Chowchilla is a city in Madera County, in California's Central Valley, about sixteen miles northwest of the county seat of Madera and at an elevation of roughly 240 feet. State Route 99, the valley's principal north-south highway, passes through the area, linking the city to Fresno to the south and Merced to the north. The city's name is an anglicized spelling of chaushila, the name of the Yokuts people who historically inhabited this part of the valley. Agriculture has always been the community's economic foundation, and the surrounding countryside remains a mix of dairies, row crops, and orchards. Over the twentieth century Chowchilla grew from a small farm settlement into a modest city, its streets and services expanding with the broader growth of the San Joaquin Valley. The city's agricultural base has been supplemented by institutional employment. Two state correctional facilities, the Central California Women's Facility and Valley State Prison, are located at Chowchilla and rank among the area's largest employers. Their presence, along with the farm economy, gives Chowchilla a working, service-oriented character. Chowchilla is also known for the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County, a museum and research site near the Fairmead fossil beds, one of the largest Middle Pleistocene fossil deposits in California. The center, which opened in 2010, draws school groups and visitors with its exhibits, working laboratory, and mock dig pit. Today Chowchilla functions as a small, self-contained Central Valley city. It offers local schools, shops, and services to residents, while its position on Highway 99 keeps Fresno, Merced, and the broader San Joaquin Valley within easy commuting distance. The city's modest scale and agricultural setting appeal to those seeking a quieter pace within reach of the valley's larger urban centers.