Half of Oroville East’s homes were built after 1978
More historic than 10% of U.S. towns · #690 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Oroville East was built recently: 0.9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1947 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Oroville East is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #690 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Oroville East’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Oroville East’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Oroville East’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Oroville East yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Oroville East or Kelly Ridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 8,038 at the 2020 census, down from 8,280 at the 2010 census. Most citizens are dependent on the commerce of Oroville, and the vast majority of high school students in Kelly Ridge (Oroville East) attend Las Plumas High School. The community of Kelly Ridge sits at Lake Oroville and offers direct access to boating, camping, fishing and a variety of water sports.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 8,280 to 8,038 (-3%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Oroville East, 1862 to 1947
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Oroville East. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1947Bangor sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Oroville East.
People over time
Oroville East, census by census
Between 8,038 and 8,680 people in every census since 1990.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Oroville East’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Oroville East
Nobody well known was born in Oroville East itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Oroville East is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #690 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Oroville East?
0.9% of Oroville East’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1978.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
