Butte County was one of the original 27 counties.

Territory that was once in Butte County is now in eight other counties which are Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Sutter and Tehama. Butte lost more than half its territory to Plumas County and a large piece to Tehama County. Its name is derived from  the Marysville or Sutter Buttes, which lay within the boundaries when it was created. The word butte is derived from the Teutonic word meaning "a blunt extension or elevation." In the French language, it signifies "a small hill or mound of earth detached from any mountain range."                             

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