Willows offers peaceful living in the Sacramento Valley region
Willows, the county seat of Glenn County, is a small city of approximately 6,000 in Northern California. Retaining its agricultural roots as a farming community, the area today is still surrounded by many active farms, ranches and orchards. “Rice, almonds and walnuts are our main crops, and agriculture is very prevalent here,“ says Lorri Pride, born and raised in Willows and owner of Pride Homes & Land with 20 years of real estate experience. “We are a small town in the Sacramento Valley that offers quiet living, and there’s not a lot of city life.” The area has a peaceful, family-friendly setting, and residents are brought together by Little League games, community festivals, local establishments and school events.
Single-family homes in Willows
Neighborhood streets in Willows are mostly comprised of gridded city blocks. Built from the late 1800s to the early 2000s, houses are mostly single-family bungalows, Cape Cods and ranch styles. The median sale price is approximately $310,000, which is below the national median of around $400,000. Smaller houses start at just under $100,000 and can go up to $300,000, and properties larger than 1,500 square feet can go from $340,000 to about $440,000. Yard sizes range from about 6,000 square feet to one-third of an acre, and many have grassy front lawns with pools or gardens in the backyard. “I would say the bottom of the market is around $200,000, and anything below that would be a fixer-upper,” Pride says. “Those in the $400,000s would be in turnkey conditions. Inventory has also been very limited, which helps keep prices a bit higher.”
The city's public parks have many recreational facilities
The city has several public parks and sports fields. Sycamore Park has tennis and pickleball courts, a playground and some walking trails that loop around an open green field. Little League usually practices at Jensen Park, and the 18-hole disc golf course was recently updated at Central Park. Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge offers hiking, hunting, and wildlife viewing opportunities, and Thunderhill Raceway Park is open year-round for races and practice drives.
Restaurants by the I-5 corridor
Willows has an eclectic food scene, and many of the city’s Asian, American and Mexican restaurants are located by the I-5 corridor and along North Tehama Street. Popular local eateries include Elenita's Mexican Restaurant and The Last Stand, a sports bar and grill serving pub classics. For groceries and daily essentials, the city has Mar-Val Food Stores and Walmart. “Chico is about half an hour away,” Pride says. “It’s the largest retail hub near Willows and people go there for the big-box stores and shopping.”
Public schools in Willows Unified School District
The city is served by Willows Unified School District. Murdock Elementary School has a C grade from Niche, and Willows Intermediate School, serving grades five through eight, gets a C-plus. Willows High School rates a B and offers vocational education in agriculture, business, computer and economics. Students may also choose to apply to Walden Academy, a kindergarten through eighth-grade charter school with STEM programs.
Highway options and distance to Sacramento
Willows is accessible via Interstate 5, U.S. Route 99 and California state Route 162. Sacramento International Airport is about 75 miles south, and Sacramento is about 85 miles away via I-5. Glenn Transit Service provides public bus services within Glenn County. Glenn Medical Center, one of Willow’s top employers, is located in the city center along Sycamore Street.
Community celebrations in Willows
City-wide events include the Willows 4th of July Celebration and the Willows Car & Bike Show in August. “We also have the Willows Lamb Derby on Mother’s Day Weekend,” Pride says. “The area used to have a large sheep industry presence, and this is our way of honoring this heritage.” Each May, the annual Glenn County Fair takes place in Orland, about 15 miles north of the city, featuring live entertainment, livestock shows and carnival rides.
