Fresno, California
Encyclopedia
Fresno is a city in central California
, United States, the county seat
of Fresno County
. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation. Fresno is located in the center of the San Joaquin Valley
of Central California
, approximately 200 miles (322 km) north of Los Angeles, and 170 miles (274 km) south of the state capital, Sacramento
. Metropolitan Fresno
has a population of 1,107,416. The name Fresno is the Spanish language word for the ash tree
, and an ash leaf is featured on the city's flag.
In 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad
established a station near Easterby's farm for its new Southern Pacific
line. Soon there was a store. Around the station and the store grew the town of Fresno Station, later called Fresno. Many Millerton residents, drawn by the convenience of the railroad and worried about flooding, moved to the new community. Fresno became an incorporated city in 1885.
Two years after the station was established, county residents voted to move the county seat from Millerton to Fresno. When the Friant Dam
was completed in 1944, the site of Millerton became inundated by the waters of Millerton Lake
. In extreme droughts, when the reservoir shrinks, ruins of the original county seat can still be observed.
In the nineteenth century, with so much wooden construction and in the absence of sophisticated firefighting resources, fires often ravaged American frontier towns. The greatest of Fresno's early-day fires, in 1882, destroyed an entire block of the city. Another devastating blaze struck in 1883.
In 1909, Fresno's first and oldest synagogue
, Temple Beth Israel
, was founded.
The population of Fresno proper soared in the second half of the 20th century. It entered the ranks of the 100 largest United States cities in 1960 census with a population of 134,000. In the 1990 census it moved up to 47th place with 354,000, and in the census of 2000 it achieved 37th place with 428,000, a 21 percent increase during the preceding decade.
The Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill was the first modern landfill
in the United States, and incorporated several important innovations to waste disposal, including trenching, compacting, and the daily covering of trash with dirt. It was opened in 1937 and closed in 1987. Today, it has the unusual distinction of being a National Historic Landmark
as well as a Superfund
site.
Before World War II, Fresno had many ethnic neighborhoods, including Little Armenia, German Town, Little Italy, and Chinatown. (Incongruously, Chinatown was primarily a Japanese neighborhood and today Japanese-American businesses still remain). During 1942, Pinedale, in what is now North Fresno, was the site of the Pinedale Assembly Center, an interim facility for the relocation of Fresno area Japanese Americans to internment camps
. The Fresno Fairgrounds
was also utilized as an assembly center.
Row crops and orchards gave way to urban development particularly in the period after World War II; this transition was particularly vividly demonstrated in locations such as the Blackstone Avenue
corridor.
In September 1958, Bank of America
launched a new product called BankAmericard in Fresno. After a troubled gestation during which its creator resigned, BankAmericard went on to become the first successful credit card
; that is, a financial instrument which was usable across a large number of merchants and also allowed cardholders to revolve a balance (earlier financial products could do one or the other but not both). In 1976, BankAmericard was renamed and spun off into a separate company known today as Visa Inc.
The dance style commonly known as popping
evolved in Fresno in the 1970s.
In the 1970s the city was the subject of a song, Walking Into Fresno,' written by Hall Of Fame guitarist Bill Aken and recorded by Bob Gallion of the world-famous "WWVA Jamboree" radio and television show in Wheeling, West Virginia. Aken, adopted by Mexican movie actress Lupe Mayorga, grew up in the neighboring town of Madera and his song chronicled the hardships faced by the migrant farm workers he saw as a child. Aken also made his first TV appearance playing guitar on the old country-western show at The Fresno Barn.
Fictional residents of the town were portrayed in a 1986 comedic mini series titled "Fresno
", featuring Carol Burnett
, Dabney Coleman
, Teri Garr
and Charles Grodin
, along with numerous other celebrities. The mini series was presented as a parody of the prime time soap operas popular in the 1980s.
In 1995, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
's Operation Rezone sting resulted in several prominent Fresno and Clovis politicians being charged in connection with taking bribes in return for rezoning
farmland for housing developments. Before the sting brought a halt to it, housing developers could buy farmland cheaply, pay off council members to have it rezoned, and make a large profit building and selling inexpensive housing. Sixteen people were eventually convicted as a result of the sting.
In 2009 and 2010, Fresno was ranked last and third from last respectively in a study of the smartest cities in the United States.
as having a total area of 112.3 square miles (290.9 km²) with 99.69% land covering 112 square miles (290.1 km²), and 0.31% water, 0.4 square miles (1 km²).
Fresno's location, very near the geographical center of California, places the city a comfortable distance from several of the major recreation areas and urban centers in the state. Just 60 mi (96.6 km) south of Yosemite National Park
, it is the nearest major city to the park. Likewise, Sierra National Forest
is 40 mi (64.4 km), Kings Canyon National Park
is 60 mi (96.6 km) and Sequoia National Park
is 75 mi (120.7 km).
Because Fresno sits at the junction of Highways 41
and 99
(41 is Yosemite National Park's southern access road, and 99 branches east from Interstate 5 to serve the urban centers of the San Joaquin Valley), the city is a major gateway for Yosemite visitors coming from Los Angeles
. The city also serves as an entrance into Sierra National Forest via highway 168
, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks via Highway 180
.
Fresno has three large public parks, two located in the city limits and one in county land to the southwest. Woodward Park
, which features the Shinzen
Japanese Garden
s, numerous picnic areas and several miles of trails, is located in North Fresno and is adjacent to the San Joaquin River Parkway. Roeding Park
, located near Downtown Fresno, is home to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, and Rotary Storyland and Playland. Kearney Park is the largest of the Fresno region's park system and is home to historic Kearney Mansion and plays host to the annual Civil War Revisited, the largest reenactment of the Civil War in the west coast of the U.S.
Bsh), with mild, moderately wet winters and hot and dry summers, thus displaying Mediterranean characteristics
. December is the coldest month, and averages 53.4 °F (11.9 °C) during the day; July high temperatures average 96.6 °F (35.9 °C), though summer temperatures can occasionally soar to highs of 113 °F (45 °C) or more. Summers provide considerable sunshine, with July peaking at 97 percent of the total possible sunlight hours; conversely, January is the lowest with only 46 percent of the daylight time in sunlight because of thick tule fog
. However, the year averages 81% of possible sunshine, for a total of 3550 hours. Average annual precipitation is around 11.2 inches (284 mm), which, by definition, would classify the area as a semidesert and very close to a climate where agriculture is only possible through the use of extensive irrigation; rainfall is high in the winter and spring seasons, with the summers typically being very dry. Most of the wind rose direction occurrences derive from the northwest, as winds are driven downward along the axis of the California Central Valley
; in December, January and February there is an increased presence of southeastern wind directions in the wind rose statistics. Fresno meteorology was selected in a national U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study for analysis of equilibrium temperature for use of ten-year meteorological
data to represent a warm, dry western United States locale.
The highest temperature recorded at the Fresno air terminal was 113 °F (45 °C) on July 23, 2006; the lowest temperature recorded was 17 °F (-8.3 °C) on January 10, 1949, and December 23, 1990. Temperatures reach 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher on an average of 106.4 days annually and drop to 32 °F (0 °C) or lower on an average of 21.2 days annually. The wettest year at the airport was 1983 with 21.61 inches (548.9 mm) and the dryest year was 1966 with 6.07 inches (154.2 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 8.56 inches (217.4 mm) in January 1969 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 2.38 inches (60.5 mm) on March 10, 1995. Measurable precipitation falls on an average of 46 days annually. Snow is a rarity; the heaviest snowfall at the airport was 2.2 inches (55.9 mm) on January 21, 1962.
Fresno is the larger principal city of the Fresno-Madera CSA, a Combined Statistical Area
that includes the Fresno
(Fresno County) and Madera
(Madera County) metropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 922,516 at the 2000 census.
was 4,404.5 people per square mile (1,700.6/km²). The racial makeup of Fresno was 245,306 (49.6%) White, 40,960 (8.3%) African American, 8,525 (1.7%) Native American, 62,528 (12.6%) Asian (4.6% Hmong
, 1.7% Indian
, 1.2% Filipino
, 1.2% Laotian
, 0.8% Cambodian
, 0.7% Chinese
, 0.5% Japanese
, 0.4% Vietnamese
, 0.2% Korean
), 849 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 111,984 (22.6%) from other races
, and 24,513 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 232,055 persons (46.9%). Among the Hispanic population, 42.7% are Mexican
, 0.4% Salvadoran
, and 0.4% Puerto Rican
.
The Census reported that 485,798 people (98.2% of the population) lived in households, 4,315 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 4,552 (0.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 158,349 households, out of which 68,511 (43.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 69,284 (43.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 30,547 (19.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 11,698 (7.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12,843 (8.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 1,388 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 35,064 households (22.1%) were made up of individuals and 12,344 (7.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07. There were 111,529 families
(70.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.62.
The population was spread out with 148,823 people (30.1%) under the age of 18, 62,601 people (12.7%) aged 18 to 24, 135,076 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 102,064 people (20.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 46,101 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.3 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
There were 171,288 housing units at an average density of 1,525.2 per square mile (588.9/km²), of which 77,757 (49.1%) were owner-occupied, and 80,592 (50.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%. 235,430 people (47.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 250,368 people (50.6%) lived in rental housing units.
, 8.4% Black
or African American
, 1.6% Native American
, 11.2% Asian
(mostly Hmong
), 0.1% Pacific Islander
, 23.4% from other races
, and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 39.9% of the population.
There were 140,079 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.57.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,236, and the median income for a family was $35,892. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $26,551 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,010. About 20.5% of families and 26.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
The population as of July 1, 2007 was estimated to be 470,508 by the US Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program. The Fresno Metropolitan Statistical Area population was estimated at 899,348.
brought more immigrants to the San Joaquin Valley, which reminded them so much of home. By 1894 the Armenian population in Fresno was 360, a number which grew rapidly with the onset of the Hamidian Massacres
in 1895-96. Many of the immigrants were Protestant converts, the result of heavy missionary activity in Armenia by American Christians seeking converts from the Armenian Church. During and after the genocide
even more Armenians came until the restrictions on immigration in 1921 and 1924 brought this to a virtual end. Los Angeles also became a focus of Armenian immigration, and some Armenians from Fresno moved there as well. The number of Armenians in LA surpassed those in Fresno in 1930 – partly because of the agricultural depression in the valley during the 1920s.
The early immigrants were primarily involved with farming and agriculture, with the ultimate goal almost always that of land ownership. By 1930 Armenians owned 40% of the raisin acreage in Fresno County. They were pioneers in the melon and fig production as well.
From the very beginning, bigotry against Armenians was common, and led many to Anglicize their names. In the 1890s Armenian Protestants were stripped of membership in local churches. Fear of Armenian land ownership caused the passage of laws restricting their rights to freely buy land. This attitude towards the tight knit Armenian community led some to try to assimilate, while having the opposite effect on others. The problem lasted for many decades, finally abating in the 1950s.
After World War II, displaced Soviet Armenians came from Germany, and a natural population flow of Armenians from east to west in the US also contributed to growth.
Today, the number of Armenians in Fresno is thought to number 25-30,000.
. The unincorporated area and rural cities surrounding Fresno remain predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production.
members (Legislative branch) elected for no more than two 4-year terms. The City council and the mayor are nonpartisan, not affiliated with any political party. Alan Autry
was first elected in November 2000, reelected on March 2, 2004, and served until January 2009. Ashley Swearengin
was sworn in as Mayor on January 6, 2009.
† Died in office
Fresno is the county seat of Fresno County. It maintains the main county courthouse located on Van Ness in the Fresno County Plaza for criminal and some civil court cases.
The United States District Court, Eastern District of California, has one of its six divisions based in the Robert E. Coyle Courthouse. The new courthouse replaced the B.F. Sisk Federal Building in 2006 because it did not have enough space for the growing Fresno Division. After extensive renovation, the building reopened in November 2010 as the B.F. Sisk Courthouse serving the Fresno County Superior Court.
Fresno is also the seat of the Fifth Appellate District of the State of California Court of Appeal where a new courthouse was built in the old Armenian Town section of downtown Fresno in 2007 across from the Fresno Convention Center. The Fifth District Court of Appeal Courthouse is named after former Senator and Associate Justice of the Fifth District, George N. Zenovich.
are Republicans. Nevertheless, Democrat Barack Obama carried the county by 50.2% in the 2008 presidential election
.
The citizens of Fresno are represented in the California State Senate
by Tom Berryhill
(R
) and Michael Rubio (D
) and in the California State Assembly
by Linda Halderman
(R) and Henry Perea
(D). The citizens of Fresno are represented in the United States Congress
by Jeff Denham
(R) in California's 19th congressional district
, Jim Costa
(D) in California's 20th congressional district
and Devin Nunes
(R) in California's 21st congressional district
.
Through the 1990s, downtown was one of the last remaining examples of untouched architecture
in California
, but it has recently been subjected to a mixed revitalization effort. While many of the buildings that were once abandoned for many years have been remodeled, many have been demolished or are under threat of being demolished to be replaced with new structures. Recently added new structures such as Grizzlies Stadium, now Chukchansi Park
and the Federal Courthouse, and plans to eventually erect new high-rise buildings, threaten the unique and increasingly rare twentieth century architecture.
A victim of this redevelopment was the Vagabond Hotel, unique in its relevance in popular culture
. The Vagabond, which had a pool that was an important location in modern skateboarding
history and a prime example of mid-century modern
googie "roadside" architecture
, was demolished in 2004 and replaced by concrete commercial lots and lofts in 2006. The old Army Induction Center, which was used during the Vietnam War, was also recently destroyed in the next development project on H St and Amador.
The historic Fulton Mall
and Chinatown are two downtown areas which still retain an exceptional amount of historic buildings and architecture of contextual, associative and memorial value in comparison with other cities of California and the Western United States
, and are being considered for preservation as historic districts.
is an area of approximately 6 sq mi (15.5 km²), once on the northern fringe of Fresno, but the city has since incorporated all of the surrounding land, making Fig Garden a county "island." The city's annual "Christmas Tree Lane" is found on a section of Van Ness Boulevard during the holiday season.
Christmas Tree Lane is located on Van Ness Boulevard in between Shields Avenue and Shaw Avenue and runs through Old Fig Garden. It was started in 1920 when a single tree in the front yard of one of the houses on Van Ness Boulevard was decorated with lights to honor their teenage son who was killed by an accident at the family home. After that, more and more houses began decorating their front yard trees and soon enough Christmas Tree Lane was born. In 1941 the lane was unable to light the trees due to wartime restrictions and another time in 1973 due to an energy crisis. December 2011 marks the 89th anniversary for Christmas Tree Lane which makes it one of the longest running Christmas traditions in the country. Christmas Tree Lane is so well known that it made the Washington Post. Over 100,000 people make the effort to either walk or drive down Christmas Tree Lane every year. Many homes on Christmas Tree Lane hold parties at their homes in order to see the annual parade on the opening night. Many neighborhoods in Fresno have started their own holiday light lanes, but to this day Christmas Tree Lane is still the one that people line up to see.
, which is included on the National List of Historic Places. The theater was built in 1939 and is located at Olive and Wishon Avenues in the heart of the Tower District. (The name of the theater refers to a well-known landmark water tower which is actually located in another nearby area). The Tower District neighborhood is located just north of downtown Fresno proper, and one-half mile south of Fresno City College. Although the neighborhood was known as a residential area prior, the early commercial establishments of the Tower District began with small shops and services that flocked to the area shortly after World War II. The character of small local businesses largely remains today, despite the presence of national chain Starbucks. To some extent, the businesses of the Tower District were developed due to the proximity of the original Fresno Normal School, (later renamed California State University at Fresno). In 1916 the college moved to what is now the site of Fresno City College one-half mile north of the Tower District.
This vibrant and culturally diverse area of retail businesses and residences experienced a renewal after a significant decline in the late 1960s and 1970s. After decades of neglect and suburban flight, the neighborhood revival followed the re-opening of the Tower Theater in the late 1970s, which at that time showed second and third run movies, along with classic films. Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater & Good Company Players also opened nearby in 1978, at Olive and Wishon Avenues. Fresno native Audra McDonald
performed in the leading roles of Evita and The Wiz at the theater while she was a high school student. Ms. McDonald subsequently became a leading performer on Broadway in New York City and a Tony award winning actress. Also in the Tower District is Good Company Players' 2nd Space Theatre.
The Tower District has become a hub for community events such as Jamaica My Weekend, Mardi Gras in February, Car Shows, A Taste of The Tower, Halloween in the Tower, and the opened Farmer's Market on the North-West Corner of Olive and Van Ness.
The neighborhood features some notable restaurants, live Theatre and nightclubs, as well as several independent shops and bookstores, currently operating on or near Olive Avenue, and all within a few hundred feet of each other. Since renewal, the Tower District has become an attractive area for restaurant and other local businesses. Today, the Tower District is also known as the center of Fresno's LGBT
and Hipster
Communities.
The area is also known for its early twentieth century homes, many of which have been restored in recent decades. The area includes many California Bungalow
and American Craftsman
style homes, Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture
, Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
, Mission Revival Style architecture
, and many Storybook houses designed by Fresno architects, Hilliard, Taylor & Wheeler. The residential architecture of the Tower District contrasts with the newer areas of tract homes urban sprawl
in north and east areas of Fresno.
in the heart of the historic Alta Vista Tract. The section of Huntington Boulevard between First Street on the west to Cedar Avenue on the east is the home to many large, stately homes. The original development of this area began circa 1910, on 190 acre
s of what had been an alfalfa
field. The Alta Vista Tract, as the land would become known, was mapped by William Stranahan for the Pacific Improvement Corporation, and was officially plat
ted in 1911. The tract's boundaries were Balch Avenue on the south, Cedar Avenue on the east, the rear property line of Platt Avenue (east of Sixth Street) and Platt Avenue (west of Sixth Street) on the north, and First Street on the west. The subdivision
was annexed to the City in January 1912, in an election that was the first in which women voted in the community. At the time of its admission to the City, the Alta Vista Tract was uninhabited but landscaped
, although the trees had to be watered by tank wagon
. In 1914 developers Billings & Meyering acquired the tract, completed street development, provided the last of the necessary municipal improvements including water service, and began marketing the property with fervor. A mere half decade later the tract had 267 homes. This rapid development was no doubt hastened by the Fresno Traction Company right-of-way along Huntington Boulevard, which provided streetcar connections between downtown and the County Hospital.
The surrounding streets, Kerckhoff and Balch Avenues (which are part of the original Alta Vista tract), have homes from the Arts and Crafts
era which, like the downtown, are being renovated and brought back to their historic roots. During Christmas
, the homes along the boulevard are adorned with lights and decorations
. The nation's tallest living Christmas Tree
, located at Huntington and 6th Street, is the highlight of the event.
Huntington Boulevard has been referred to as Fresno's "anti-gated community
".
Residents include many notable doctors, business owners, entrepreneurs, and stock traders.
The neighborhood includes Kearney Boulevard, named after early 20th century entrepreneur and millionaire M. Theo Kearney, which extends from Fresno Street in Southwest Fresno about 20 mi (32.2 km) west to Kerman, California. A small, two-lane rural road for most of its length, Kearney Boulevard is lined with tall palm trees. The roughly half-mile stretch of Kearney Boulevard between Fresno Street and Thorne Ave was at one time the preferred neighborhood for Fresno's elite African-American families. Another section, Brookhaven, on the southern edge of the West Side south of Jensen and west of Elm, was given the name by the Fresno City Council in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood's image. The isolated subdivision was for years known as the "Dogg Pound" in reference to a local gang, and as of late 2008 was still known for high levels of violent crime.
While many homes in the neighborhood date back to the 1930s or before, the neighborhood is also home to several public housing developments built between the 1960s and 1990s by the Fresno Housing Authority. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has also built small subdivisions of single-family homes in the area for purchase by low-income working families. There have been numerous attempts to revitalize the neighborhood, including the construction of a modern shopping center on the corner of Fresno and B streets, an aborted attempt to build luxury homes and a golf course on the western edge of the neighborhood, and some new section 8 apartments have been built along Church Ave west of Elm St. Cargill Meat Solutions and Foster Farms both have large processing facilities in the neighborhood, and the stench from these (and other small industrial facilities) has long plagued area residents. The Fresno Chandler Executive Airport is also located on the West Side. Due to its position on the edge of the city and years of neglect by developers, is not a true "inner-city" neighborhood, and there are many vacant lots, strawberry fields and vineyards throughout the neighborhood. The neighborhood has very little retail activity, aside from the area near Fresno Street and State Route 99 Freeway (Kearney Palm Shopping Center, built in the late 1990s) and small corner markets scattered throughout.
is a residential airport community born of a unique agreement in transportation law to allow personal aircraft and automobiles to share certain roads. Sierra Sky Park was the first aviation community to be built and there are now numerous such communities across the United States and around the world. Developer William Smilie created the nation's first planned aviation community. Still in operation today, the public use airport provides a unique neighborhood which spawned interest and similar communities nationwide.
is Fresno's Pacifica station, and one of Fresno's few non-commercial, non-corporate radio stations.
KMJ was Fresno's first radio station; it began broadcasting in 1922. Over the years its powerful 50,000-watt signal could clearly be heard throughout much of California. Here are the Fresno radio stations currently broadcasting:
FM Stations
AM Stations
, Sacramento
, Salinas
, and Stockton
, the Federal Communications Commission
decided that Fresno would only have UHF television stations. The very first Fresno television station to begin broadcasting was KMJ-TV, now known as KSEE
, Channel 24, which began broadcasting on June 1, 1953. Here are the Fresno television stations currently on the air:
, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc.
(SCI). Torreón
, Mexico Mashhad
, Iran
Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia Kōchi
, Japan Afula
, Israel Ejmiatsin, Armenia Münster
, Germany Verona
, Italy Taraz
, Kazakhstan Lahore
, Pakistan
, the main north/south freeway that connects the major population centers of the California Central Valley. State Route 168
, the Sierra Freeway, heads east to the city of Clovis
and Huntington Lake
. State Route 41
(Yosemite Freeway/Eisenhower Freeway) comes into Fresno from Atascadero in the south, and then heads north to Yosemite. State Route 180
(Kings Canyon Freeway) comes from the west via Mendota
, and from the east in Kings Canyon National Park
going towards the city of Reedley
.
Fresno is the largest U.S. city not directly linked to an Interstate highway. When the Interstate Highway System was created in the 1950s, the decision was made to build what is now Interstate 5 on the west side of the Central Valley, and thus bypass many of the population centers in the region, instead of upgrading what is now State Route 99. Due to rapidly raising population and traffic in cities along SR 99, as well as the desirability of Federal funding, much discussion has been made to upgrade it to interstate standards and eventually incorporate it into the interstate system, most likely as Interstate 9. Major improvements to signage, lane width, median separation, vertical clearance, and other concerns are currently underway.
(FAT), formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, provides regularly scheduled commercial airline service. The airport serves an estimated 1.3 million passengers annually to domestic and two international destinations.
Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
(FCH) is located 2 mi (3.2 km) southwest of Downtown Fresno. Built in the 1920s by the Works Projects Administration, it is one of the oldest operational airports in California. The airport currently serves as a general aviation airport.
Sierra Sky Park Airport
, located in Northwest Fresno, is a privately owned airport, but is open to the public. The airport was America's first aviation community. Extra-wide streets surrounding the airport allow for residents of the community to land, taxi down extra-wide avenues, and park in the driveway at home.
San Joaquins
. The main passenger rail station is the recently renovated historic Santa Fe Railroad Depot
located in Downtown Fresno. The Bakersfield-Stockton mainlines of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad
railroads cross in Fresno, and both railroads maintain railyards within the city; the San Joaquin Valley Railroad
also operates former Southern Pacific branchlines heading west and south out of the city.The city of Fresno is planned to serve the future California High Speed Rail.
. It consists entirely on buses serving the greater Fresno metropolitan area. Intercity and long-distance bus service is provided by Greyhound
and Orange Belt Stages
.
The city once provided trolley
service during the late 19th and early 20th century. Known as the Fresno City Railway Company and later the Fresno Traction Company, the service operated horse-drawn streetcars from 1887 to 1901. Electric streetcars were introduced in 1903. The electric streetcars were used until 1939.
All at the US Army Reserve Center at the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
Army Maintenance Support Activity 14
729 Training Camp Company
924 Training Camp Detachment
formerly located at The Fresno Yosemite international Airport. The unit is now based out of Lemoore Naval Air Station in Lemoore, California, about 30 miles outside Fresno.
Navy League Cadet Corps
, Training Ship Fresno Navy Operational Support Center Located at The Fresno Armed Forces Reserve Center adjacent to Hammer Army Air Field Armory
, Fresno Composite Squadron 112 Located at the Army National Guard Armory on the Fresno Fair grounds, hanger at Fresno Yosemite international Airport.
Echo Company, 79th Brigade Support Battalion, 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 40th Infantry Division
1106th Theater Aviation Maintenance Sustainment Group, 1106th Aviation Classification Repair Depot Located at the Aviation Classification Repair Depot on the Fresno Yosemite International airport
Detachment 1, 649th MP Company
, 49th Military Police Brigade
Located at the California Air National Guard Base at Fresno Yosemite International Airport
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Fresno County
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation. Fresno is located in the center of the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
of Central California
Central California
Central California, sometimes referenced as Mid-State, is an area of California south of the San Francisco Bay Area and north of Southern California...
, approximately 200 miles (322 km) north of Los Angeles, and 170 miles (274 km) south of the state capital, Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. Metropolitan Fresno
Metropolitan Fresno
Metropolitan Fresno or officially Fresno-Madera, CA CSA is a metropolitan area in California's Central Valley consisting of Fresno and Madera counties in the southern area of Northern California...
has a population of 1,107,416. The name Fresno is the Spanish language word for the ash tree
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
, and an ash leaf is featured on the city's flag.
History
In 1867, Anthony "McQeen" Easterby purchased land bounded by the present Chestnut, Belmont, Clovis and California avenues. Unable to grow wheat for lack of water, he hired Moses J. Church in 1871 to build an irrigation canal. Church then formed the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company, a predecessor of the Fresno Irrigation District.In 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
established a station near Easterby's farm for its new Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
line. Soon there was a store. Around the station and the store grew the town of Fresno Station, later called Fresno. Many Millerton residents, drawn by the convenience of the railroad and worried about flooding, moved to the new community. Fresno became an incorporated city in 1885.
Friant Dam
Friant Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the upper San Joaquin River in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County and Madera County near the town of Friant. The dam, completed in 1942, forms Millerton Lake and was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns and operates the dam. The lake...
was completed in 1944, the site of Millerton became inundated by the waters of Millerton Lake
Millerton Lake
Millerton Lake is an artificial lake near the town of Friant about north of downtown Fresno. The reservoir was created by the construction of Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River which with the lake serves as much of the county line between Fresno County to the south and Madera County to the...
. In extreme droughts, when the reservoir shrinks, ruins of the original county seat can still be observed.
In the nineteenth century, with so much wooden construction and in the absence of sophisticated firefighting resources, fires often ravaged American frontier towns. The greatest of Fresno's early-day fires, in 1882, destroyed an entire block of the city. Another devastating blaze struck in 1883.
In 1909, Fresno's first and oldest synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, Temple Beth Israel
Temple Beth Israel (Fresno, California)
Temple Beth Israel is a Reform synagogue located at 6622 North Maroa Avenue in Fresno, California. Founded in 1919, it was the first and remains the oldest synagogue in Fresno., the rabbi was Robert E. Ourach....
, was founded.
The population of Fresno proper soared in the second half of the 20th century. It entered the ranks of the 100 largest United States cities in 1960 census with a population of 134,000. In the 1990 census it moved up to 47th place with 354,000, and in the census of 2000 it achieved 37th place with 428,000, a 21 percent increase during the preceding decade.
The Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill was the first modern landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
in the United States, and incorporated several important innovations to waste disposal, including trenching, compacting, and the daily covering of trash with dirt. It was opened in 1937 and closed in 1987. Today, it has the unusual distinction of being a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
as well as a Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site.
Before World War II, Fresno had many ethnic neighborhoods, including Little Armenia, German Town, Little Italy, and Chinatown. (Incongruously, Chinatown was primarily a Japanese neighborhood and today Japanese-American businesses still remain). During 1942, Pinedale, in what is now North Fresno, was the site of the Pinedale Assembly Center, an interim facility for the relocation of Fresno area Japanese Americans to internment camps
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
. The Fresno Fairgrounds
Big Fresno Fairgrounds
The Big Fresno Fairgrounds is the site of the annual Big Fresno Fair and a convention center complex capable of hosting conventions, trade shows and banquets located in Fresno, California.- Facilities :...
was also utilized as an assembly center.
Row crops and orchards gave way to urban development particularly in the period after World War II; this transition was particularly vividly demonstrated in locations such as the Blackstone Avenue
Blackstone Avenue
Blackstone Avenue is a major roadway arterial in Fresno, California, USA. This street is the location of a number of historic structures and is also the locus of a considerable concentration of retail commercial land usage...
corridor.
In September 1958, Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
launched a new product called BankAmericard in Fresno. After a troubled gestation during which its creator resigned, BankAmericard went on to become the first successful credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
; that is, a financial instrument which was usable across a large number of merchants and also allowed cardholders to revolve a balance (earlier financial products could do one or the other but not both). In 1976, BankAmericard was renamed and spun off into a separate company known today as Visa Inc.
The dance style commonly known as popping
Popping
Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...
evolved in Fresno in the 1970s.
In the 1970s the city was the subject of a song, Walking Into Fresno,' written by Hall Of Fame guitarist Bill Aken and recorded by Bob Gallion of the world-famous "WWVA Jamboree" radio and television show in Wheeling, West Virginia. Aken, adopted by Mexican movie actress Lupe Mayorga, grew up in the neighboring town of Madera and his song chronicled the hardships faced by the migrant farm workers he saw as a child. Aken also made his first TV appearance playing guitar on the old country-western show at The Fresno Barn.
Fictional residents of the town were portrayed in a 1986 comedic mini series titled "Fresno
Fresno (TV miniseries)
Fresno is a 1986 television comedy miniseries that parodied popular prime time soap operas of the day such as Falcon Crest, Dallas, and Dynasty...
", featuring Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
, Dabney Coleman
Dabney Coleman
Dabney Wharton Coleman is an American actor, best known for his roles in 9 to 5, WarGames, You've Got Mail, Sworn to Silence, The Beverly Hillbillies and as the voice of Principal Peter Prickly in Recess and Recess: School's Out.-Early life:Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Mary...
, Teri Garr
Teri Garr
-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
and Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin
Charles Grodin is an American actor, comedian, author and former cable talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including The Virginian. He had a small part as an obstetrician in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby in 1968...
, along with numerous other celebrities. The mini series was presented as a parody of the prime time soap operas popular in the 1980s.
In 1995, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's Operation Rezone sting resulted in several prominent Fresno and Clovis politicians being charged in connection with taking bribes in return for rezoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
farmland for housing developments. Before the sting brought a halt to it, housing developers could buy farmland cheaply, pay off council members to have it rezoned, and make a large profit building and selling inexpensive housing. Sixteen people were eventually convicted as a result of the sting.
In 2009 and 2010, Fresno was ranked last and third from last respectively in a study of the smartest cities in the United States.
Geography
Fresno is located at 36°44′52"N 119°46′21"W.as having a total area of 112.3 square miles (290.9 km²) with 99.69% land covering 112 square miles (290.1 km²), and 0.31% water, 0.4 square miles (1 km²).
Fresno's location, very near the geographical center of California, places the city a comfortable distance from several of the major recreation areas and urban centers in the state. Just 60 mi (96.6 km) south of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, it is the nearest major city to the park. Likewise, Sierra National Forest
Sierra National Forest
Sierra National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located on the western slope of central Sierra Nevada in the state of California. The forest is known for its mountain scenery and natural resources. Forest headquarters are located in Clovis, California...
is 40 mi (64.4 km), Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is a National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. The park was established in 1940 and covers...
is 60 mi (96.6 km) and Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890. The park spans . Encompassing a vertical relief of nearly , the park contains among its natural resources the highest point in the...
is 75 mi (120.7 km).
Because Fresno sits at the junction of Highways 41
California State Route 41
State Route 41 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, connecting the Cabrillo Highway in Morro Bay with Fresno and Yosemite National Park via the San Joaquin Valley. Except between US 101 in Atascadero and SR 46 near Shandon, SR 41 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway...
and 99
California State Route 99
California State Route 99 , commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 , is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley...
(41 is Yosemite National Park's southern access road, and 99 branches east from Interstate 5 to serve the urban centers of the San Joaquin Valley), the city is a major gateway for Yosemite visitors coming from Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The city also serves as an entrance into Sierra National Forest via highway 168
California State Route 168
State Route 168 is a state highway in California, USA, which is separated into three distinct segments, in part by the Sierra Nevada mountains....
, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks via Highway 180
California State Route 180
State Route 180 is a state highway in California, United States, which runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from Mendota through Fresno to Kings Canyon National Park, with an unbuilt segment defined west to Paicines....
.
Fresno has three large public parks, two located in the city limits and one in county land to the southwest. Woodward Park
Woodward park (Fresno)
Woodward park is a popular public park located in Fresno, California, in the San Joaquin central valley. It is one of the three public parks in Fresno and also the largest. The CIF Cross Country State Championships are hosted here every November.-Sources:...
, which features the Shinzen
Shinzen Young
is an American meditation teacher. He leads residential meditation retreats for students interested in learning the Vipassana tradition of Buddhism. Although Vipassana is traditionally a Theravada technique, Shinzen was originally ordained in Japan as a monk in the Shingon tradition...
Japanese Garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
s, numerous picnic areas and several miles of trails, is located in North Fresno and is adjacent to the San Joaquin River Parkway. Roeding Park
Roeding Park
Roeding Park is one of four regional city parks in Fresno, California - the others are Woodward Park. Kearney Park and the Regional Sports Park. The Roeding Park includes a lake, several ponds, and groves of ash, cedar, pine, and eucalyptus, maple, and redwood trees and houses the Fresno Chaffee...
, located near Downtown Fresno, is home to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, and Rotary Storyland and Playland. Kearney Park is the largest of the Fresno region's park system and is home to historic Kearney Mansion and plays host to the annual Civil War Revisited, the largest reenactment of the Civil War in the west coast of the U.S.
Climate
Fresno is marked by a semi-arid climate (KöppenKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Bsh), with mild, moderately wet winters and hot and dry summers, thus displaying Mediterranean characteristics
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
. December is the coldest month, and averages 53.4 °F (11.9 °C) during the day; July high temperatures average 96.6 °F (35.9 °C), though summer temperatures can occasionally soar to highs of 113 °F (45 °C) or more. Summers provide considerable sunshine, with July peaking at 97 percent of the total possible sunlight hours; conversely, January is the lowest with only 46 percent of the daylight time in sunlight because of thick tule fog
Tule fog
Tule fog is a thick ground fog that settles in the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley areas of California's Great Central Valley. Tule fog forms during the late fall and winter after the first significant rainfall. The official time frame for tule fog to form is from November 1 to March 31...
. However, the year averages 81% of possible sunshine, for a total of 3550 hours. Average annual precipitation is around 11.2 inches (284 mm), which, by definition, would classify the area as a semidesert and very close to a climate where agriculture is only possible through the use of extensive irrigation; rainfall is high in the winter and spring seasons, with the summers typically being very dry. Most of the wind rose direction occurrences derive from the northwest, as winds are driven downward along the axis of the California Central Valley
California Central Valley
California's Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of California. It is home to California's most productive agricultural efforts. The valley stretches approximately from northwest to southeast inland and parallel to the Pacific Ocean coast. Its northern half is...
; in December, January and February there is an increased presence of southeastern wind directions in the wind rose statistics. Fresno meteorology was selected in a national U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study for analysis of equilibrium temperature for use of ten-year meteorological
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
data to represent a warm, dry western United States locale.
The highest temperature recorded at the Fresno air terminal was 113 °F (45 °C) on July 23, 2006; the lowest temperature recorded was 17 °F (-8.3 °C) on January 10, 1949, and December 23, 1990. Temperatures reach 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher on an average of 106.4 days annually and drop to 32 °F (0 °C) or lower on an average of 21.2 days annually. The wettest year at the airport was 1983 with 21.61 inches (548.9 mm) and the dryest year was 1966 with 6.07 inches (154.2 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 8.56 inches (217.4 mm) in January 1969 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 2.38 inches (60.5 mm) on March 10, 1995. Measurable precipitation falls on an average of 46 days annually. Snow is a rarity; the heaviest snowfall at the airport was 2.2 inches (55.9 mm) on January 21, 1962.
Demographics
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
that includes the Fresno
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
(Fresno County) and Madera
Madera County, California
Madera County is a county of the U.S. state of California, located in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada north of Fresno County. It comprises the Madera-Chowchilla, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census the population was 150,865...
(Madera County) metropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 922,516 at the 2000 census.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Fresno had a population of 494,665. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,404.5 people per square mile (1,700.6/km²). The racial makeup of Fresno was 245,306 (49.6%) White, 40,960 (8.3%) African American, 8,525 (1.7%) Native American, 62,528 (12.6%) Asian (4.6% Hmong
Hmong American
A Hmong American is a resident of the United States who is of ethnic Hmong descent. Hmong Americans are one group of Asian Americans. Many Lao Hmong war refugees resettled in the U.S. following the communist takeover of Laos in 1975...
, 1.7% Indian
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
, 1.2% Filipino
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
, 1.2% Laotian
Laotian American
A Laotian American is a resident of the United States who was originally from Laos, a person of Laotian descent residing in America, or a citizen born in the United States whose parents were originally from Laos. Laotian Americans are included in the larger category of Asian Americans...
, 0.8% Cambodian
Cambodian American
A Cambodian American is an American who is born, raised, or from Cambodia usually of Khmer descent but also including Chinese Cambodians, Vietnamese Cambodians, Cham people and other ethnicities of Cambodia...
, 0.7% Chinese
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
, 0.5% Japanese
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
, 0.4% Vietnamese
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
, 0.2% Korean
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
), 849 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 111,984 (22.6%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 24,513 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 232,055 persons (46.9%). Among the Hispanic population, 42.7% are Mexican
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
, 0.4% Salvadoran
Salvadoran American
Salvadorian Americans are citizens or residents of the United States of Salvadoran descent. As of 2010 there are 1.6 million Salvadoran Americans in the United States, the fourth-largest Hispanic community by nation of ancestry.They are also known as the nicknamed Salvi people in the USA,...
, and 0.4% Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
.
The Census reported that 485,798 people (98.2% of the population) lived in households, 4,315 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 4,552 (0.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 158,349 households, out of which 68,511 (43.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 69,284 (43.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 30,547 (19.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 11,698 (7.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12,843 (8.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 1,388 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 35,064 households (22.1%) were made up of individuals and 12,344 (7.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07. There were 111,529 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(70.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.62.
The population was spread out with 148,823 people (30.1%) under the age of 18, 62,601 people (12.7%) aged 18 to 24, 135,076 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 102,064 people (20.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 46,101 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.3 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
There were 171,288 housing units at an average density of 1,525.2 per square mile (588.9/km²), of which 77,757 (49.1%) were owner-occupied, and 80,592 (50.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%. 235,430 people (47.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 250,368 people (50.6%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 427,652 people, 140,079 households, and 97,915 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,097.9 people per square mile (1,582.2/km²). There were 149,025 housing units at an average density of 1427.9 square miles (3,698.2 km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.2% WhiteRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 8.4% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.6% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 11.2% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
(mostly Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
), 0.1% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 23.4% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race were 39.9% of the population.
There were 140,079 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.57.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,236, and the median income for a family was $35,892. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $26,551 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,010. About 20.5% of families and 26.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
The population as of July 1, 2007 was estimated to be 470,508 by the US Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program. The Fresno Metropolitan Statistical Area population was estimated at 899,348.
Armenian population
The first Armenians to move to Fresno were the brothers Hagop and Garabed Seropian, who arrived in 1881. Their letters to their home village of Marsovan in the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
brought more immigrants to the San Joaquin Valley, which reminded them so much of home. By 1894 the Armenian population in Fresno was 360, a number which grew rapidly with the onset of the Hamidian Massacres
Hamidian massacres
The Hamidian massacres , also referred to as the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896, refers to the massacring of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, with estimates of the dead ranging from anywhere between 80,000 to 300,000, and at least 50,000 orphans as a result...
in 1895-96. Many of the immigrants were Protestant converts, the result of heavy missionary activity in Armenia by American Christians seeking converts from the Armenian Church. During and after the genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
even more Armenians came until the restrictions on immigration in 1921 and 1924 brought this to a virtual end. Los Angeles also became a focus of Armenian immigration, and some Armenians from Fresno moved there as well. The number of Armenians in LA surpassed those in Fresno in 1930 – partly because of the agricultural depression in the valley during the 1920s.
The early immigrants were primarily involved with farming and agriculture, with the ultimate goal almost always that of land ownership. By 1930 Armenians owned 40% of the raisin acreage in Fresno County. They were pioneers in the melon and fig production as well.
From the very beginning, bigotry against Armenians was common, and led many to Anglicize their names. In the 1890s Armenian Protestants were stripped of membership in local churches. Fear of Armenian land ownership caused the passage of laws restricting their rights to freely buy land. This attitude towards the tight knit Armenian community led some to try to assimilate, while having the opposite effect on others. The problem lasted for many decades, finally abating in the 1950s.
After World War II, displaced Soviet Armenians came from Germany, and a natural population flow of Armenians from east to west in the US also contributed to growth.
Today, the number of Armenians in Fresno is thought to number 25-30,000.
- 1881 – first Armenians move to Fresno
- 1894 – large influx due to Hamidian Massacres
- 1897 – First Armenian Presbyterian Church constructed
- 1900 – Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church built, which burned in 1914 and was rebuilt in a new location in the heart of "Little Armenia".
- 1901 – Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church
- 1902 – Kaghakatsi (meaning Citizen) founded, renamed Nor Or (meaning New Day) in 1923.
- 1908 – AsbarezAsbarezAsbarez is an Armenian-American bilingual daily newspaper published in Armenian and English in Los Angeles, California, by the Western USA Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The newspaper began publication in 1908 in Fresno, California. It moved to southern California...
(meaning Arena) newspaper founded. - 1957 – The California CourierThe California CourierThe California Courier is an English-language Armenian weekly newspaper published since 1958 in USA. The publisher of the weekly is Harut Sassounian.-External links:*...
, which was California's first English-language Armenian newspaper. - 1970s – Establishment of Armenian Community School of Fresno and the Armenian StudiesArmenian studiesArmenian studies, or Armenology is a field of humanities covering Armenian history, language, religion and culture.- Early scholars :*Lord Byron *Ghevond Alishan *Mikayel Chamchian...
department at California State University Fresno.
Economy
Fresno serves as the economic hub of Fresno County and California's San Joaquin ValleySan Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
. The unincorporated area and rural cities surrounding Fresno remain predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Community Medical Centers Community Regional Medical Center Community Regional Medical Center is a regional hospital in Fresno, California, United States.- External links :*... |
6,000 |
| 2 | City of Fresno | 4,158 |
| 3 | Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield... |
2,603 |
| 4 | Saint Agnes Medical Center Trinity Health (Novi, Michigan) Trinity Health is a national Catholic health network of 44 acute-care hospitals, 379 outpatient centers, 26 long-term care facilities, and numerous hospice programs and senior living communities in Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Idaho and California... |
2,031 |
| 5 | Quinn CAT Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas... |
1,178 |
| 6 | Foster Farms Foster Farms (poultry company) Foster Farms is a United States West Coast poultry company. The company has been privately owned and operated by the Foster family since 1939. The company is based in Livingston, California with operations throughout the West Coast and a few on the East Coast... |
1,100 |
| 7 | AT&T AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services... |
1,000 |
| 8 | Cargill Meat Solutions Cargill Meat Solutions Cargill Meat Solutions is one of the numerous platforms of Cargill Incorporated. The corporate office is located in Wichita, Kansas. The meat products included in operation are pork, turkey, beef, further processing and case ready.... |
999 |
| 9 | Zacky Farms | 975 |
| 10 | Aetna Aetna Aetna, Inc. is an American health insurance company, providing a range of traditional and consumer directed health care insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care, and disability plans, and medical management... |
950 |
Government
Fresno has a modified strong-mayor form of local government and seven City CouncilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
members (Legislative branch) elected for no more than two 4-year terms. The City council and the mayor are nonpartisan, not affiliated with any political party. Alan Autry
Alan Autry
Carlos Alan Autry is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League football player. He is best known for his role as Captain Bubba Skinner on the television series In the Heat of the Night; he also has been in numerous movies and other television shows...
was first elected in November 2000, reelected on March 2, 2004, and served until January 2009. Ashley Swearengin
Ashley Swearengin
Ashley Swearengin is the Mayor of Fresno, California and is Fresno's second female mayor. She was elected in a runoff election on November 4, 2008. Born in Texas and raised in Arkansas, she moved to Fresno with her family in 1987...
was sworn in as Mayor on January 6, 2009.
President, Board of Trustees
Prior to 1901, Fresno was governed by a board of trustees.- William Faymonville – October 27, 1885 to April 25, 1887
- W.L. Graves – April 25, 1887 to October 31, 1887
- A.M. Clark – October 31, 1887 to April 15, 1889
- A.J. Pedlar – April 15, 1889 to unknown
- C.J. Craycroft – October 27, 1895 to 1901
Mayor
- 1901-1905 L.O. Stephens
- 1905-1908 W. Parker Lyon
- 1908-1909 Ed. F. Bush (acting)
- 1909-1912 Chester Rowell †
- 1912-1917 Alva E. Snow
- 1917-1921 William F. Toomey
- 1921-1925 Truman C. Hart
- 1925-1929 A.E. Sunderland
- 1929-1934 Z.S. Leymel
- 1937-1941 Frank A. Homan
- 1941-1947 Z.S. Leymel †
- 1947-1947 Glenn M. Devore (acting)
- 1949-1957 Gordon D. Dunn
- 1957-1958 C. Cal Evans
- 1958-1963 Arthur L. SellandArthur L. SellandArthur L. Selland was an American politician, and mayor of Fresno, California from 1958 to 1963. Selland was born in North Dakota and died in an auto accident in Fresno. Upon his death, he was currently serving as mayor of Fresno, and as president of the U.S...
† - 1963-1965 Wallace Henderson (acting)
- 1965-1969 Floyd H. Hyde
- 1969-1977 Ted C. Wills
- 1977-1985 Dan Whitehurst
- 1985-1989 Dale DoigDale DoigDale Doig was a local school teacher, who later served as mayor of Fresno, California between 1985 and 1989.-External links:* **...
- 1989-1993 Karen HumphreyKaren HumphreyKaren Humphrey was a local news reporter, who later served as mayor of Fresno, California between 1989 and 1993. She was Fresno's first female mayor. She lost re-election to businessman Jim Patterson, not only losing in the primary, but only receiving 18% of the vote, and finishing third...
- 1993-2001 Jim Patterson
- 2001-2009 Alan AutryAlan AutryCarlos Alan Autry is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League football player. He is best known for his role as Captain Bubba Skinner on the television series In the Heat of the Night; he also has been in numerous movies and other television shows...
- 2009-present Ashley SwearenginAshley SwearenginAshley Swearengin is the Mayor of Fresno, California and is Fresno's second female mayor. She was elected in a runoff election on November 4, 2008. Born in Texas and raised in Arkansas, she moved to Fresno with her family in 1987...
† Died in office
City Council
City council is made up of seven members, elected by district:- District 1 (west-central) – Blong Xiong
- District 2 (northwest) – Andreas Borgeas
- District 3 (southwest and downtown) – Oliver Baines
- District 4 (east-central) – Larry Westerlund
- District 5 (southeast) – Sal Quintero
- District 6 (northeast) – Lee Brand (Council President)
- District 7 (central) – Clint Olivier
Department heads
- Airports – Russell Widmar
- City Attorney – James Sanchez
- City Clerk – Rebecca Klisch
- City Manager – Mark Scott
- Convention & Entertainment Center – Bill Overfelt
- Planning & Development – John Dugan
- Downtown & Community Revitalization – Craig Scharton
- Finance – Joe Gray
- Fire Department – Joel L. Aranaz
- Information Services – Carolyn Hogg
- Parks – Bruce Rudd (interim director)
- Personnel Services – Terry Bond
- Police Department – Jerry Dyer
- Public Transportation – Ken Hamm
- Public Utilities – Patrick Wiemiller
- Public Works – Patrick Wiemiller
Courts
The United States District Court, Eastern District of California, has one of its six divisions based in the Robert E. Coyle Courthouse. The new courthouse replaced the B.F. Sisk Federal Building in 2006 because it did not have enough space for the growing Fresno Division. After extensive renovation, the building reopened in November 2010 as the B.F. Sisk Courthouse serving the Fresno County Superior Court.
Fresno is also the seat of the Fifth Appellate District of the State of California Court of Appeal where a new courthouse was built in the old Armenian Town section of downtown Fresno in 2007 across from the Fresno Convention Center. The Fifth District Court of Appeal Courthouse is named after former Senator and Associate Justice of the Fifth District, George N. Zenovich.
Politics
The majority of registered voters in both the city and county of FresnoFresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
are Republicans. Nevertheless, Democrat Barack Obama carried the county by 50.2% in the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
The citizens of Fresno are represented in the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
by Tom Berryhill
Tom Berryhill
Tom Berryhill is a Republican politician in the United States who currently represents the 14th district in the California State Senate...
(R
California Republican Party
The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Tom Del Beccaro and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The RPC also has a headquarters in Sacramento....
) and Michael Rubio (D
California Democratic Party
The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California, headquartered in Sacramento. It is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton, who succeeded Art Torres in April 2009. It is the majority...
) and in the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
by Linda Halderman
Linda Halderman
Linda Halderman is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. She is a Republican representing the 29th district, encompassing parts of Fresno and Madera counties. Prior to being elected to the state assembly, she was a general surgeon specializing in breast cancer.-...
(R) and Henry Perea
Henry Perea
Henry T. Perea was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2010. He is a Democrat representing the 31st District, encompassing parts of Fresno and Tulare counties including Cutler-Orosi, Dinuba, Firebaugh, Fowler, Kerman, Mendota, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, San Joaquin, Selma and the...
(D). The citizens of Fresno are represented in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
by Jeff Denham
Jeff Denham
Jeffrey John "Jeff" Denham is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.He previously served two terms in the California State Senate, representing the 12th District, which includes Madera, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Stanislaus counties. Denham was the second...
(R) in California's 19th congressional district
California's 19th congressional district
California's 19th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California that covers parts of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus counties....
, Jim Costa
Jim Costa
James Manuel "Jim" Costa is the U.S. Representative for , serving since his initial election in 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district takes in large and predominantly Latino portions of Fresno and Bakersfield in the Central Valley.-Early life and education:Born in Fresno,...
(D) in California's 20th congressional district
California's 20th congressional district
California's 20th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers parts of Fresno and Kern counties and all of Kings county. It contains most of the city of Fresno....
and Devin Nunes
Devin Nunes
Devin Nunes is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district, located in the San Joaquin Valley, includes all of Tulare County, as well as much of eastern Fresno County. He is also the author of the book Restoring the Republic, published by...
(R) in California's 21st congressional district
California's 21st congressional district
California's 21st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers all of Tulare County and the eastern half of Fresno County.The district is currently represented by Republican Devin Nunes.-Demographics:...
.
Education
Four-year institutions
- Alliant International UniversityAlliant International UniversityAlliant International University is a private, non-profit higher education institution based in San Diego, California. It offers programs in six California cities and four locations outside the United States...
(Private) - California Christian CollegeCalifornia Christian CollegeCalifornia Christian College is a private Free Will Baptist college in Fresno, California. It was born from the vision of forty-eight Free Will Baptist Churches in 1955. Churches in the western U.S. found trained pastors to be in short supply. CCC was established to fulfill this need...
(Private/Freewill Baptist) - California State University, FresnoCalifornia State University, FresnoCalifornia State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
- Fresno Pacific UniversityFresno Pacific UniversityFresno Pacific University also known as FPU is an accredited Christian university located in Fresno, California, United States. It was founded in 1944 by the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The university awarded its first bachelor of arts degree in 1965...
(Private/Mennonite Brethren) - Fresno Pacific University Biblical Seminary
- Maric College – Fresno
- National UniversityNational University (California)National University , founded in 1971, is a comprehensive, nonsectarian, independent, accredited, non-profit private university headquartered in La Jolla, California, United States, with academic degree programs offered at campuses located throughout the state, one in Henderson, Nevada, and...
, Fresno campus - San Joaquin College of LawSan Joaquin College of LawSan Joaquin College of Law is a private, non-profit law school in Clovis, California, US. It was founded in Fresno in 1969 by Fresno County Municipal Court Judge Dan Eyman, U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger, and attorney John Loomis...
(Private Law School) - University of California, San FranciscoUniversity of California, San FranciscoThe University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
– Fresno Medical Education Program - University of PhoenixUniversity of PhoenixThe University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
- DeVry UniversityDeVry UniversityDeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are divisions of DeVry Inc , a proprietary, for-profit higher education organization that is also the parent organization for Keller Graduate School of Management, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean, Apollo College, Western...
(Private)
Two-year institutions
- Fresno City CollegeFresno City CollegeFresno City College is a community college in Fresno, California. Established in 1910, it was the first community college in California and the second in the nation...
- Willow International Center (Reedley CollegeReedley CollegeReedley College often referred to as Reedley, RC, or known to locals as The College is a public community college located in Reedley, California, USA southeast of the Fresno Metropolitan Area and only a 3 hour drive south to Los Angeles or 3 hour drive north to San Francisco...
North Center)
Career colleges
- Heald CollegeHeald CollegeHeald College is a for-profit, business-career college with multiple campuses in the Western United States. Prior to its acquisition by Corinthian Colleges Heald was a non-profit private College....
- Institute of TechnologyInstitute of technologyInstitute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
- ITT Technical InstituteITT Technical InstituteITT Technical Institute is a for-profit technical institute with over 130 campuses in 38 states of the United States. ITT Tech is owned and operated by ITT Educational Services, Inc. , a publicly traded company headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. ITT Educational Services, Inc...
- San Joaquin Valley CollegeSan Joaquin Valley CollegeSan Joaquin Valley College is a for-profit junior college with ten campuses located in California and one campus. SJVC was founded in 1977 by Robert and Shirley Perry...
High schools
- Bullard High SchoolBullard High School (Fresno, California)Bullard High School is a public secondary school located in Fresno, California, USA.. Founded in 1955, it is part of the Fresno Unified School District, and as of 2011 has around 2,650 students on roll in grades 9-12 with approximately 500 students in each grade.-Ethnic composition:As of...
- Central High School, East CampusCentral High School (Fresno, California)Central High School is a high school in Fresno, California. It is one of two high school campuses in the Central Unified School District. The newer campus has been named East Campus while the older one is denoted as West Campus. The grizzly bear serves as both campuses' mascot...
- Central High School, West CampusCentral High School (Fresno, California)Central High School is a high school in Fresno, California. It is one of two high school campuses in the Central Unified School District. The newer campus has been named East Campus while the older one is denoted as West Campus. The grizzly bear serves as both campuses' mascot...
- Clovis High SchoolClovis High SchoolThere are several high schools named Clovis in the United States, including:*Clovis High School , Clovis, California*Clovis High School , Clovis, New Mexico...
- Clovis East High SchoolClovis East High SchoolClovis East High School is a four-year public high school of Clovis Unified School District located in Clovis, California. It is home to the Timberwolves...
- Clovis North High School
- Clovis West High SchoolClovis West High SchoolClovis West High School is part of the Clovis Unified School District in Fresno, California. It was founded in 1976, and its grades are 9-12.-State Testing:...
- Edison High SchoolEdison High School (Fresno, California)Edison High School is located in Fresno, California, United States, as part of the Fresno Unified School District. It is a public high school located next to Computech Middle School....
- DeWolf High School
- Duncan Polytechnical High School
- Fresno High SchoolFresno High SchoolFresno High School is a four-year secondary school located in Fresno, California. Fresno High is the oldest high school in the Fresno metropolitan area and one of the few International Baccalaureate schools; in addition it continues to be the most populous and most diverse campus in Fresno. Dr....
- Hoover High SchoolHerbert Hoover High School (Fresno)Herbert Hoover High School is a public secondary school in the Fresno Unified School District serving Fresno, California, in northern Fresno County. It is named for Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States...
- McLane High SchoolMcLane High SchoolMcLane High School is a 9-12 public high school in Fresno, California located at the corner of Cedar and Clinton. Enrolling approximately 2,300 students, it features a full academic curriculum as well as football stadium, track, and a breaking pool...
- Roosevelt High SchoolTheodore Roosevelt High School (Fresno)Theodore Roosevelt High School , is located in Fresno, California. It is a high school established within the Fresno Unified School District. The high school mascot is the Rough Rider named after the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment Theodore Roosevelt organized and helped command during the...
- San Joaquin Memorial High SchoolSan Joaquin Memorial High SchoolSan Joaquin Memorial High School is a private Catholic high school located in Fresno, California. Founded in 1945, it is the only Catholic high school located in the greater Fresno area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno with a current enrollment of about 620 students...
(Private) - Sunnyside High SchoolSunnyside High School (Fresno)Sunnyside High School is a high school in Fresno, California, USA. It is a part of the Fresno Unified School District. Its mascot is a wildcat. The school colors are blue and yellow. The school opened its doors in the 1999-2000 school year. As of the 2007-2008 school year the student population was...
- University High SchoolUniversity High School (Fresno)University High School is a charter high school on the campus of California State University, Fresno, in Fresno, California. The school emphasizes academics and music. UHS opened in 2000 with Dr. Brad Hufft as the founding Head of School, and its first seniors graduated in 2004. At the end of the...
- Washington Union High SchoolWashington Union High SchoolWashington Union High School is a high school in the rural community of Easton in Fresno County, California. It is one of the city's oldest public high schools, first accredited in 1965. It has a large and diverse population of students from the Fresno metropolitan area. Washington Union is one of...
K-12, districts
- Central Unified School DistrictCentral Unified School DistrictThe Central Unified School District is a school district that is in Fresno County, California.- Elementary schools :*Biola-Pershing Elementary School*Harvest Elementary School*Herndon-Barstow Elementary School*Houghton-Kearney Elementary School...
(Public) - Clovis Unified School DistrictClovis Unified School DistrictClovis Unified School District is public school system located in Clovis, California. Its 43 schools serve a student population of nearly 38,000 students in a geographic area covering about , including the cities of Clovis and Fresno, the community of Friant, and some of Fresno County, California....
(Public) - Fresno Unified School DistrictFresno Unified School DistrictFresno Unified School District is a school district in Fresno, California, U.S.A.-Facts and Figures:*California's 4th largest school district*79,383 students *$869 million budget...
(Public) - West Fresno Elementary School District (Public)
Private schools
- Acsof Armenian Community School
- Carden School Of Fresno
- Fairmont Private School
- First Church Christian Academy
- Fresno Christian High SchoolFresno Christian High SchoolFresno Christian High School is a private, Christian high school sponsored by 12 evangelical churches, located in Fresno, California, United States. The high school is a division of Fresno Christian Schools, offering various classes from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Grades 3–12 share a campus...
- Fresno Adventist Academy
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Our Lady of Victory School
- Sacred Heart School
- St. Anthony's SchoolSt. Anthony's School-Australia:*St. Anthony's Primary School, Alphington, Victoria*St. Anthony's Primary School, Wanniassa, Australian Capital Territory*St. Anthony's Primary School, Dimbulah, Queensland*St. Anthony's Primary School, Marsfield, New South Wales-India:...
- St. Helen's Catholic School
- San Joaquin Memorial High SchoolSan Joaquin Memorial High SchoolSan Joaquin Memorial High School is a private Catholic high school located in Fresno, California. Founded in 1945, it is the only Catholic high school located in the greater Fresno area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno with a current enrollment of about 620 students...
- Truth Tabernacle Christian School
Downtown
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but it has recently been subjected to a mixed revitalization effort. While many of the buildings that were once abandoned for many years have been remodeled, many have been demolished or are under threat of being demolished to be replaced with new structures. Recently added new structures such as Grizzlies Stadium, now Chukchansi Park
Chukchansi Park
Chukchansi Park, formerly Grizzlies Stadium, is a city-owned baseball stadium located in Fresno, California, completed in 2002 as the home for the Pacific Coast League, Fresno Grizzlies. In September 2006, Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, affiliated with the Chukchansi tribe, announced it would be...
and the Federal Courthouse, and plans to eventually erect new high-rise buildings, threaten the unique and increasingly rare twentieth century architecture.
A victim of this redevelopment was the Vagabond Hotel, unique in its relevance in popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. The Vagabond, which had a pool that was an important location in modern skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
history and a prime example of mid-century modern
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
googie "roadside" architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, was demolished in 2004 and replaced by concrete commercial lots and lofts in 2006. The old Army Induction Center, which was used during the Vietnam War, was also recently destroyed in the next development project on H St and Amador.
The historic Fulton Mall
Fulton Mall (Fresno)
Fulton Mall is a six-block pedestrian mall located in the central business district of downtown Fresno, California. The mall runs along historic Fulton Street between Inyo and Tuolumne Streets and is home to a wide variety of shopping, restaurants, offices and public art...
and Chinatown are two downtown areas which still retain an exceptional amount of historic buildings and architecture of contextual, associative and memorial value in comparison with other cities of California and the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
, and are being considered for preservation as historic districts.
Sunnyside
The neighborhood of Sunnyside is located on Fresno's far southeast side, bounded by Chestnut Avenue to the West. Its major thoroughfares are Kings Canyon Avenue and Clovis Avenue. Although parts of Sunnyside are within the City of Fresno, much of the neighborhood is a "county island" within Fresno County. Largely developed in the 1950s through the 1970s, it has recently experienced a surge in new home construction. It is also the home of the Sunnyside Country Club, which maintains a golf course designed by William Bell.Old Fig Garden
First started as a development known as Forkner-Giffen Fig Garden Estates #1 the now historic community set among mature trees of Old Fig Garden has long been one of Fresno's most prestigious neighborhoods. Fig GardenFig Garden, California
Old Fig Garden is a census-designated place in Fresno County, California. It lies at an elevation of 312 feet . The city of Fresno, through annexations, has entirely circled Fig Garden. Old Fig Garden's population was 5,365 at the 2010 census.-Demographics:The 2010 United States Census reported...
is an area of approximately 6 sq mi (15.5 km²), once on the northern fringe of Fresno, but the city has since incorporated all of the surrounding land, making Fig Garden a county "island." The city's annual "Christmas Tree Lane" is found on a section of Van Ness Boulevard during the holiday season.
Christmas Tree Lane is located on Van Ness Boulevard in between Shields Avenue and Shaw Avenue and runs through Old Fig Garden. It was started in 1920 when a single tree in the front yard of one of the houses on Van Ness Boulevard was decorated with lights to honor their teenage son who was killed by an accident at the family home. After that, more and more houses began decorating their front yard trees and soon enough Christmas Tree Lane was born. In 1941 the lane was unable to light the trees due to wartime restrictions and another time in 1973 due to an energy crisis. December 2011 marks the 89th anniversary for Christmas Tree Lane which makes it one of the longest running Christmas traditions in the country. Christmas Tree Lane is so well known that it made the Washington Post. Over 100,000 people make the effort to either walk or drive down Christmas Tree Lane every year. Many homes on Christmas Tree Lane hold parties at their homes in order to see the annual parade on the opening night. Many neighborhoods in Fresno have started their own holiday light lanes, but to this day Christmas Tree Lane is still the one that people line up to see.
Tower District
The popular neighborhood known as the Tower District is centered around the historic Tower TheatreTower Theatre (Fresno, California)
The Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts is a Streamline Moderne multipurpose theatre built in 1939 in Fresno, California. It was designed by architect S. Charles Lee and originally operated by the Fox West Coast Theatres Circuit. The Tower Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic...
, which is included on the National List of Historic Places. The theater was built in 1939 and is located at Olive and Wishon Avenues in the heart of the Tower District. (The name of the theater refers to a well-known landmark water tower which is actually located in another nearby area). The Tower District neighborhood is located just north of downtown Fresno proper, and one-half mile south of Fresno City College. Although the neighborhood was known as a residential area prior, the early commercial establishments of the Tower District began with small shops and services that flocked to the area shortly after World War II. The character of small local businesses largely remains today, despite the presence of national chain Starbucks. To some extent, the businesses of the Tower District were developed due to the proximity of the original Fresno Normal School, (later renamed California State University at Fresno). In 1916 the college moved to what is now the site of Fresno City College one-half mile north of the Tower District.
This vibrant and culturally diverse area of retail businesses and residences experienced a renewal after a significant decline in the late 1960s and 1970s. After decades of neglect and suburban flight, the neighborhood revival followed the re-opening of the Tower Theater in the late 1970s, which at that time showed second and third run movies, along with classic films. Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater & Good Company Players also opened nearby in 1978, at Olive and Wishon Avenues. Fresno native Audra McDonald
Audra McDonald
Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun...
performed in the leading roles of Evita and The Wiz at the theater while she was a high school student. Ms. McDonald subsequently became a leading performer on Broadway in New York City and a Tony award winning actress. Also in the Tower District is Good Company Players' 2nd Space Theatre.
The Tower District has become a hub for community events such as Jamaica My Weekend, Mardi Gras in February, Car Shows, A Taste of The Tower, Halloween in the Tower, and the opened Farmer's Market on the North-West Corner of Olive and Van Ness.
The neighborhood features some notable restaurants, live Theatre and nightclubs, as well as several independent shops and bookstores, currently operating on or near Olive Avenue, and all within a few hundred feet of each other. Since renewal, the Tower District has become an attractive area for restaurant and other local businesses. Today, the Tower District is also known as the center of Fresno's LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
and Hipster
Hipster (contemporary subculture)
Hipsters are a subculture of young, recently settled urban middle class adults and older teenagers with musical interests mainly in alternative rock that appeared in the 1990s...
Communities.
The area is also known for its early twentieth century homes, many of which have been restored in recent decades. The area includes many California Bungalow
California Bungalow
California bungalows, known as Californian bungalows in Australia and are commonly called simply bungalows in America, are a form of residential structure that were widely popular across America and, to some extent, the world around the years 1910 to 1939.-Exterior features:Bungalows are 1 or 1½...
and American Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
style homes, Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture
Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture
The Spanish Colonial Revival Style was a United States architectural stylistic movement that came about in the early 20th century, starting in California and Florida as a regional expression related to history, environment, and nostalgia...
, Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
Mediterranean Revival Style architecture
The Mediterranean Revival was an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States about the end of the nineteenth century, and became popular during the 1920s and 1930s...
, Mission Revival Style architecture
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
, and many Storybook houses designed by Fresno architects, Hilliard, Taylor & Wheeler. The residential architecture of the Tower District contrasts with the newer areas of tract homes urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
in north and east areas of Fresno.
Huntington Boulevard
Homes from the early 20th century line this boulevardBoulevard
A Boulevard is type of road, usually a wide, multi-lane arterial thoroughfare, divided with a median down the centre, and roadways along each side designed as slow travel and parking lanes and for bicycle and pedestrian usage, often with an above-average quality of landscaping and scenery...
in the heart of the historic Alta Vista Tract. The section of Huntington Boulevard between First Street on the west to Cedar Avenue on the east is the home to many large, stately homes. The original development of this area began circa 1910, on 190 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s of what had been an alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
field. The Alta Vista Tract, as the land would become known, was mapped by William Stranahan for the Pacific Improvement Corporation, and was officially plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1911. The tract's boundaries were Balch Avenue on the south, Cedar Avenue on the east, the rear property line of Platt Avenue (east of Sixth Street) and Platt Avenue (west of Sixth Street) on the north, and First Street on the west. The subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
was annexed to the City in January 1912, in an election that was the first in which women voted in the community. At the time of its admission to the City, the Alta Vista Tract was uninhabited but landscaped
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
, although the trees had to be watered by tank wagon
Tank car
A tank car is a type of railroad rolling stock designed to transport liquid and gaseous commodities.-Timeline:...
. In 1914 developers Billings & Meyering acquired the tract, completed street development, provided the last of the necessary municipal improvements including water service, and began marketing the property with fervor. A mere half decade later the tract had 267 homes. This rapid development was no doubt hastened by the Fresno Traction Company right-of-way along Huntington Boulevard, which provided streetcar connections between downtown and the County Hospital.
The surrounding streets, Kerckhoff and Balch Avenues (which are part of the original Alta Vista tract), have homes from the Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
era which, like the downtown, are being renovated and brought back to their historic roots. During Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, the homes along the boulevard are adorned with lights and decorations
Christmas ornament
Christmas ornaments are decorations that are used to festoon a Christmas tree.Ornaments take many different forms, from a simple round ball to highly artistic designs...
. The nation's tallest living Christmas Tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
, located at Huntington and 6th Street, is the highlight of the event.
Huntington Boulevard has been referred to as Fresno's "anti-gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
".
Van Ness Extension
North of Shaw Avenue, Van Ness continues as the Van Ness Extension, located between Marks Avenue and West Avenue. Van Ness Extension is considered the most prestigious neighborhood in the city, and boasts some of Fresno's most elaborate homes and most affluent citizens.Residents include many notable doctors, business owners, entrepreneurs, and stock traders.
West Side
The "West Side" of Fresno, also often called "Southwest Fresno", is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. The neighborhood lies southwest of the 99 freeway (which divides it from Downtown Fresno), west of the 41 freeway and south of Nielsen Ave (or the newly-constructed 180 Freeway), and extends to the city limits to the west and south. The neighborhood is traditionally considered to be the center of Fresno's African-American community. It is culturally diverse and also includes significant Mexican-American and Asian-American (principally Hmong or Laotian) populations.The neighborhood includes Kearney Boulevard, named after early 20th century entrepreneur and millionaire M. Theo Kearney, which extends from Fresno Street in Southwest Fresno about 20 mi (32.2 km) west to Kerman, California. A small, two-lane rural road for most of its length, Kearney Boulevard is lined with tall palm trees. The roughly half-mile stretch of Kearney Boulevard between Fresno Street and Thorne Ave was at one time the preferred neighborhood for Fresno's elite African-American families. Another section, Brookhaven, on the southern edge of the West Side south of Jensen and west of Elm, was given the name by the Fresno City Council in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood's image. The isolated subdivision was for years known as the "Dogg Pound" in reference to a local gang, and as of late 2008 was still known for high levels of violent crime.
While many homes in the neighborhood date back to the 1930s or before, the neighborhood is also home to several public housing developments built between the 1960s and 1990s by the Fresno Housing Authority. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has also built small subdivisions of single-family homes in the area for purchase by low-income working families. There have been numerous attempts to revitalize the neighborhood, including the construction of a modern shopping center on the corner of Fresno and B streets, an aborted attempt to build luxury homes and a golf course on the western edge of the neighborhood, and some new section 8 apartments have been built along Church Ave west of Elm St. Cargill Meat Solutions and Foster Farms both have large processing facilities in the neighborhood, and the stench from these (and other small industrial facilities) has long plagued area residents. The Fresno Chandler Executive Airport is also located on the West Side. Due to its position on the edge of the city and years of neglect by developers, is not a true "inner-city" neighborhood, and there are many vacant lots, strawberry fields and vineyards throughout the neighborhood. The neighborhood has very little retail activity, aside from the area near Fresno Street and State Route 99 Freeway (Kearney Palm Shopping Center, built in the late 1990s) and small corner markets scattered throughout.
Woodward Park
Located in the north eastern part of Fresno, Woodward Park was founded by the late Ralph Woodward, a long-time Fresno resident. He bequeathed a major portion of his estate in 1968 to provide a regional park and bird sanctuary in Northeast Fresno. The park lies on the South bank of the San Joaquin River between Highway 41 and Friant Road. The initial 235 acre (0.9510121 km²), combined with additional acres acquired later by the City, brings the park to an amazing 300 acres (1.2 km²). Now packed with amenities, Woodward Park is the only Regional Park of its size in the Central Valley. The Southeast corner of the park harbors numerous bird species offering bird enthusiasts an excellent opportunity for viewing. The park has a multi-use amphitheatre that seats up to 2,500 people, authentic Japanese Garden, fenced dog park, two-mile (3 km) equestrian trail, exercise par course, three children's playgrounds, a lake, 3 small ponds, 7 picnic areas and five miles (8 km) of multipurpose trails that are part of the San Joaquin River Parkway's Lewis S. Eaton Trail. When complete, the Lewis S. Eaton trail system will cover 22 miles (35.4 km) between Highway 99 and Friant Dam. The park's numerous picnic tables make for a great picnic destination and a convenient escape from city life. The park is open April through October, 6am to 10pm and November through March, 6am to 7pm.Sierra Sky Park
Formed in 1946, Sierra Sky Park AirportSierra Sky Park Airport
Sierra Sky Park Airport is a privately owned, public-use airport located seven miles northwest of the central business district of Fresno, a city in Fresno County, California, United States....
is a residential airport community born of a unique agreement in transportation law to allow personal aircraft and automobiles to share certain roads. Sierra Sky Park was the first aviation community to be built and there are now numerous such communities across the United States and around the world. Developer William Smilie created the nation's first planned aviation community. Still in operation today, the public use airport provides a unique neighborhood which spawned interest and similar communities nationwide.
Unincorporated communities
- CalwaCalwa, CaliforniaCalwa is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fresno County, California, U.S. The population was 2,052 at the 2010 census, up from 762 at the 2000 census. Calwa is located south-southeast of downtown Fresno, at an elevation of 292 feet...
- Highway CityHighway City, CaliforniaHighway City is a small community within the city limits of Fresno, California. It is located near the junction of State Route 99 and Shaw Avenue, one of the main streets of Fresno. The community was once known as Biola Junction. It was bisected by the realignment of US Route 99 which opened in 1960...
- MuscatelMuscatel, CaliforniaMuscatel is an unincorporated community in Fresno County, California. It is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad west-northwest of downtown Fresno, at an elevation of 299 feet ....
- Butler Park, California The neighborhood south of Butler Street, between Maple Ave. And Chestnut Street.
Performing arts and music
- Artists' Repertory TheatreArtists' Repertory TheatreArtists' Repertory Theatre is community theatre group based in Fresno, California. Founded in 2005, the group's maiden performance took place in 2006, with the critically acclaimed Love's Fire. More recently, ART produced the Fresno premier of the Pulitzer Prize winning Rabbit Hole, by David...
- Children's Musical Theatreworks
- Center State Productions
- Fresno Grand Opera
- Fresno Philharmonic
- Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater & 2nd Space Theatre (Good Company Players)
- Youth Orchestras of Fresno
Historic theaters
- Azteca TheaterAzteca TheaterThe Azteca Theater is an historic Art Deco theater in the Chinatown district of Fresno, California, built by Gustavo Acosta in 1948...
- Crest Theatre
- Liberty Theatre – currently Victory Church
- Saroyan Theatre
- Tower TheatreTower Theatre (Fresno, California)The Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts is a Streamline Moderne multipurpose theatre built in 1939 in Fresno, California. It was designed by architect S. Charles Lee and originally operated by the Fox West Coast Theatres Circuit. The Tower Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic...
– Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts - Warnors TheatreWarnors TheatreWarnors Theatre is an historic theater in downtown Fresno, California. The two thousand seat venue opened in 1928 as the Pantages Theater, after the name of its then owner, Alexander Pantages, and later, the Warner Theater in 1929 after it was purchased by Warner Brothers...
– Warnor's Center for the Performing Arts - Wilson Theatre – currently Cornerstone Church
- Veteran's Memorial Auditorium
Museums and other attractions
- African-American Museum of the San Joaquin Valley
- Arte Américas
- Discovery Center
- Forestiere Underground GardensForestiere Underground GardensForestiere Underground Gardens Located at 5021 West Shaw Avenue in Fresno, California are an unusual manmade creation built by Baldasare Forestiere, an immigrant from Sicily, over a period of 40 years from 1906 to until his death in 1946. The gardens, while subterranean, have many skylights and...
- Fresno Art Museum
- Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and ScienceFresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and ScienceThe Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and Science was a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and American Association of Museums accredited museum located in downtown Fresno, California, in the San Joaquin Valley. The Museum was established in 1984 and was one of the largest museum between San...
(defunct) - Kearney Mansion Museum
- Legion of Valor Museum
- Meux Home Museum
- Old Fresno Water Tower Tourist Center
- Fresno's Chaffee Zoo
- Sierra Endangered Cat Haven (Fresno County)
Annual events
- ArtHop
- Big Fresno Fair
- Central California Rib Cook-Off
- Central California Taco Truck Throwdown
- Christmas Tree Lane
- Fall Wine Cornucopia
- Fresno County Blossom Trail
- Fresno Film Festival
- Fresno Greek Fest
- Fresno Sweded Film Festival (Swede Fest)
- Fresno Urban Sound Experience
- Miss California Pageant
- Reel Pride Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- Rev Fest
- Rogue Performing Arts Festival
- Sudz in the City
- Tri-Tip Cook-Off
- Woodward Shakespeare Festival
Sports
Fresno-based sports organizations include:| Club | Sport | Founded | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Grizzlies Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
1998 | Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
Chukchansi Park Chukchansi Park Chukchansi Park, formerly Grizzlies Stadium, is a city-owned baseball stadium located in Fresno, California, completed in 2002 as the home for the Pacific Coast League, Fresno Grizzlies. In September 2006, Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, affiliated with the Chukchansi tribe, announced it would be... |
| Central Valley Coyotes Central Valley Coyotes The Central Valley Coyotes are a professional arena football team and were a charter member of Arena Football 1. The team currently is not in a league... |
Arena Football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
2002 | Arena Football 1 | Selland Arena Selland Arena The Selland Arena is a multi-purpose arena built in 1966 that makes up part of a five-venue complex of the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center in Fresno, California. It is named after former Fresno mayor Arthur L. Selland and has had over ten million people walk through its doors in its over... |
| Fresno Fuego Fresno Fuego Fresno Fuego is an American soccer team based in Fresno, California, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.The team plays its home games at Chukchansi... |
Soccer | 2003 | USL Premier Development League USL Premier Development League The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid... |
Chukchansi Park Chukchansi Park Chukchansi Park, formerly Grizzlies Stadium, is a city-owned baseball stadium located in Fresno, California, completed in 2002 as the home for the Pacific Coast League, Fresno Grizzlies. In September 2006, Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, affiliated with the Chukchansi tribe, announced it would be... |
| Fresno Monsters Fresno Monsters The Fresno Monsters are a Junior A Tier II ice hockey team based out of Fresno, California. The team is currently a member of the North American Hockey League and play in the West Division. as well as continuing to field a WSHL team... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
2009 | North American Hockey League North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League... |
Selland Arena Selland Arena The Selland Arena is a multi-purpose arena built in 1966 that makes up part of a five-venue complex of the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center in Fresno, California. It is named after former Fresno mayor Arthur L. Selland and has had over ten million people walk through its doors in its over... |
| Fresno Legends | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
2009 | American Basketball Association American Basketball Association (2000–present) The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976... |
San Joaquin Memorial High School San Joaquin Memorial High School San Joaquin Memorial High School is a private Catholic high school located in Fresno, California. Founded in 1945, it is the only Catholic high school located in the greater Fresno area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno with a current enrollment of about 620 students... |
- The Save Mart Center at Fresno State is a multi-purpose arenaArenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
on the campus of the California State University, FresnoCalifornia State University, FresnoCalifornia State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
. It is home to the Fresno State BulldogsFresno State BulldogsThe Fresno State Bulldogs represent California State University, Fresno in 19 NCAA Division I sports. The teams have been members of the Western Athletic Conference since 1992. Before that, it had been a member of the Big West Conference since 1969...
basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team and, for the first five seasons in the ECHL (2003–08) hosted the Fresno FalconsFresno FalconsThe Fresno Falcons are a defunct minor league hockey team. They were once members of the ECHL . They were located in Fresno, California.-Early history:...
ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team. It also hosts a wide range of musical acts.
- Also on the campus of Fresno State is Bulldog StadiumBulldog StadiumBulldog Stadium at Jim Sweeney Field is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of California State University, Fresno in Fresno, California. It is the home field of the Fresno State Bulldogs of the Western Athletic Conference. The stadium opened in 1980 with a capacity of 30,000 and has a...
, a 41,031 seat footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium. It is home to the Fresno State Bulldogs footballFresno State Bulldogs footballThe Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The green “V” on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, field symbolize California Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they...
program.
- Located next to Bulldog Stadium is Pete Beiden FieldPete Beiden FieldPete Beiden Field, formerly Varsity Park, is a baseball stadium on the campus of the California State University, Fresno in Fresno, California, built in 1966. The baseball park is the current home of the Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team, and named after former baseball coach Pete Beiden, who led...
. It is home to the Fresno State Bulldogs baseballFresno State Bulldogs baseballThe Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team represents Fresno State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Fresno State athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western Athletic Conference...
program and was home to the Fresno Grizzlies before their moved to Chukchansi Park in Downtown Fresno.
- Fresno's Woodward ParkWoodward park (Fresno)Woodward park is a popular public park located in Fresno, California, in the San Joaquin central valley. It is one of the three public parks in Fresno and also the largest. The CIF Cross Country State Championships are hosted here every November.-Sources:...
is the location of the CIF Cross Country State Championships, where high schoolers from around the state compete. Additionally the BMXBMXBicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
course located in the park plays host to the National Bicycle LeagueNational Bicycle LeagueThe National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
State Championships.
- Ratcliffe StadiumRatcliffe StadiumRatcliffe Stadium is located on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California. Opened in 1926 but renamed in 1941 after their first football coach, Emory Ratcliffe, the stadium hosted the NCAA football Raisin Bowl from 1946 through 1949 and was home to the Fresno State Bulldogs football...
, located on the campus of Fresno City CollegeFresno City CollegeFresno City College is a community college in Fresno, California. Established in 1910, it was the first community college in California and the second in the nation...
, is a 13,000 seat track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
stadium. The stadium played host to the West Coast Relays. It is home to the college's football program and is also host to high school football games and track and field events.
Notable residents
- Philip LevinePhilip LevinePhilip Levine may refer to:*Philip Levine , American populist poet & professor of English, 2011-2012 Poet Laureate of the United States*Philip Levine , Russian-born American immuno-hematologist, researched blood groups...
, Poet Laureate of the United States for 2011–2012 - Kevin FederlineKevin FederlineKevin Earl Federline is an American dancer, rapper, fashion model, and actor. Previously engaged to actress Shar Jackson, Federline is best known for his two-year marriage to pop singer Britney Spears...
, dancer and second husband of pop star Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album... - Christopher GorhamChristopher GorhamChristopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
, actor best known for his work on Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
and Covert AffairsCovert AffairsCovert Affairs is a USA Network television series starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham. The one-hour drama premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The show concluded its first season on September 14, 2010 and was renewed for a second season on August 19, 2010. The second season began airing on... - Steven Anthony LawrenceSteven Anthony LawrenceSteven Anthony Lawrence is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren in the hit Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. His other television credits include That's So Raven, Married with Children, ER, Frasier, The Amanda Show and among...
, child actor best known for his work on Even StevensEven StevensEven Stevens is an American comedy television series that aired on Disney Channel with a total of three seasons and 65 episodes from June 17, 2000, to June 2, 2003... - Carson PalmerCarson PalmerCarson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, Oakland RaidersOakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Quarterback NFL, 2002 Heisman winner, 2007 Pro Bowl2007 Pro BowlThe 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
MVP; born in Fresno - Andranik Ozanian, Armenian national hero
- Charles AmirkhanianCharles AmirkhanianCharles Amirkhanian is an American composer. He is a percussionist, sound poet, and radio producer of Armenian extraction. He is mostly known for his electroacoustic and text-sound music...
, sound poet, composer and producer
Newspapers
- The Fresno BeeThe Fresno BeeThe Fresno Bee is the daily newspaper serving Fresno, California and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers....
- The Community Alliance
- The Business Journal (Fresno)
- The Charger
- The Collegian
- The Vantage
- The California Advocate
- The Rampage
Radio
88.1 KFCFKFCF
KFCF is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Fresno, California, USA, the station is currently owned by the Fresno Free College Foundation...
is Fresno's Pacifica station, and one of Fresno's few non-commercial, non-corporate radio stations.
KMJ was Fresno's first radio station; it began broadcasting in 1922. Over the years its powerful 50,000-watt signal could clearly be heard throughout much of California. Here are the Fresno radio stations currently broadcasting:
FM Stations
- 103.1 KAATKAAT (FM)KAAT is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. The station is licensed to Oakhurst, California and serves the Fresno area. KAAT also has an FM booster in Merced, California, with the call sign KAAT-FM1. The station is currently owned by California Sierra Corporation....
- 96.7 KALZKALZKALZ is a commercial radio station located in Fowler, California, broadcasting to the Fresno, California, area. KALZ airs a hot adult contemporary music format. Initially, the station broadcast on 102.7 MHz from 1998 to early 2006...
- 95.3 KBHHKBHHKBHH is a radio station that is currently silent. KBHH formerly broadcasted a Regional Mexican format. This station is licensed to Kerman, California. The station is currently owned by Farmworker Educational Radio Network, Inc.....
- 94.9 KBOS
- 88.1 KFCFKFCFKFCF is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Fresno, California, USA, the station is currently owned by the Fresno Free College Foundation...
- 90.3 KFNOKFNOKFNO is a radio station broadcasting a Christian format. Licensed to Fresno, California, United States, the station is an affiliate of the Family Radio network....
- 104.1 KFRRKFRRKFRR is a commercial modern rock music radio station in Woodlake, California, broadcasting to the Fresno, California area.-History:...
- 90.7 KFSRKFSRKFSR is a college radio -formatted station based out of the campus of California State University, Fresno in Fresno, California.-External links:*...
- 102.7 KHGEKHGEKHGE is a commercial country music radio station in Fresno, California.-History:KKNU - Easy Listening -...
- 95.7 KJFXKJFXKJFX is a commercial radio station located in Fresno, California, and owned by Wilks Broadcasting, LLC. KJFX airs a classic rock music format.-History:...
- 99.3 KJWLKJWLKJWL is a commercial radio station located in Fresno, California, broadcasting on 99.3 FM. KJWL airs an adult contemporary and is branded as "K-Jewel".-History:...
- 105.5 KJZNKJZNKJZN is a commercial radio station located in San Joaquin, California, broadcasting to the Fresno, California, area...
- 105.1 KKBZKKBZKKBZ is a radio station broadcasting a hard classic rock format. Licensed to Auberry, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno/Clovis area. 105.1 The Blaze features bands such as AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Motley Crue, Stone Temple Pilots, Rush and Def Leppard...
- 107.9 KLLEKLLEKLLE is located in the North Fork, California, area and broadcasts in the Fresno area at 107.9 FM known as "Kalle FM". It is owned by Univision, and broadcasts a Spanish adult contemporary format. Prior to its current format, it broadcast a format known as "Raggaeton", a Hispanic form of reggae,...
- 91.1 KLVYK-LOVEK-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
- 100.3 KMAKKMAKKMAK is an American radio station licensed toserve the community of Orange Cove, California, United States. The station, established in 1990, is owned by founder Richard B...
- 97.9 KMGVKMGVKMGV is located in the Fresno, California area and broadcasts at 97.9 FM. It is owned by Peak Broadcasting, which acquired KMGV, and several other Fresno market stations, in November 2006 from CBS Radio....
- 105.9 KMJ
- 107.1 KHIT-FM
- 100.5 KMQAKMQAKMQA is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to East Porterville, California, USA, it serves the Tulare, California area. The station is currently owned by Mbp Licensee, LLC....
- 94.3 KOKO
- 92.1 KONDKONDKOND is located in the Fresno, California, area and broadcasts at 92.1 FM. It is owned by Univision, and broadcasts a Regional Mexican format.-External links:*...
- 101.9 KOQOKOQOKLBN is a commercial radio station located in Fresno, California, broadcasting on 101.9 FM. KLBN airs a Regional Mexican music format branded as "La Buena"....
- 107.5 KRDAKRDAKRDA is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish adult hits format. Licensed to Hanford, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno area. The station is currently owned by Univision Radio License Corporation.-History:...
- 103.7 KFBT
- 97.1 KSEQKSEQKSEQ is a commercial radio station located in Visalia, California, broadcasting to the Fresno, California, area on 97.1 FM. KSEQ airs a rhythmic Top 40 music format branded as "Q97".-History:...
- 91.5 KSJVKSJVKSJV is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Variety format. Licensed to Fresno, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno area. The station is currently owned by Radio Bilingue, Inc.. The station is also broadcast on HD radio....
- 93.7 KSKSKSKSKSKS is a commercial radio station located in Fresno, California, broadcasting on 93.7 FM. KSKS airs a country music format branded as "Kiss Country"....
- 98.9 KSOFKSOFKSOF is a radio station broadcasting a Soft AC format. Licensed to Dinuba, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno/Visalia/Tulare area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
- 106.3 KVPW
- 89.3 KVPRValley Public RadioValley Public Radio is a public radio organization in Fresno, California, broadcasting programming from National Public Radio and other public radio producers and distributors, as well as locally produced news, music, talk, and public affairs programs...
- 101.1 KWYEKWYEKWYE is a radio station located in the Fresno, California, area that airs an Adult Top 40 music format. The station is owned by Peak Broadcasting.-History:...
- 88.9 KDUVKDUVKDUV is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian music format. Licensed to Visalia, California, USA, it serves the Visalia-Tulare, Fresno and Bakersfield areas. The station is owned by Community Educational Broadcastng, Inc. The station was assigned the KDUV call letters by the...
AM Stations
- 1680 KGEDKGEDKGED is a radio station located in the Fresno, California area and broadcasts on the AM dial at 1680 kHz. The station is owned by RAK Communications, Inc. This station first signed on the air in 1998 .-History:...
(10,000-day 1,000-night watts) - 900 KBIFKBIFKBIF is a radio station broadcasting a World Ethnic format to the Fresno, California, USA area. The station is currently owned by Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc....
- 1340 KCBLKCBL-External links:*...
(1,000 watts) - 980 KEYQKMROKMRO is a radio station licensed to Camarillo, California, and broadcasting a Spanish religious format. The station is currently owned by The Association For Community Education, Inc. It is the flagship radio station of the Spanish religious radio network Radio Nueva Vida based in Camarillo,...
- 1430 KFIGKFIGKFIG is a sports talk station in Fresno, California, United States. The station broadcasts at 1430 kHz on AM.KFIG serves as the local affiliate for ESPN Radio. It is also an affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and San Jose Sharks.-External links:*...
(5,000 watts)
- 790 KFPTKFPTKFPT is a radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format. Licensed to Clovis, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno area. The station is currently owned by Fat Dawgs 7 Broadcasting, LLC and features programing from Jones Radio Network, ABC Radio and ESPN Radio.-History:The station...
(5,000-day 2,500-night watts) - 1600 KGSTKGSTKGST is a radio station serving Fresno, California and Vicinity as an ESPN Deportes Radio affiliate. This station operates on AM frequency 1600 kHz and is under ownership of Lotus Communications Corporation....
(5,000 watts) - 1250 KHOTUnivision RadioUnivision Radio is the radio division of media giant Univision Communications, Inc., which also ownsthe Univision television network. The company was formerly known as Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation. It is the eighth largest radio company in the United States, and the largest Hispanic radio...
- 1510 KIRVKIRVKIRV is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Fresno, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno area. The station is currently owned by Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, Inc....
(10,000 watts) - 580 KMJ (50,000 watts)
- 1210 KQEQKQEQKQEQ is a radio station broadcasting a World Ethnic format. Licensed to Fowler, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno area. The station is currently owned by New Wave Broadcasting, Inc..-History:...
- 1060 KTNSKTNSKTNS is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Oakhurst, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno area. The station is currently owned by California Sierra Corporation and features programing from AP Radio and Jones Radio Network....
- 940 KYNOKYNOKYNO is a News/Talk radio station broadcasting at 940 kHz in Fresno, California, United States of America.-Station history:KYNO from 1957 and throughout the 1960s and 1970s, was a Top-40 station, and was the #1 "Hooper" rated station in Fresno under the ownership of Eugene Chenault...
(50,000 watts) - 1550 KXEXKXEXKXEX is a radio station broadcasting a sports radio format. Licensed to Fresno, California, USA, the station serves the Fresno area. The station is currently owned by Rak Communications, Inc. and features sports programming.-Previous Logo:...
(5,000-day 2,500-night watts) - 1300 KWRUKWRUKWRU is a radio station in Fresno, California. It airs programming from Radio Vida Abundante. Licensed to Fresno, California, USA, the station serves the Merced/Fresno area. The station is currently owned by Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Licensee, LLC.-External links:...
(5,000-day 1,000-night watts)
Television
To avoid interference with existing VHF television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and those planned for ChicoChico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
, and Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
decided that Fresno would only have UHF television stations. The very first Fresno television station to begin broadcasting was KMJ-TV, now known as KSEE
KSEE
KSEE is the NBC affiliated television station in Fresno, California, broadcasting on digital channel 38. KSEE is owned and operated by Granite Broadcasting Corporation. Granite owns and operates eight network-affiliated television stations nationwide...
, Channel 24, which began broadcasting on June 1, 1953. Here are the Fresno television stations currently on the air:
Sister cities
Fresno has several sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc.
Sister Cities International
Sister Cities International is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between United States and international communities. More than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in 136 countries around the world...
(SCI). Torreón
Torreón
Torreón is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2010, the city's population was 608,836 with 639,629 in the municipality. The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila, and Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in adjacent Durango,...
, Mexico Mashhad
Mashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia Kōchi
Kochi, Kochi
is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
, Japan Afula
Afula
Afula is a city in the North District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley", referring to the Jezreel Valley. The city had a population of 40,500 at the end of 2009.-History:...
, Israel Ejmiatsin, Armenia Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Germany Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, Italy Taraz
Taraz
Taraz , is a city and a center of the Jambyl Province in Kazakhstan. It is located in the south of Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, on the Talas River...
, Kazakhstan Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Highways
Fresno is served by State Route 99California State Route 99
California State Route 99 , commonly known as Highway 99 or, simply, as 99 , is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California, stretching almost the entire length of the Central Valley...
, the main north/south freeway that connects the major population centers of the California Central Valley. State Route 168
California State Route 168
State Route 168 is a state highway in California, USA, which is separated into three distinct segments, in part by the Sierra Nevada mountains....
, the Sierra Freeway, heads east to the city of Clovis
Clovis, California
Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, United States, northeast of Fresno. The population is estimated to be 97,218 as of September, 2011. Clovis is located northeast of downtown Fresno, at an elevation of 361 feet .-History:...
and Huntington Lake
Huntington Lake
Huntington Lake is a reservoir in Fresno County, California on Big Creek, located in the Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 2,130 meters . Several smaller streams also flow into the lake and it receives additional water from the underground tunnels of Southern California Edison's Big Creek...
. State Route 41
California State Route 41
State Route 41 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, connecting the Cabrillo Highway in Morro Bay with Fresno and Yosemite National Park via the San Joaquin Valley. Except between US 101 in Atascadero and SR 46 near Shandon, SR 41 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway...
(Yosemite Freeway/Eisenhower Freeway) comes into Fresno from Atascadero in the south, and then heads north to Yosemite. State Route 180
California State Route 180
State Route 180 is a state highway in California, United States, which runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from Mendota through Fresno to Kings Canyon National Park, with an unbuilt segment defined west to Paicines....
(Kings Canyon Freeway) comes from the west via Mendota
Mendota, California
Mendota is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 11,014 at the 2010 census. The State Routes 180 and 33 run through the agricultural city. Mendota is located south-southeast of Firebaugh, at an elevation of 174 feet ....
, and from the east in Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is a National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. The park was established in 1940 and covers...
going towards the city of Reedley
Reedley, California
Reedley is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. Reedley is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 348 feet . The population at the 2010 census was 24,194. Its chief economic source is agriculture, particularly fruit and vegetable cultivation. The city is dubbed as...
.
Fresno is the largest U.S. city not directly linked to an Interstate highway. When the Interstate Highway System was created in the 1950s, the decision was made to build what is now Interstate 5 on the west side of the Central Valley, and thus bypass many of the population centers in the region, instead of upgrading what is now State Route 99. Due to rapidly raising population and traffic in cities along SR 99, as well as the desirability of Federal funding, much discussion has been made to upgrade it to interstate standards and eventually incorporate it into the interstate system, most likely as Interstate 9. Major improvements to signage, lane width, median separation, vertical clearance, and other concerns are currently underway.
Airports
Fresno Yosemite International AirportFresno Yosemite International Airport
Fresno Yosemite International Airport , formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, is a joint civil-military public airport located in eastern Fresno, in Fresno County, California. The airport is more than south of Yosemite National Park on California State Route 41. The airport covers and has two...
(FAT), formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, provides regularly scheduled commercial airline service. The airport serves an estimated 1.3 million passengers annually to domestic and two international destinations.
Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
Fresno Chandler Executive Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles west of the central business district of Fresno, a city in Fresno County, California, United States. It is owned by the City of Fresno....
(FCH) is located 2 mi (3.2 km) southwest of Downtown Fresno. Built in the 1920s by the Works Projects Administration, it is one of the oldest operational airports in California. The airport currently serves as a general aviation airport.
Sierra Sky Park Airport
Sierra Sky Park Airport
Sierra Sky Park Airport is a privately owned, public-use airport located seven miles northwest of the central business district of Fresno, a city in Fresno County, California, United States....
, located in Northwest Fresno, is a privately owned airport, but is open to the public. The airport was America's first aviation community. Extra-wide streets surrounding the airport allow for residents of the community to land, taxi down extra-wide avenues, and park in the driveway at home.
Rail
Passenger rail service is provided by AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
San Joaquins
San Joaquins
The San Joaquin is a passenger train operated by Amtrak as part of the Amtrak California network in California's Central Valley. Twelve trains a day run between its southern terminus at Bakersfield and Stockton, where the route splits to Oakland or Sacramento...
. The main passenger rail station is the recently renovated historic Santa Fe Railroad Depot
Santa Fe Passenger Depot (Fresno)
The Santa Fe Passenger Depot is a railroad station located in Fresno, California. It is currently used by Amtrak, the national passenger railroad system, for its San Joaquin passenger train service....
located in Downtown Fresno. The Bakersfield-Stockton mainlines of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
railroads cross in Fresno, and both railroads maintain railyards within the city; the San Joaquin Valley Railroad
San Joaquin Valley Railroad
The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies and is part of the Sunset Division of RailAmerica. It operates about of track primarily on several lines in California's Central Valley/San Joaquin Valley outside of Fresno, California and Bakersfield, California...
also operates former Southern Pacific branchlines heading west and south out of the city.The city of Fresno is planned to serve the future California High Speed Rail.
Public transportation
Public transit is provided by the Fresno Area ExpressFresno Area Express
The Fresno Area Express or FAX, is a bus line in Fresno, California. The line has over 100 buses and 20 fixed routes as of May 2008. FAX offers free transfers as well as wheelchair lifts and bike racks on all buses....
. It consists entirely on buses serving the greater Fresno metropolitan area. Intercity and long-distance bus service is provided by Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
and Orange Belt Stages
Orange Belt Stages
Orange Belt Stages is a bus company based in Visalia, California. OBS was incorporated on November 30, 1935, and offers charters anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, as well as scheduled runs in California and to Las Vegas, Nevada.-History:...
.
The city once provided trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service during the late 19th and early 20th century. Known as the Fresno City Railway Company and later the Fresno Traction Company, the service operated horse-drawn streetcars from 1887 to 1901. Electric streetcars were introduced in 1903. The electric streetcars were used until 1939.
Walkability
A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Fresno 26th most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.US Army
US Army Reserve, 63rd Regional Support CommandAll at the US Army Reserve Center at the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
Army Maintenance Support Activity 14
729 Training Camp Company
924 Training Camp Detachment
US Marine Corps
US Marine Corps Forces Reserve, Marine Wing Support Squadron 473 Detachment AlphaMarine Wing Support Squadron 473
Marine Wing Support Squadron 473 is a reserve aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California with Detachment A at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California and Detachment B at Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Texas...
formerly located at The Fresno Yosemite international Airport. The unit is now based out of Lemoore Naval Air Station in Lemoore, California, about 30 miles outside Fresno.
US Navy
United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Fresno Battalion Navy Operational Support CenterNavy League Cadet Corps
Navy League Cadet Corps
The Navy League Cadet Corps is a version of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps program developed for younger cadets, aged 11 through 14...
, Training Ship Fresno Navy Operational Support Center Located at The Fresno Armed Forces Reserve Center adjacent to Hammer Army Air Field Armory
US Air Force
Civil Air PatrolCivil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
, Fresno Composite Squadron 112 Located at the Army National Guard Armory on the Fresno Fair grounds, hanger at Fresno Yosemite international Airport.
California Army National Guard
40th Aviation Brigade, 40th Infantry Division located at Hammer Army Air Field ArmoryEcho Company, 79th Brigade Support Battalion, 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 40th Infantry Division
1106th Theater Aviation Maintenance Sustainment Group, 1106th Aviation Classification Repair Depot Located at the Aviation Classification Repair Depot on the Fresno Yosemite International airport
Detachment 1, 649th MP Company
49th Military Police Brigade (United States)
The 49th Military Police Brigade is California’s only Army National Guard Military Police Brigade and is based in Fairfield, California. The 49th’s primary role in California is to provide Defense Support to Civilian Authorities in the northern region of the state...
, 49th Military Police Brigade
California Air National Guard
144th Fighter Wing144th Fighter Wing
The United States Air Force's 144th Fighter Wing is a unit of the California Air National Guard, operationally gained by the Air Combat Command and located at Fresno Air National Guard Base / Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno, California....
Located at the California Air National Guard Base at Fresno Yosemite International Airport
California State Military Reserve
40th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 100th Troop Command Support Brigade Located at The Fresno Armed Forces Reserve Center adjacent to Hammer Army Air Field ArmoryCommunity-based organizations (nonprofits)
The City of Fresno is home to a number of nonprofits that serve the community, and/or contribute to the local economy by providing employment opportunities. Nonprofits based in Fresno include:- San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust
- Central California Legal Services
- GRID Alternatives
- Centro La Familia
- Clovis Amateur Radio Pioneers, an amateur radio club that serves Clovis, Fresno and the Central Valley.
- Fresno Rescue Mission
- Girl Scouts of Central California South
- Marjaree Mason CenterMarjaree Mason CenterThe Marjaree Mason Center is a non-profit, shelter-based, domestic violence program headquartered in Fresno, California. Named for an Easton, California woman who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, the center operates one of the largest shelters in California.-History:The Marjaree Mason Center was...
- Poverello House
- ReadFresno
- Tree Fresno
- Reading and Beyond
See also
- Fresno Police DepartmentFresno Police DepartmentThe Fresno Police Department is responsible for policing the city of Fresno, California, in the United States. The Chief of Police since August 2001, is Jerry Dyer . The city experiences between 30 and 69 willful homicides in a typical year...
- Fresno County Library
- Japanese American internmentJapanese American internmentJapanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
- List of California public officials charged with crimes, Fresno
- List of people from Fresno, California
- List of tallest buildings in Fresno
External links
- City of Fresno Official website
- City of Fresno Developer's Guide for Downtown Housing
- Guide to Historic Architecture in Fresno, California at FresnoHistory.org
- Fresno City and County Historical Society
- Fresno Convention & Visitor Bureau
- Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce