.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.12. There were 3,241
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(76.2% of all households). The age distribution was 21.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% aged 18 to 24, 32.6% aged 25 to 44, 26.6% aged 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 36.7years. For every 100 females, there were 100.3 males. There were 4,432 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,252 (95.9%) were occupied. Of these, 53.3% were owner-occupied, and 46.7% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $63,308, and the
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $21,944. About 17.6% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line.


2010

At the 2010 census Chowchilla had a population of 18,720, including the prisons' inmates. The population density was . The racial makeup of Chowchilla was 11,533 (61.6%) White, 2,358 (12.6%) African American, 376 (2.0%) Native American, 395 (2.1%) Asian, 37 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 3,313 (17.7%) from other races, and 708 (3.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7,073 persons (37.8%). The census reported that 11,311 people (60.4% of the population) lived in households, 6 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 7,403 (39.5%) were institutionalized. There were 3,673 households, 1,693 (46.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,932 (52.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 586 (16.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 260 (7.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 275 (7.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 24 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 721 households (19.6%) were one person and 293 (8.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.08. There were 2,778 families (75.6% of households); the average family size was 3.52. The age distribution was 3,583 people (19.1%) under the age of 18, 2,048 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 7,343 people (39.2%) aged 25 to 44, 4,429 people (23.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,317 people (7.0%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 42.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 33.3 males. There were 4,154 housing units at an average density of 542.2 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,966 (53.5%) were owner-occupied and 1,707 (46.5%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.9%. 5,920 people (31.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,391 people (28.8%) lived in rental housing units.


Economy

The city is the location of two
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the operation of the California state prison and parole systems. Its headquarters are in Sacra ...
facilities, the Central California Women's Facility and Valley State Prison. Central California Women's houses the state's female death row.History of Capital Punishment in California
." California Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 16, 2010. "All male prisoners on condemned status are housed at a maximum-security custody level in three units at San Quentin State Prison. Females are housed in a maximum-security unit at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla."


Government

In the
California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
, Chowchilla is in , and in . In the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Chowchilla is in .


Education

Three public school districts serve the residents of Chowchilla and the surrounding area, as well as one private school. Chowchilla Elementary School District (Grades K to 8th) and Chowchilla Union High School District (9th to 12th grade) make up the local public school system of the city proper. Alview-Dairyland Union School District (Grades K to 8th) serves nearby rural communities including Dairyland. Chowchilla Elementary School District is made up of five school campuses and typically enrolls city residents, as well as residents from the nearby community of Fairmead. The Alview-Dairyland Union School District is composed of two rural area school campuses, and serves residents that reside outside of town. Upon completing 8th grade, students from both elementary districts are enrolled in the town's comprehensive high school, Chowchilla Union High School. The Chowchilla Union High School District also operates Gateway Continuation school and an Independent Study program. The Chowchilla Elementary School District operates five schools, with student population distributed by grade level. Stephens School rades: TK, K, 1 and 2 Fuller School rades: TK, K, 1 and 2 Ronald Reagan School rades 3 and 4 and Fairmead School rades 5 and 6are elementary schools, and Wilson School rades 7 and 8is the middle school. Alview-Dairyland Union School District operates Alview Elementary School rades K through 3and Dairyland Elementary School rades 4 through 8 There is also a private school, Chowchilla Seventh Day Adventist, serving K-8, located south of town.


Infrastructure


Transportation


Airport

The Chowchilla Airport, a municipal airport used for
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
, is located southeast of the main part of the city.


Roads

Chowchilla is located along the Golden State Highway (
California State Route 99 State Route 99 (SR 99) is a major north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley. From its southern end at Interstate 5 (I-5) near Wheeler Ridge to its northe ...
R 99, which runs northwest–southeast, just northeast of the main part of the city. The community is also served by California State Route 233 (Robertson Boulevard), which runs southwest from SR 99 for nearly to end at California State Route 152 (which runs east–west about south of Chowchilla).


Bus

Public transportation within the city of Chowchilla is provided by Chowchilla Area Transit (CATX), which is a
dial-a-ride Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...
demand-responsive service with no fixed routes. CATX operates on weekdays with the exception of selected holidays. Inter-city connections are provided by the county via Madera County Connection, which operates one fixed route connecting Chowchilla with the county seat in Madera.


High-speed rail

Chowchilla Wye is planned to be the point where the
California High-Speed Rail California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system being developed in California by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Phase 1, about long, is planned to run from San Francisco, California, San Francisco to ...
's main spine splits into two northern branches: one traveling to the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
, and the other continuing north to
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
.


Notable people

*
Henry Farrell Henry Farrell (September 27, 1920 – March 29, 2006) was an American novelist and screenwriter, best known as the author of the renowned gothic horror story ''What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (novel), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'', wh ...
, screenwriter and novelist best known for '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' and '' Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte'' * Ronald D. Moore, screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' and the reimagined ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...
'' television series * Cameron Worrell, former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
player for the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...


See also

*
List of municipalities in California California is a U.S. state, state located in the Western United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by population, most populous state and the List of U.S. states and territories by area, third largest by area after Alaska an ...


References


External links

* {{authority control Cities in Madera County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California 1923 establishments in California Populated places established in 1923