8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington D.C. 20549


                                   FORM 8 - K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 12, 2005


                              NORTH VALLEY BANCORP
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


        CALIFORNIA                    0-10652                  94-2751350
- ----------------------------        -------------         ---------------------
(State or other jurisdiction        (File Number)           (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)                                    identification number)


                   300 Park Marina Circle, Redding, CA   96001
              -----------------------------------------------------
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)


                                 (530) 226-2900
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2.below):

[ ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
     (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
     (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)

[ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(C) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13c-4(c)


Item 8.01: Other Events

         On July 12, 2005, the registrant issued a Press Release, "North Valley
Bancorp Ranked 15th in U.S. Bankers Top 200 Community Banks Nationwide".
Attached hereto as Exhibit 99.84 and incorporated herein by this reference is
said Press Release dated July 13, 2005.

Item 9.01: Financial Statements and Exhibits

         (c)      Exhibits
                  --------

     (99.85)      News Release of North Valley Bancorp dated July 12, 2005




                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                       NORTH VALLEY BANCORP


                                       By: /s/ SHARON L. BENSON
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Sharon L. Benson
Dated:  July 13, 2005                      SVP Controller & Interim CFO

EX-99.85

                                [GRAPHIC OMITTED]
                              North Valley Bancorp


North Valley Bancorp Ranked 15th in U.S. Banker's Top 200 Community Banks
Nationwide


July 12, 2005 - REDDING, CA - U.S. Banker magazine's July 2005 edition has
ranked North Valley Bancorp (NASDAQ: NOVB) 15th in their "Top 200 Publicly
Traded Community Banks" list. U.S. Banker's annual performance ranking lists the
top 200 banks and thrifts with assets under one billion dollars and ranks them
based on each company's three-year average rate of return on equity. North
Valley Bancorp was recognized by producing an average return on equity to
shareholders of 16.8% over the past three year period.

North Valley Bancorp is a multi-bank holding company headquartered in Redding,
California. North Valley Bank ("NVB") operates twenty commercial banking offices
in Shasta, Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino and Trinity Counties in Northern
California including two in-store supermarket branches and two Business Banking
Centers. NVB Business Bank operates five commercial banking offices in Yolo,
Solano, Sonoma, Placer and Mendocino Counties in Northern California. North
Valley Bancorp, through its subsidiary banks, offers a wide range of consumer
and business banking deposit products and services including internet banking
and cash management services. In addition to these depository services, North
Valley Bank and NVB Business Bank engage in a full complement of lending
activities including consumer, commercial and real estate loans. NVB has SBA
Preferred Lender status and provides investment services to its customers
through an affiliated relationship. Visit the Company's website address at
www.novb.com.

Cautionary Statement: This release contains certain forward-looking statements
that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those stated herein. Management's assumptions and
projections are based on their anticipation of future events and actual
performance may differ materially from those projected. Risks and uncertainties
which could impact future financial performance include, among others, (a)
competitive pressures in the banking industry; (b) changes in the interest rate
environment; (c) general economic conditions, either nationally or regionally or
locally, including fluctuations in real estate values; (d) changes in the
regulatory environment; (e) changes in business conditions or the securities
markets and inflation; (f) possible shortages of gas and electricity at utility
companies operating in the State of California, and (g) the effects of
terrorism, including the events of September 11, 2001, and thereafter, and the
conduct of war on terrorism by the United States and its allies. Therefore, the
information set forth herein, together with other information contained in the
periodic reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, should be carefully considered when evaluating the business
prospects of the Company. North Valley Bancorp undertakes no obligation to
update any forward-looking statements contained in this release.

For further information contact:
Michael J. Cushman
President & Chief Executive Officer
(530) 226-2900    Fax: (530) 221-4877