GLENN COUNTY
County Offices
526 W. Sycamore Street
Willows 530-934-6400
www.countyofglenn.net
Chamber of Commerce
118 West Sycamore Street
Willows 530-934-8150
http://willowschamber.com
Located approximately 100 miles north of Sacramento, California’s capital city, Glenn County is situated along the western side of the Sacramento River. The terrain varies from just a few hundred feet above sea level along the riverfront agricultural country to rapidly rising mountain peaks on the western side that reach 6,000 feet in elevation.
Nestled between Sacramento and the far reaches of Northern California, the county is well-served by the Interstate 5 corridor as it travels through rich agricultural land. Farming remains the principle economic activity, with the most common products being cattle, rice, wheat, hay, oranges, prunes, walnuts, almonds, and corn. Picturesque dairies also dot the county. Light industry tends to be concentrated in or around the cities of Willows, Orland, and Hamilton City.
Services
Quality educational opportunities are available on every academic level in Glenn County, home to progressive public school districts where world-class standards include such innovations as introducing algebra concepts in the first grade. Sophisticated computer software tracks each student’s progress so that academic programs can be tailored to meet individual needs. Post-secondary education is available close to home at Butte College in Oroville, serving residents of Butte and Glenn counties. This exceptional community and technical college enjoys a vast campus—the largest in California—that sprawls over nearly 1,000 acres to encompass a protected wildlife refuge. Career and vocational programs combine with college-track associate degrees and a variety of training programs that benefit local businesses and communities. The campus for California State University at Chico is also easily accessible in nearby Butte County. This full-service public university consists of colleges for agriculture, behavioral and social sciences, business, humanities and fine arts, and natural sciences. Other colleges are the school of graduate, international and interdisciplinary studies; engineering, computer science, and construction management; and regional and continuing education.
Advanced healthcare is conveniently close to home for Glenn County residents at Glenn Medical Center in Willows. This critical-access hospital delivers first-rate services in a modern facility that excels in creating a patient-oriented atmosphere. The hospital provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care as well as rural health clinic services. Related facilities include the Glenn Family Medical Group, the Glenn Medical Children’s Center, the Family Care Clinic & Women’s Health Clinic, physical and respiratory therapies, advanced imaging, and laboratory. The regional healthcare center is located in Chico in neighboring Butte County. Enloe Medical Center is licensed for nearly 400 beds, serving the North Valley and a six-county region with compassionate, high quality, cost-effective care. The medical center provides a full continuum of healthcare services from preventative education acute care and inpatient rehabilitation. Areas of expertise include cardiac care, cancer care, emergency medicine, trauma, women’s health, children’s services, behavioral health, rehabilitation, home care, and hospice.
Lifestyle
Those who appreciate the slower pace and country pleasure of rural living or the warmth and friendliness of welcoming small towns will find a comfortable home in Glenn County. Nestled in one of the most fertile valleys in the nation, this agricultural region offers abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation from water sports to downhill skiing. Colorful local events bring friends, neighbors, and visitors together for outstanding celebration like the Glenn County Fair, the Harvest Festival, and the historic Lamb Derby.
Nearby Chico, the largest city in neighboring Butte County, serves as the regional center for arts and culture in the northern Sacramento Valley. The powerful presence of California State University at Chico introduces a world of cultural advantages including hundreds of annual events for the visual and performing arts at Laxon Auditorium, Wismer Theatre, and the University Art Gallery. Laxon Auditorium has welcomed Nobel Prize winners like Mikhail Gorbachev and Desmond Tutu, Jody Williams as well as notable speakers like Jane Goodall and Garrison Keillor. Performers of national and international fame join renowned groups like the Tchaikovsky Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony.
Within Glenn County, residents enjoy a small-town lifestyle where many leisure and social activities revolve around the immediate community. The area is home to many rushing streams, shimmering creeks, and reservoirs in the western section’s coastal mountain range, which makes fishing a popular sport. Salmon and shad are particularly abundant in the Sacramento River, also a popular site for water sports and boating. Orland Raceway on the county fairgrounds welcomes visitors to a lineup of fast-paced thrills with mini trucks, mini stocks, mini mods, and dirt stock cars. Duck hunting is another claim to fame for Glenn County, where sweeping tracks of land have been set aside as duck sanctuaries. In fact, hundreds of hunters arrive from around the world during Glenn County’s duck season. The homes in Glenn County range from well-kept older homes shaded by mature greenery in long-established neighborhoods to country manors and new construction. Quaint farm houses, small ranges, and generous acreage are a few of the benefits of settling in this fertile, land-rich, and still developing corner of the northern Sacramento Valley.
Orland
Municipal Offices
530-865-1600
http://cityoforland.com
Chamber of Commerce
530-865-2311
http://orland-chamber.com
One of two major municipalities in Glenn County, Orland began as a railroad town in the mid 1800s and was incorporated in 1909. Unlike many other cities, Orland was originally plotted with broad, boulevard-style streets. Narrower lanes can be found in the newer sections of town. Innovative irrigation through canals and ditches made the arid land capable of crowing crops, and opened the area for settlement. Ads were even placed in Midwestern newspapers to attract families to the Orland area to farm, and the many churches in Orland are a reflection of the various cultures and backgrounds of those who answered the call of opportunity. Today, the city welcomes newcomers to a friendly hometown with a family-oriented atmosphere. Local highlights include good schools, a well-stocked library, lush local parks, recreational programs, a local museum, the Orland Raceway, and Interstate 5 for convenient commutes.
Willows
Municipal Offices
530-934-7041
www.cityofwillows.org
Chamber of Commerce
530-934-8150
http://willowschamber.com
Nestled in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley just 90 minutes from California’s capital city of Sacramento, Willows serves as the seat of government for Glenn County. Along with Orland, Willows provides an urban center and hub of amenities for the surrounding agricultural community. The county’s only hospital is located in Willows, the Glenn Medical Center. Interstate 5 and Highway 99-W provide links north and south, while Highway 162 offers east-west access to regional destinations. The city of Redding is an hour’s drive from Willows. The leading city of the northern Sacramento Valley, Chico, is just a 30-minute drive east. Agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy, although a number of manufacturing plants have found a comfortable home in Willows. Commercial conveniences and services are adequate to meet daily needs, including a few boutiques and antique dealers.
