Glenn County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,917. The county seat is Willows. It is located in the Sacramento Valley, in the northern part of the California Central Valley. The Grindstone Rancheria, reservation of the Grindstone Indian Rancheria of Wintun-Wailaki Indians, is located in Glenn County.

History

Glenn County split from Colusa County in 1891. It was named for Dr. Hugh J. Glenn, who purchased 8000 acre in the northeast end of Rancho Jacinto in 1867. He became the largest wheat farmer in the state during his lifetime and a man of great prominence in political and commercial life in California.

Sheriffs

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1327 sqmi, of which 1314 sqmi is land and 13 sqmi (1.0%) is water.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Glenn County had a population of 28,122. The racial makeup of Glenn County was 19,990 (71.1%) White, 231 (0.8%) African American, 619 (2.2%) Native American, 722 (2.6%) Asian, 24 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 5,522 (19.6%) from other races, and 1,014 (3.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10,539 persons (37.5%).

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 26,453 people, 9,172 households, and 6,732 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 /mi2. There were 9,982 housing units at an average density of 8 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 71.8% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 2.1% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 18.2% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 29.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 10.8% were of German, 9.4% American, 6.2% English and 5.9% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 69.5% spoke English, 27.0% Spanish and 2.1% Hmong as their first language. There were 9,172 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.33. In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,107, and the median income for a family was $37,023. Males had a median income of $29,480 versus $21,766 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,069. About 12.5% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

Glenn is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. Glenn County is split between California's 1st and 3rd congressional districts, represented by and, respectively. In the State Assembly, Glenn County is in. In the State Senate, the county is in.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Glenn Ride runs buses from Willows to Hamilton City, and on into Chico (Butte County). The nearest Amtrak station is in Chico.

Airports

Willows-Glenn County Airport and Haigh Field are both general aviation airports.

Railroads

California Northern Railroad shortline serves Willows. The main line runs north to Tehama and south to Davis, where the railroad interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad. Prior to the line being leased to the California Northern, the route was operated by Southern Pacific and was known as the West Side Line. The railroad first reached Willows on December 28, 1879, from Davis. In 1882 the extension from Willows to Tehama was completed. In 1884 the West Side and Mendocino Railroad constructed a line east from Willows to Fruto.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Other communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Glenn County. † county seat