Cottonwood Ghost Town

Yolo County, California38.6583, -121.9711

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
3.7 miEsparto, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec8 of 12
Elevation
160 ft50 m
Illustration of a forest landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Cottonwood. No free-licensed photo yet.

Cottonwood is an abandoned town in Yolo County, California. It lies at about 160 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miVacavilleDavisWoodlandDixonWintersCottonwood
  • Military, DOE
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Cottonwood. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Esparto, CA, about 3.7 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Woodland, CA, 12 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Buckeye5.5 mi southeast
  2. Fremont Landing21 mi northeast
  3. Cement25 mi south
  4. Prairie City26 mi east
  5. Norristown31 mi east
  6. Wingo39 mi southwest
  7. Mokelumne City40 mi southeast
  8. Port Chicago42 mi south

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°5638Jan6240Feb6844Mar7448Apr8253May9058Jun9560Jul9459Aug9157Sep8050Oct6642Nov5737DecJan: 5.2 inFeb: 5.0 inMar: 3.2 inApr: 1.4 inMay: 0.8 inJun: 0.1 inJul: 0.0 inAug: 0.0 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.9 inNov: 2.2 inDec: 4.9 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run October to May, judging by NOAA normals from Winters. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Winters station (USC00049742), 9.2 miles away. About 23.8 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationYolo County, California
Coordinates38.65833, -121.97111
Elevation160 ft (50 m)
Also known asCottonwood, Yolo County, California, Cottonwood, CA
SourcesWikidata Q5175785 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Cottonwood ghost town?

In Yolo County, California, at 38.6583, -121.9711. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Esparto, CA, about 3.7 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Woodland, CA, 12 miles away.

Can you visit Cottonwood?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

When is the best time to visit Cottonwood?

Mild months here run October to May, judging by NOAA normals from Winters. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Cottonwood?

Yes. Buckeye (5.5 mi), Fremont Landing (21 mi), Cement (25 mi), Prairie City (26 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Sacramento