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Orland and Willows

Orland and Willows are Glenn County towns along Interstate 5. Orland is about 20 miles west of Chico on State Route 32, and Willows, the county seat, is 15 miles south of Orland. The Glenn County Fair is held at the fairgrounds in Orland each May. Checked October 29, 2026 on the operator’s own pages.

From Chico: about 45 min (typical, without traffic)

8,537Orland population
~55 acresOrland parks
1886Willows incorporated
15 milesOrland to Willows
Orland and Willows
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Plan It in Three Lines

  • Get thereFrom Chico: about 45 min, typical, without traffic. Address: Orland City Hall, 815 Fourth Street, Orland, CA.
  • WhenOrland City Hall: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • CostNo fee is printed on this page; check the official page before you go.

Key Facts

  • Orland is about 20 miles west of Chico on State Route 32, and Black Butte Lake is eight miles west of town.[2]
  • Orland's townsite was laid out in 1878, and the 1880 census counted 292 people.[2]
  • Orland lists a population of 8,537 (Dept. of Finance 2020) and about 55 acres of public parks.[2]
  • Vinsonhaler Park, Orland's largest park, has ball fields, tennis courts, a disc golf course and a public swimming pool.[3]
  • The Orland Center for the Arts gallery at 732 Fourth Street is open Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 7 p.m.[3]
  • The Heritage Trail at the Glenn County Fairgrounds has a one-room school, blacksmith shop, train depot and the Orland Newville and Pacific Railroad.[3]
  • The Alta Schmidt Museum at 936 Fourth Street is open April to November.[3]
  • Orland's December Avenue of Lights has been featured on CNN and the Today Show, per the city.[4]
  • Willows got its name from a shady watering place with willow trees where cattle drivers rested in the mid-1800s.[5]
  • Willows became the Glenn County seat in 1891 and incorporated on January 16, 1886.[5]
  • The Glenn County Courthouse in Willows, completed in 1894, reopened after rehabilitation in September 2023.[5]
  • The Willows Museum is in the former Carnegie library at 336 West Walnut Street.[5]
  • The 2026 Glenn County Fair was held May 14-17 at the Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 E. Yolo St., Orland.[7]

Areas Inside Orland and Willows

  • Orland

    Small town on I-5 and State Route 32; City Hall at 815 Fourth Street has maps and bus schedules for visitors.[4]

  • Willows

    Glenn County seat with a historic downtown, the 1894 courthouse and the Willows Museum. City Hall: 201 North Lassen Street, 530-934-7041; Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday by appointment.[9]

  • Glenn County Fairgrounds

    221 E. Yolo St., Orland; fair office open year-round Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Phone 530-865-1168; non-fair-time RV camping $30 per night, seven-night maximum.[7]

  • Willows-Glenn County Airport

    Established in 1928 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023, per the City of Willows.[5]

Plan Your Visit

WhatAs the operator states it
Run byCity of Orland; City of Willows
AddressOrland City Hall, 815 Fourth Street, Orland, CA
Drive from ChicoAbout 45 min, typical, without traffic (Google Maps, plus 10 minutes, rounded)
HoursOrland City Hall: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.[1]
SeasonThe Glenn County Fair is held in May; Orland's Avenue of Lights is in December.[4]
CampingGlenn County Fairgrounds offers non-fair-time RV camping at $30 per night, seven-night maximum.[8]
SwimmingVinsonhaler Park in Orland has a public swimming pool; Lely Aquatic has a splash pad.[3]
PhoneCity of Orland: (530) 865-1600.[1]
Official pageCity of Orland; City of Willows

Not confirmedThe official pages we read do not publish fees, dogs, restrooms, accessibility for this place.

Hours at a Glance

Orland City Hall9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday

Season, as printed: The Glenn County Fair is held in May; Orland's Avenue of Lights is in December.

Bars are drawn from the hours printed in Plan Your Visit below; a faded or dashed bar means the page prints sunrise or sunset, not a clock time. Today is outlined.

Map of Orland and Willows

The pin is approximate, placed from the address or place name. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Directions

Around Orland and Willows

5 mi10 mi15 mi20 miN123456
  1. Black Butte Lake: 9.1 miles northwest
  2. Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park: 14.7 miles east
  3. Chico State Campus: 18.6 miles east
  4. Gateway Science Museum: 18.6 miles east
  5. Laxson Auditorium: 18.6 miles east
  6. Chico History Museum: 18.7 miles east

The yellow dot is this place. Rings are spaced so close places do not pile up, and a numbered badge may sit slightly off its true spot (a thin line ends at the true spot). Distances are straight-line miles worked out from the map points each page prints; they are not drive times or walking routes.

What We Could Not Verify

These items were not on an official page we could open on October 29, 2026, or two official pages disagree. Check with the operator before you rely on them.

  • Not confirmedWillows Museum hours
  • Not confirmed2027 Glenn County Fair dates
  • Not confirmedHeritage Trail open times (city says call the fairgrounds)
  • Not confirmedGlenn County government visitor information

More in Orland & Glenn County

All of Orland & Glenn CountyBlack Butte LakeSacramento National Wildlife RefugeAll Places

Coming Up in Orland & Glenn County

8 events are on our calendar for Orland & Glenn County in the next 45 days. 2 are listed as free by the organizer; 2 are marked Not confirmed because we could not confirm them on the organizer’s page yet. This list rebuilds itself every day at midnight, Pacific time.

October 2026

  • Country Pumpkins: October Farm Season

    Runs Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026

    10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

    Country Pumpkins, Orland

    Price: Free admission; corn maze $5, haunted maze $15

    Open daily in October with pumpkins, a petting zoo, hay pyramid and slide, and a daytime corn maze (last entry 5:30 PM). The Haunted Maze runs 7 to 10 PM on select nights, last night Friday, October 30; the farm is closed Halloween.

    Checked Oct 30, 2026 · Source for Country Pumpkins: October Farm Season (opens in a new tab)

November 2026

December 2026

Sources: each card links to the organizer’s own page and shows the date we checked it. This list shows the next 45 days; see every upcoming event.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Glenn County Fair?

The fair is held in May at the Glenn County Fairgrounds in Orland; the 2026 fair ran May 14-17.[7]

How far is Orland from Chico?

The City of Orland says Chico is twenty miles east on State Route 32.[2]

What is there to see in Willows?

The city points to its historic downtown, the Glenn County Courthouse, the Willows Museum in the old Carnegie library, and the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge nearby.[6]

Sources

  1. City of Orland – Official website of the City of Orland, CA, City of Orland. Read October 29, 2026.
  2. City of Orland History, City of Orland. Read October 29, 2026.
  3. Things to do in Orland, City of Orland. Read October 29, 2026.
  4. City of Orland Visitors, City of Orland. Read October 29, 2026.
  5. Willows History, City of Willows. Read October 29, 2026.
  6. Find Your Refuge in the City of Willows, City of Willows. Read October 29, 2026.
  7. Glenn County Fair – Hours & Directions (General), Glenn County Fair. Read October 29, 2026.
  8. Non Fair time RV Camping, Glenn County Fair. Read October 29, 2026.
  9. City of Willows – Find Your Refuge Here, City of Willows. Read October 29, 2026.

Cite this page: “Orland and Willows.” It’s Chico, checked October 29, 2026. https://itschico.com/orland-glenn/orland-and-willows/

Coming Up Here

Next on our calendar here: Country Pumpkins: October Farm Season, Thursday, October 1. Dates are read from each organizer’s page.

On The Map

7 places named on this page are pinned. Tap a pin for the page and directions. Dashed pins were placed from the street address and are approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.