Sutter County California

The relatively small Sutter County has a rich history dating back to the first European settlers arriving in 1841. Unfortunately, the beautiful landscape dominated by the Sutter Buttes Mountain range is under the scourge of drought, causing considerable damage.

Sutter County is the home to the Sutter Buttes, the smallest mountain range in the world. The county only covers 6082 miles, and it offers a low crime rate and high quality of life to its residents, who can enjoy many outdoor activities and be exposed to the arts.

Sutter Mountains - California Places, Travel, and News.

What is Sutter County California Known For?

Amongst other features, Sutter County is known for being home to the smallest mountain range in the world and its thriving agriculture.

  • The Mountain Range
  • Sutter County Agricultural Industry

The Mountain Range

These geological features comprise a small circular complex of volcanic lava domes which have eroded over time. At the highest point, the Sutter Buttes reach a height of 2,122 ft (647 m).

The small town of Sutter is located at the base of the Buttes, and while it holds the same name as Sutter County, it’s not the county’s capital city. Yuba City carries this distinction.

Sutter County Agricultural Industry

The county has a thriving agricultural sector.

1. It’s renowned for revolutionizing the raisin industry after cultivating the first seedless grape.

2. A significant peach harvest culminates in the Annual Peach Festival.

What’s In Sutter County?

Sutter County, California, is renowned for its rural lifestyle, which makes it one of the most interesting counties in California to visit.

Outdoor Activities

There are many outdoor activities which are enjoyed on four different lakes and rivers. The variety of wildlife makes this a sought-after destination for hunters.

The Smallest Mountain Range In The World

Sutter County is known for being the state with the smallest mountain range in the world called the Sutter Buttes.

Sutter Counties Map California - California Places, Travel, and News.

Things To Do In Sutter County

You will never be bored in Sutter County because it has a wide range of offerings.

  • Community Memorial Museum
  • Sutter Bike Trail
  • Boating
  • Fishing And Hunting In The Sutter Bypass Wildlife Area
  • Arts
See also  Fresno County California CA

Community Memorial Museum

The Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County is a rich local resource to reveal the diverse cultural heritage. The museum concentrates on the area’s history and its cultural diversity. There is a nicely presented exhibition of migrant farmworker photos with amazing photography and very moving stories.

The museum has a range of temporary and permanent exhibits focusing on the Yuba-Sutter region.

Sutter Bike Trail

The Sutter Bike Trail is approximately 10 miles out and back. The trail is flat and scenic. It begins in Yuba City, and the end destination is the small town of Sutter at the base of the Sutter Buttes.

Riders have wonderful views of the Sutter Buttes, and in the fall, there is a good chance of seeing Waterfowl flying overhead.

Boating

There are many rivers and lakes which are ideally suited to most forms of boating.

  1. Bear River
  2. Feather River,
  3. Sacramento River
  4. Yuba River (No powered boats)
  5. Camp Far West Lake
  6. Collins Lake
  7. Harry L. Englebright Lake
  8. Bullards Bar Reservoir

Boating is a very popular pastime in Sutter County.

Fishing And Hunting In The Sutter Bypass Wildlife Area

It was designated as a wildlife area by the Fish and Game Commission in 1968.

Hunting In Sutter Bypass Wildlife Area

Sutter county offers exceptional hunting with access to a vast array of wildlife areas and the hunting of the following creatures.

  1. Good populations of deer.
  2. Waterfowl.
  3. Mourning dove.
  4. Valley quail.
  5. Pheasant.
  6. Rabbits.
  7. Turkeys are also found in the area.

Fishing In The Sutter Bypass Wildlife Area

Fishing can be done 250 feet or further from the fishing ladders installed at the dams to assist the salmon in migrating to Butte Creek. Fishing for Chinook salmon is most common in October and November. Fishing and hunting licenses are available from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Arts

Yuba city boasts highly skilled ballet groups that regularly perform within Sutter County and further afield in major productions in Sacramento.

Led By Owner, Artistic Director, & Instructor, renowned ballet dancer Cara Agustin coaches up to 46 students who have punched above their weight in the state, with students regularly being cast in major productions in Sacramento.

See also  Colusa County California

This small, vibrant community offers a wide range of entertainment.

  1. The Yuba Sutter Symphony.
  2. Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts (MCAA) presented several theatre productions.
  3. The Yuba-Sutter Big Band jazz orchestra.
  4. Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture hosts a variety of pop-up art exhibitions.
  5. The Acting Company’s Magic Theatre.
Swifts old barn Sutter Creek California - California Places, Travel, and News.

Famous People From Sutter County

Being so small, Sutter County, California, does not have many celebrities who call(e) it home; however, the better-known people who do are listed below.

John Joseph Montgomery

John Joseph Montgomery (born in 1858) was the first American to successfully pilot a heavier-than-air craft 20 years before the Wright Brothers. Montgomery was far ahead of his time, and while he does not get the same accolades as Wilbur and Orville Wright, he was the holder of the first patent for an “airplane.”

Charlotte Stewart

Charlotte Stewart was born February 27, 1941, and is an actress fondly remembered for her role as the schoolteacher, Miss Beadle, on Little House on the Prairie.

Other notable roles in Television series included.

  1. Guest-starred Bonanza.
  2. Guest starred in The Office.
  3. Recurring role-playing, Betty Briggs, on Twin Peaks.

Her notable appearances on the silver screen were.

  1. Eraserhead (a 1977 American surrealist horror film in which Charlotte played Mary X)
  2. Tremors (a 1990 American western-themed monster horror-comedy in which Charlotte played Nancy Sterngood, an artist living in Perfection with her daughter.)

Adrian Molina

Adrian Molina was born on August 23, 1985, and is renowned for his work.

  1. A 2D animator on Ratatouille
  2. A storyboard artist for Toy Story 3
  3. Monsters University.
  4. As the writer of The Good Dinosaur.
  5. The screenplay writer and joint and co-director of Coco.

Sutter County FAQ

Interesting Facts About Sutter County

The county is named after John Augustus Sutter, one of the first Europeans to develop the agricultural industry by establishing his Hock Farm in 1841. The county is across 608 square miles (1,570 km2) and has a population of approximately 70,000. Sutter County is the home to the smallest mountain range in the world (Sutter Buttes).

Sutter County was on the scene of a potential nuclear accident on March 14, 1961, when a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress was carrying nuclear weapons and ran out of fuel. The crew was forced to bail out under parachutes.

See also  Napa County California

The aircraft impacted the ground, destroying the two Mark 39 (3.8 megatons each) thermonuclear bombs. No explosion took place, and no radioactive material was lost.

Is Sutter County A Good Place To Live?

Sutter County is a great part of California and its residents who are lucky enough to enjoy living in this little patch of heaven experience an above-average quality of life.

It has good schools in nearby communities, close access to three universities, a crime rate substantially lower than the national average, outdoor hunting and fishing activities, golf courses, and access to the arts with theatres, ballet, and art galleries.

Three universities are within a one-hour driving range.

  1. William Jessup University.
  2. University of California – Davis.
  3. University of San Francisco – Sacramento Campus.

Summers are hot and generally with clear skies. Winters are cold, and in years where drought is not occurring are wet and partly cloudy. Typically, the temperatures average between 38°F to 97°F.

On average, Sutter County, California, receives 22 inches of rain annually, even lower than the average across California (22.9 inches). For the last few years, California has been experiencing state-wide drought conditions with an average rainfall 40% lower than the US national average of 38 inches of rain per year.

Sutter county has been badly affected by the drought, and the period between January – April 2022 has been the driest year in the past 128 years. On the drought scale produced by drought.gov, Sutter County scores as follows.

Drought ScalePercentage of County affectedConditions
D0 – Abnormally Dry100%Soil is dry; irrigation delivery begins earlyDryland crop germination is stuntedActive fire season begins.
D1 – Moderate Drought100%Dryland pasture growth is stunted; producers give supplemental feed to cattle. Landscaping and gardens need irrigation earlier; wildlife patterns begin to change. Stock ponds and creeks are lower than usual.
D2 – Severe Drought100%Grazing land is inadequateFire season is longer, with high burn intensity, dry fuels, and large fire spatial extent. Trees are stressed; plants increase reproductive mechanisms; wildlife diseases increase.
D3 – Extreme Drought100%Livestock needs expensive supplemental feed; cattle and horses are sold; little pasture remains; fruit trees bud early; producers begin irrigating in the winter. Fire season lasts year-round; fires occur in typically wet parts of the state; burn bans are implemented. Water is inadequate for agriculture, wildlife, and urban needs; reservoirs are extremely low; hydropower is restricted.

In almost every metric (apart from home burglaries), Sutter County has a lower crime rate than the average across America.

Crimes per 100,000 people.

  1. Assault – 193.40 (national average national 282.7)
  2. Murder – 3.09 (national average 6.1)
  3. Rape – 37.90 (national average 40.7)
  4. Robbery – 67.12 (national average 135.5)
  5. Burglary – 696.00 (national average 500.1)
  6. Theft – 1,953.00 (national average 2,042.8)
  7. Motor Vehicle Theft – 159.00 (national average 284.0)

Is It Expensive In Sutter County?

House prices in Sutter County are 15% higher than the nation’s average, and the average household income is very similar to the national average.

1. Median home values – $436.500 (American Median $374,900)

2. Median home Rent – The average rental is $1,469

3. Median Household income – $63,502 (American Median $67,521)

The average wage is almost 7% higher than the national average, and the actual cost of living is only half of that in nearby San Francisco. Sadly, the drought is wreaking havoc on this picturesque little county because it has so much to offer its residents and visitors, who are always welcome.

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