The town of Paradise, population 28,000, was incorporated in 1979 and is the second largest city in Butte County. Magalia, just above Paradise, has a population of approximately 15,000, making the total population 43,000. Butte Community College is located 10 miles south of Paradise, and California State University, Chico is southwest of Paradise in Chico. There are also many recreational facilities.
Butte County is situated on the east side of Northern California's Sacramento Valley.
The surrounding counties include Plumas on the northeast, Yuba on the southeast, Sutter and Colusa on the southwest, Glenn on the west and Tehama on the northwest. The county covers 1,675 square miles. Rising from the Sacramento River, its western boundary, to the Sierra Nevada mountains, its eastern perimeter, Butte County's elevation spans fron 60 to over 7,000 feet above sea level and has a considerable variation in climate. Summers at the lower elevations are dry and warm, with temperatures at times topping 100 degrees. The valley winters are mild, with occasional frosts.