Mad River, California

About Mad River

Mad River, CA is a small unincorporated community located in northwestern California.

Mad River holds the status of a census-designated place — a real, named community that residents call home, governed at the county level. The community covers 35.19 square miles.

📰 Local News

Read the latest California headlines on our news site, Bless News Daily.

What Makes Mad River Unique

• The only place in America named Mad River — a truly one-of-a-kind name among 32,000+ US communities.
• An unincorporated community — no city hall of its own, which often means lower local taxes and county-managed services.
• Positioned in northwestern California, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.

Why People Love It Here

• Quiet streets and a slower rhythm — the kind of place people move to on purpose.
• Cost of living typically runs below the big-metro average.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 14 miles.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Mad River

• Mount Lassic Wilderness · Nature reserve reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Mad River

• Mt. Lassic High (Continuation)
• Southern Trinity High
• Van Duzen Elementary

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

⚡ Quick Facts

🌤️ Current Weather

Full forecast →

Source: National Weather Service

🗺️ Map of Mad River

🏘️ Nearby Communities