Chowchilla is a city in Madera County, California. The city's population was 18,720 at the 2010 United States Census, up from 11,127 at the 2000 U.S. Census. Chowchilla is located 15 miles northwest of Madera, at an elevation of 240 feet. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla metropolitan statistical area.The city is the location of two California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities, the Central California Women's Facility and Valley State Prison.