Palermo is a census-designated place (CDP) in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 5,555 at the 2020 census, up from 5,382 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which 99.95% is land and 0.05% is water.
History
The town was named after Palermo, Sicily due to its excellent climate for growing olives. The first post office was established in 1888.
The area was home to a country club, two railroad stations, gold mining, a brick yard, library, general mercantile store, school and even a semi-pro baseball team. The rich clay soil attracted the planting of olive and orange orchards and a thriving zucca melon industry.
Mining magnate George Hearst purchased 700 acres in 1888, and then subdivided.
There is an annual festival held every September centered at Palermo Park to help raise funds to support the Palermo Community Council's Sheriff Substation.
In December 2024, a disgruntled man experiencing mental illness and homelessness opened fire at the town's Seventh-Day Adventist school, seriously wounding two children before killing himself. He had no known connections to the school but went to an SDA school in nearby Paradise as a child.