California Central Valley Portal

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The Central Valley of California

The San Joaquin Valley (English pronunciation in IPA: ['sæn wɑˈkin]) refers to the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Stockton. Although most of the valley is rural, it does contain major urban cities such as Stockton, Fresno, Visalia, Modesto, Bakersfield, and Merced. Image File history File links Portal. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Map_california_central_valley. ... Image File history File links Map_california_central_valley. ... IPA may refer to: The International Phonetic Alphabet or India Pale Ale ... The California Central Valley Part of the Valley as seen from overhead A typical Central Valley scene at ground level The California Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in San Joaquin County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in San Joaquin County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Fresno redirects here. ... Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately 230 miles southeast of San Francisco and 190 miles north of Los Angeles. ... Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in the U.S. state of California. ... Nickname: Location of Bakersfield, California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Kern County Founded 1869 Government  - Mayor Harvey Hall Area  - City  131 sq mi (339. ... Merced (pronounced Mer-SED), is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. ...

Geography

The San Joaquin Valley extends from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in the north to the Tehachapi Mountains in the south, and from the various California coastal ranges (from the Diablo in the north to the Santa Ynez in the south) in the west to the Sierra Nevada in the east. Unlike the Sacramento Valley, the river system for which the San Joaquin Valley is named does not extend very far along the valley. Most of the valley south of Fresno instead drains into Tulare Lake, which no longer exists on a regular basis due to diversion of its sources. Major rivers include the San Joaquin, Kings, and Kern rivers, all of which have been largely diverted for agricultural uses and are mostly dry in their lower reaches. The Sacramento Delta. ... Tehachapi Mountains The Tehachapi Mountains are a short transverse range in southern California in the United States, running SW-NE to connect the Coast Ranges on the west with the southern end of the Sierra Nevada mountains on the east. ... The Diablo Range is a large group of mountain chains and ranges in western California. ... The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California. ... This article is about the mountain range in the Western United States. ... The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta. ... Tulare Lake is an extinct fresh-water lake that was formerly the largest to be completely enclosed within the territories of the Unites States. ... The San Joaquin River, 330 miles (530 km) long, is the second-longest river in California, United States. ... The Kings River is a major river of California, USA. It arises in the Sierra Nevada, consisting of three forks. ... The Kern River north of Kernville The Kern River going through the Kern Canyon, just northeast of Bakersfield A Kern River hydroelectric power plant in the Kern River, at the entrance to part of Sequoia National Forest. ...

Prior to the 1920s, most of the valley was bone-dry semi-desert. Areas not receiving irrigation water from the Central Valley Project and other irrigation projects look much the same as when Spanish explorers passed through in the late 18th century, with the exception of the oil derricks and pumps that can be found in varying densities throughout the valley. The areas west of Interstate 5 are particularly desolate. The Central Valley Project (CVP) is a federal water project undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1935 as a long-term plan to use water in Californias Central Valley. ...

Unlike most other agricultural areas in the United States, the San Joaquin Valley was settled at a time when the automobile had become the primary means of transportation. Moreover, landholdings are considerably larger than those in the Midwest and South, usually on the order of thousands of acres. Since one town could thus serve a vastly larger area than was possible in the 19th century, the density of settlements is considerably less than that of areas settled in the day of roads and rail. Because of this, there are very few incorporated settlements in the region compared to other rural areas.

Pollution

Hemmed in by mountains and lacking any prevailing winds to disperse smog, the San Joaquin Valley has long suffered from some of the United States' worst air pollution. This pollution, exacerbated by stagnant weather, comes mainly from diesel- and gasoline-fueled vehicles and agricultural operations such as dairies and field-tilling. Population growth has caused the San Joaquin Valley to rank with Los Angeles and Houston in most measures of air pollution. Only the Inland Empire region east of Los Angeles has worse overall air quality, and the San Joaquin Valley led the nation in 2004 in the number of days with quantities of ozone considered unhealthy by the Environmental Protection Agency. Groundwater purity is an ongoing issue in this valley including the Turlock Basin. However, it has been shown that San Joaquin County has better air quality than any other region in the San Joaquin Valley. It has also been shown that the Sacramento region has worse air quality, as does Stanislaus County.^{[citation needed]} It has been suggested that Haze be merged into this article or section. ... Air pollution is a chemical, particulate matter, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... “Houston” redirects here. ... The Inland Empire and its regions within The Inland Empire refers to the region in Southern California located in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties in the United States. ... For other uses, see Ozone (disambiguation). ... EPA redirects here. ... The Turlock Basin is a sub-basin of the San Joaquin Valley groundwater basin which occupies approximately 13,700 total square miles, making it the largest groundwater basin in the California. ...

Water pollution is another significant problem in the valley. Soil salination in heavily irrigated areas has significantly reduced the viability of some of the valley's most fertile tracts, especially those in the Tulare lake bed. Contamination of groundwater by leakage from manure pits at dairy farms and cattle feedlots has led to significant outcry. Visible salt deposits on the former bed of the Aral Sea Soil salination is the accumulation of free salts to such an extent that it leads to degradation of soils and vegetation. ...

Climate

The San Joaquin Valley has hot, dry summers and cool winters characterized by dense Tule fog. The rainy season occurs from November through April. Tule fog (IPA: ) is a thick ground fog that settles in the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley areas of Californias Great Central Valley. ...

The National Weather Service Forecast Office for the San Joaquin Valley is located in Hanford and includes a Doppler weather radar. Weather forecasts and climatological information for the San Joaquin Valley are available from its website at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/hnx/. The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ... Hanford is a placename in: England: Hanford, Dorset the United States of America: Hanford, California Hanford, Iowa Hanford, Maine Hanford, New Jersey Hanford, Ohio Hanford, Washington Hanford Site This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... NEXRAD Radar at the WSR-88D Radar Operations Center NEXRAD or Nexrad (Next-Generation Radar) is a network of 158 high-resolution Doppler radars operated by the National Weather Service, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the United States Department of Commerce. ...

Economy

Agriculture

Historian Kevin Starr has referred to the San Joaquin Valley as "the most productive unnatural environment on Earth." By some estimates, fully 25% of the United States' agricultural production (as measured by dollar value) comes from California, and the vast majority of that is in the San Joaquin Valley. Grapes—table, raisin, and to a lesser extent wine—are perhaps the valley's highest-profile product, but equally (if not more) important are cotton, nuts (especially almonds and pistachios), citrus, and vegetables. The Boswell farm in Kings County is the largest single cotton farm in the world, occupying over 40,000 acres (162 km²). Certain places are identified quite strongly with a given crop: Stockton produces the majority of the asparagus consumed in the United States, and Fresno is credited as the birthplace of the raisin. God as we know it. ... Species Vitis acerifolia Vitis aestivalis Vitis amurensis Vitis arizonica Vitis x bourquina Vitis californica Vitis x champinii Vitis cinerea Vitis x doaniana Vitis girdiana Vitis labrusca Vitis x labruscana Vitis monticola Vitis mustangensis Vitis x novae-angliae Vitis palmata Vitis riparia Vitis rotundifolia Vitis rupestris Vitis shuttleworthii Vitis tiliifolia Vitis... Raisins Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ... Binomial name (Mill. ... Binomial name L. The pistachio (Pistacia vera L., Anacardiaceae; sometimes placed in Pistaciaceae) is a small tree up to 10 m tall, native to mountainous regions of Iran, Turkmenistan and western Afghanistan. ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus aurantifolia - Key lime Citrus maxima - Pomelo Citrus medica - Citron Citrus reticulata - Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus ×sinensis - Sweet Orange Citrus ×aurantium - Bitter Orange Citrus ×paradisi - Grapefruit Citrus ×limon - Lemon Citrus ×limonia - Rangpur lime Citrus ×latifolia - Persian lime See also main text for other hybrids Citrus... For the botanical genus, see Asparagus (genus). ...

Cattle and sheep ranching are also vitally important to the valley's economy. During recent years, dairy farming has greatly expanded in importance. As areas such as Chino and Corona have become absorbed into the suburban sprawl of Los Angeles, many dairy farmers have cashed out and moved their herds to Kings, Tulare, and Kern counties. Since dairy farms emit considerable quantities of methane and other noxious gases, this has exacerbated the region's air quality problems. In addition, several high-profile incidents in which farmhands have drowned or suffocated in manure pits have led to calls to slow the proliferation of dairies in the region, with Kern County going so far as to declare a moratorium on new dairies in 2004. Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Riverside Government  - Mayor Eugene Montanez Area  - City  35. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ...

Petroleum

California has long been one of the nation's most important oil-producing states, and the San Joaquin Valley has long since eclipsed the Los Angeles Basin as the state's primary oil production region. Small oil wells are found throughout the region, and several enormous extraction facilities—most notably near Lost Hills and Taft—are veritable forests of pumps and derricks. Shell operates a major refinery in Bakersfield; it is currently (summer 2005) in the process of being sold to Flying J, a Salt Lake-based firm that operates truck stops and refineries. The oil and gas fields in Kern County are considered to be in decline, and no major discoveries have been made in the region for quite some time. The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the peninsular and transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles. ... (Not to be confused with the Lost Hills from The Legend of Zelda. ... Taft is a city in Kern County, California, United States. ... Royal Dutch Shell plc is a multinational oil company of British and Dutch origins. ... Flying J Inc. ... Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. ...

Other major industries and employers

The isolation and vastness of the San Joaquin Valley, as well as its poverty and need for jobs, have led the state to build numerous prisons in the area. The most notable of these is Corcoran, whose inmates include Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, and Juan Corona. Other correctional facilities in the valley are at Avenal, Chowchilla, Tracy, Delano, Coalinga, and Wasco. Corcoran is a city located in Kings County, California. ... Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) is a career criminal who led the so-called Manson Family, a commune or cult that began to form around him in the U.S. city of San Francisco in 1967. ... This article is about Robert F. Kennedys assassin. ... Juan Vellejo Corona (born 1934) is an American serial killer who murdered twenty-five people in 1971. ... Avenal is a city in Kings County, California, United States. ... Chowchilla is a city in Madera County, California, United States. ... 11th Street and Central Avenue, Tracy Tracy is a city in San Joaquin County, California, in the United States. ... Delano is a city located in Kern County, California. ... Coalinga is a city located in Fresno County, California. ... Wasco is a city located in Kern County, California. ...

The only significant military base in the region is Naval Air Station Lemoore, a vast air base located 25 km (15.5 mi) WSW of Hanford. Unlike many of California's other military installations, NAS Lemoore's operational importance has increased in the 1990s and 2000s. The other, Castle Air Force Base, located near Atwater was closed during the Base Realignment and Closure of the 1990s. Although both are in Kern County, Edwards Air Force Base and China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station are located in the High Desert area of that county. Naval Air Station Lemoore is a United States Navy base, located in Kings County, California. ... Location in Kings County and the state of California Country State County Kings Government  - Mayor Joaquin D. Gonzalez  - Vice Mayor David G. Ayers  - City Manager Gary Misenheimer Area  - City  13. ... Castle Air Force Base (CAFB) comprises 2,777 acres and is located in Atwater, California. ... Atwater is a city located in Merced County, California. ... Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the US Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory in order to save... Edwards Air Force Base (IATA: EDW, ICAO: KEDW) is a United States Air Force airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 7 miles (11 km) due east of Rosamond. ... NASA satellite photo showing the main runways at NAWS China Lake FAA Airport Diagram Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake or NAWS China Lake (IATA: NID, ICAO: KNID, FAA LID: NID) is an airborne weapons testing and training range operated by the United States Navy and its contractors. ... The High Desert refers to a region located mostly in Southern Californias San Bernardino County, in the United States. ...

Poverty

The United States Census Bureau issued a report entitled the American Community Survey in 2007, which found that six San Joaquin Valley counties had the highest percentage of residents living below the federal poverty line in 2006. The report also revealed that the same six counties were among the 52 counties with the highest poverty rate in the United States^[1]. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Culture

Politics

Culturally, the San Joaquin Valley is quite different from much of the rest of California. Among well-populated areas, the San Joaquin Valley is perhaps the most conservative in California. For example, signs can be seen around Pixley and Hanford supporting leaving the United Nations and opposing abortion. Many commentators have noted the irony of the San Joaquin Valley's prevailing "small government" philosophy, given that its farm economy is the product of more than a century of expensive federal and state government projects and that cotton, one of its most important agricultural products, is heavily subsidized. While the importance of agriculture in the area can curb environmentalism, air pollution is a serious and acknowledged problem in the area. Resentment of perceived condescension by Southern Californians and San Francisco Bay Area residents is a recurring theme in the valley's politics, occasionally manifesting itself in laws such as Kern County's 2005 ban on the importation of sewage sludge from urban counties. Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Pixley is a census-designated place located in Tulare County, California. ... Location in Kings County and the state of California Country State County Kings Government  - Mayor Joaquin D. Gonzalez  - Vice Mayor David G. Ayers  - City Manager Gary Misenheimer Area  - City  13. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... For the psychology topic, see Environmental psychology. ... Air pollution is a chemical, particulate matter, or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. ... This article is about the region of Southern California. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... SLUDGE (Scripting Language for Unhindered Development of a Gaming Environment) is a shareware adventure game engine developed by Hungry Software. ...

Several prominent California politicians have come from the San Joaquin Valley. California state senator and unsuccessful 2002 gubernatorial and 2004 senatorial candidate Bill Jones hails from the Fresno area as does former California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante. Bill Jones William Leon Jones (born December 20, 1949) is a U.S. politician who served as the 27th Secretary of State of California Born in Coalinga, California, Jones earned his bachelors degree in agribusiness and plant sciences from California State University, Fresno in 1971. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ... Cruz Miguel Bustamante (born January 4, 1953) is an American politician. ...

Ethnic and cultural groups

Mexicans/Chicanos

While the barrios of East Los Angeles are California's most famous areas dominated by persons of Mexican ancestry, both first-generation Mexican immigrants and well-established Chicanos are enormously important populations in the San Joaquin Valley. Since the onset of the bracero program during World War II, virtually all of the agricultural workers in the region have been of Mexican ancestry. Ethnic and economic friction between Mexican-Americans and the valley's predominantly white farming elite manifested itself most notably during the 1960s and 1970s, when the United Farm Workers, led by César Chávez, went on numerous strikes and called for boycotts of table grapes. The UFW generated enormous sympathy throughout the United States, even managing to terminate several agricultural mechanization projects at the United States Department of Agriculture. However, from the 1970s onward, farmers have mostly hired illegal immigrants, preferred for their willingness to work longer hours for lower pay. Today, Chicanos are somewhat better integrated into the valley's economic framework. East Los Angeles, California (unincorporated community) East Los Angeles (region) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Chicano (disambiguation). ... Bracero is a term used in 1942 to describe a Mexican farm laborer brought to the United States. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United Farm Workers of America (UFW) is a labor union that evolved from unions founded in 1962 by César Chávez, Philip Vera Cruz, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong. ... César Estrada Chávez (March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was a Mexican American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers. ... “USDA” redirects here. ... Illegal alien and illegal aliens redirect here. ...

European and Asian groups

The San Joaquin Valley has—by California standards—an unusually large number of European, Middle Eastern, and Asian ethnicities in the heritage of its citizens. These communities are often quite large and, relative to Americans immigration patterns, quite eclectic: for example, there are more Azorean Portuguese in the San Joaquin Valley than in the Azores. Many groups are found in majorities in specific cities, and hardly anywhere else in the region. For example, Assyrians are concentrated in Turlock, Dutch in Ripon, Sikhs in Stockton and Livingston, and Yugoslavs in Delano. Kingsburg is famous for its distinctly Swedish air, having been founded by immigrants from that country. Ethnic groups found in a broader area are Portuguese, Armenians, Basques, and the "Okies" who migrated to California from the Midwest and South. In recent years, large numbers of Pakistanis have settled in Modesto and Lodi. In addition the late 1970s and 80s saw an influx of immigrants from Indochina settling in Stockton, Modesto, Merced, and Fresno. The Filipino American population are concentrated in Delano and Lathrop. Motto (Portuguese for Rather die free than in peace subjugated) Anthem  (national)  (local) Capital Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese Government Autonomous region  -  President Carlos César Establishment  -  Settled 1439   -  Autonomy 1976  Area  -  Total 2,333 km² (n/a) 911 sq mi... It has been suggested that Assyrian people be merged into this article or section. ... Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. ... Ripon is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. ... Religions Sikhism Scriptures Guru Granth Sahib Languages English, Punjabi] A Sikh (English: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent to Sikhism. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in San Joaquin County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Livingston is a city in Merced County, California. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in the Latin alphabet, Југославија in Cyrillic; English: South Slavia, or literary The Land of South Slavs) describes three political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... Delano is a city located in Kern County, California. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the Basque people. ... Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas During the Great Depression, in portions of the North American Great Plains there was a years-long drought, leading to soil erosion and dust storms usually referred to as the Dust Bowl. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... Lodi (IPA: ) (LOW-dye) is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Indochina 1886 Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. ... Merced (pronounced Mer-SED), is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. ... Fresno redirects here. ... In 1998, Benjamin J. Cayetano became the first Filipino American (and second Asian American after Governor George R. Ariyoshi) to be elected state Governor of the United States. ... Lathrop may refer to: Lathrop, California Lathrop, Missouri This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

These cultures are often the result of established ethnic communities and groups of immigrants coming to the United States at once. This is in part due to the founding of religious communes in the San Joaquin Valley: for example, the first permanent Sikh Gurdwara was made in Stockton in 1915. The Harimandir Sahib. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Okies and Arkies

The Depression-era migrants to the San Joaquin Valley from the South and Midwest are one of the more well-known groups in the Central Valley, in large part due to the popularity of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath and the Henry Fonda movie made from it. By 1910, agriculture in the southern Great Plains had become nearly unviable due to soil erosion and poor rainfall. Much of the rural population of states such as Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas left at this time, selling their land and moving to Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit, and fast-growing Los Angeles. Those who remained experienced continuing deterioration of conditions, which reached their nadir during the drought that began in the late 1920s and created the infamous Dust Bowl. (Small cotton farmers in states such as Mississippi and Alabama suffered similar problems from the first major infestation of the boll weevil.) When the onset of the Great Depression created a national banking crisis, family farmers—usually heavily in debt—often had their mortgages foreclosed by banks desperate to shore up their balance sheets. In response, many farmers loaded their families and portable possessions into their automobiles and drove west. For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... John Ernst Steinbeck (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was one of the best-known and most widely read American writers of the 20th century. ... This article is about the novel. ... Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was a highly acclaimed Academy Award-winning American film and stage actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. ... The Great Plains covers much of the central United States, portions of Canada and Mexico. ... Official language(s) English[2] Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Largest metro area Oklahoma City metro area Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,898 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Largest metro area Little Rock Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,002 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Nickname: Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... “Detroit” redirects here. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas in 1935 Buried machinery in barn lot. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Binomial name Anthonomus grandis Boheman, 1843 Wikispecies has information related to: Boll weevil The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters (¼ inch). ...

Taking Route 66 to Barstow or Los Angeles and crossing the Tehachapi or Tejon passes, they began new lives as fruit and vegetable pickers on truck farms in the San Joaquin Valley. Having gone from the relative independence of homesteading to a condition that was essentially peasantry, many of them lived in squalid agricultural camps and were deeply unhappy with their economic plight; domestic disputes, crime, and suicide were rampant, and occasional riots broke out. New Deal measures alleviated some of these problems, albeit belatedly: by the time that The Grapes of Wrath drew public attention to the Okies' plight, many of them had already left the valley. U.S. Highway 66 or Route 66 was a highway in the U.S. Highway system. ... Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Tehachapi Pass Tehachapi Pass (elevation 3793 ft/1156 m, location 35°06′08″ N 118°16′58″ W) is a mountain pass in southern California in the United States. ... Tejon Pass Tejon Pass (elevation 4,183 ft/1,275 m) is a mountain pass at the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains in southern California in the United States. ... Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple, agrarian self-sufficiency. ... The New Deal was the title President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to the series of programs he initiated between 1933 and 1938 with the goal of providing relief, recovery, and reform (3 Rs) to the people and economy of the United States during the Great Depression. ...

Perhaps the majority of the Okies and Arkies left the San Joaquin Valley during World War II, most of them going to Los Angeles and San Diego to work in war industries. Many of those who stayed ended up in Bakersfield, which became an increasingly important center of oil production after major Southern California wells like Signal Hill began to dry up. Their influence remains strong: Bakersfield resembles a West Texas town such as Midland or Lubbock far more than it does anywhere else in California. Country music legends Buck Owens and Merle Haggard came out of Bakersfield's honky-tonk scene and created a hard-driving sound that is still deeply associated with the city. “San Diego” redirects here. ... Signal Hill is a small city (2. ... The dry plains of West Texas, have often been divided up into tracks of land divided by barbed wire fences. ... Nickname: Location within the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Midland County Government  - Mayor Mike Canon Area  - City 173. ... “Lubbock” redirects here. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Alvis Edgar Buck Owens, Jr. ... Merle Ronald Haggard (born April 6, 1937) is an American country music singer, guitarist and songwriter. ... A vintage belt buckle from Gilleys, a large honky tonk featured in the movie Urban Cowboy. ...

Recent changes

The California real estate boom that began in the late 1990s has significantly changed the San Joaquin Valley. Once distinctly and fiercely independent of Los Angeles and San Francisco, the area has seen increasing exurban development as the cost of living forces young families and small businesses further and further away from the coastal urban cores. Stockton, Modesto, and Tracy are increasingly dominated by commuters to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and the small farming towns to the south are finding themselves in the Bay Area's orbit as well. Bakersfield, traditionally a boom-bust oil town once described by urban scholar Joel Kotkin as an "American Abu Dhabi," has seen a massive influx of former Los Angeles business owners and commuters, to the extent that gated communities containing million-dollar homes are going up on the city's outskirts. Wal-Mart, IKEA, Target and various large shipping firms have built huge distribution centers at the far southern end of the valley, lured by the convenience of Route 58 and the region's low wages. Further integration with the rest of the state is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Commuters waiting for the morning train in Maplewood, New Jersey to travel to New York City A commuter town, is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commute to a nearby metropolis to earn their livelihood. ... Abu Dhabi or Abu Zaby (Arabic language: أبوظبي) is the largest of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates and was also the largest of the former Trucial States. ... Entrance to a guard-gated community (Paradise Village Grand Marina Villas, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico). ... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Map of countries with IKEA stores. ... This article is about the United States retail company. ... California State Highway 58 (CA 58, for short) is an east-west highway across the southern San Joaquin Valley, the Tehachapi Mountains, which borders the southern Sierra Nevada, and the Mojave Desert between its western terminus near Santa Margarita, California (junction U.S. Highway 101) and Barstow, California (junction Interstate...

The town of Mountain House is one of the latest planned communities in the valley. Its master plan envisions a city with a population of 43,000 before 2015. Quay Valley is proposed to be an even larger new city that would be located on about 12,000 acres in the southern part of Kings County [1]. A population of 150,000 is estimated at project build-out. Proponents describe Quay Valley as a sustainable model city that would maximise use of solar power. They make the claim that Quay Valley residents may never see an electric bill. General Plan Mountain House is an unincorporated planned community located against the western boundary of San Joaquin County, California, United States, approximately northwest of the City of Tracy. ... Quay Valley, also referred to as Quay Valley Ranch, is a proposed planned community consisting of about 12,000 acres (18. ...

Education

The San Joaquin Valley is home to some institutes of higher education, the most well-known being California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) and University of the Pacific. The University of California, Merced campus began classes in 2005. Other than Fresno, the California State University system also maintains campuses at Bakersfield (CSU Bakersfield) and Turlock (CSU Stanislaus). There are numerous community colleges as well. The campus on a sunny day California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA. The campus sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the San Joaquin... Not to be confused with Pacific University. ... The University of California, Merced (UC Merced), located in the San Joaquin Valley at Merced, California, is the tenth University of California campus. ... The California State University (CSU) is one of three public higher education systems in the state of California, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College System. ... California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), also called CSU Bakersfield and/or Cal State Bakersfield, is a public university located in Bakersfield, California, was founded in 1965. ... California State University, Stanislaus, a campus in the California State University system, was established in 1957 in Turlock, California. ... In Canada and the United States, a community college, sometimes called a county college, junior college or a city college, is an educational institution providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and Associates degrees. ...

Transportation

Roads

Interstate 5 (I-5) and California State Highway 99 (CA/SR-99, or just "99") each run along the entire length of the San Joaquin Valley. I-5 runs in the western valley, bypassing major population centers (including Fresno, currently the largest U.S. city without an Interstate highway), while 99 runs through them. State and federal representatives have long pushed to convert 99 to an Interstate, although this cannot occur until all of the portions of 99 between I-5 and the U.S. 50 junction are upgraded to freeway standards. Interstate 5 (abbreviated I-5) is the westernmost interstate highway in the continental United States. ... California State Highway 99 is a 415 mile (668 km) highway that traverses Californias Central Valley from the north at Red Bluff to the south near Bakersfield. ... Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway) in Berkeley, California: a typical American freeway (MUTCD definition) A freeway, also known as a highway, superhighway, autoroute, autobahn, autostrada, dual carriageway, expressway, Autosnelweg or motorway, depending on the country of discussion, is a type of road designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles...

California State Highway 58 (CA/SR-58), which is a freeway in Bakersfield and along most of its route until its terminus in Barstow, is an extremely important and very heavily traveled route for truckers from the valley and the Bay Area who want to cross the Sierra Nevada and leave California (by way of Interstate 15 or Interstate 40) without having to climb Donner Pass or brave the horrendous traffic congestion of Los Angeles. Proposals have also been made to designate this highway as a western extension of I-40 once the entirety of the route between Mojave and Barstow has been upgraded to a freeway. This would provide an Interstate connection for Bakersfield, currently the second-largest U.S. city without an Interstate. California State Highway 58 (CA 58, for short) is an east-west highway across the southern San Joaquin Valley, the Tehachapi Mountains, which borders the southern Sierra Nevada, and the Mojave Desert between its western terminus near Santa Margarita, California (junction U.S. Highway 101) and Barstow, California (junction Interstate... Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 15 “I-15” redirects here. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (abbreviated I-40) is a major west-east interstate highway in the United States. ... Donner Pass (el. ... Mojave is a town located in Kern County, California. ...

Other important highways in the valley include California State Highway 46 (CA/SR-46) and California State Highway 41 (CA/SR-41), which respectively link the California Central Coast with Bakersfield and Fresno; California State Highway 33, which runs south to north along the valley's western rim and provides a connection to Ventura and Santa Barbara over the Santa Ynez Mountains; and California State Highway 152 (CA/SR-152), an important commuter route linking Silicon Valley with its fast-growing exurbs such as Los Banos. California State Highway 46, or CA-46, is an east-west highway from the Pacific coast of California at Cambria, California through the western part of the southern San Joaquin Valley, intersecting California State Highway 99 about five miles east of Wasco It has an interchange with Interstate 5 near... California State Route 41 is a mostly southwest to northeast running surface road running from CA-1 in San Luis Obispo County to the south entrance of Yosemite National Park by way of Fresno. ... The Central Coast is an area of California, extending from Santa Cruz in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, but centering primarily on Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. ... California State Route 33 is a north-south road in central and southern California. ... Coordinates: Country United States State California County Ventura Mayor Carl Morehouse Area    - City 84. ... Nickname: Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California Coordinates: , County Government  - Mayor Marty Blum Area  - City 111. ... The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California. ... California State Highway 152, or CA-152 near the latitudinal middle of California between Watsonville, junction California State Highway 1 and California State Highway 99 near Chowchilla. ... For the Nintendo 64 game, see Space Station Silicon Valley. ... Los Banos is a city in Merced County, California, near the junction of California State Route 152 and Interstate 5. ...

Rail

Amtrak provides rail service through the San Joaquin Valley. There are also plans for a high-speed rail line that will link the valley with San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego. While many valley politicians and businesses are eager supporters of the line, eager to provide better connections to the larger and wealthier cities to the north and south, large and vocal factions in cities like Modesto and Stockton have opposed the line going through their towns on noise grounds. In any case, construction will not likely begin until 2010 or never. The high-speed Acela Express in West Windsor, New Jersey. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... “San Diego” redirects here. ...

Water

A now large port for oceangoing cargo ships are present in Stockton, which is connected to the San Francisco Bay by way of a deepwater channel along the San Joaquin River Delta. Congestion at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, which together account for the majority of container traffic in the United States, has led to calls for further development of the port. San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... General Information Founded December 9, 1907 Coordinates  - Latitude  - Longitude 33º4239 N 118º1459 W Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 7500 acres 4200 acres 3300 acres Available Berths 270 Vessel Arrivals 2,813 (FY 2004) Annual container volume 7. ... The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest seaport in the United States and the tenth busiest port in the world. ... Shipping containers at a terminal in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey. ...

Unlike the Sacramento River, the San Joaquin River has never been navigable much past Stockton. This was a significant factor in the San Joaquin Valley's slow 19th-century development.

Cities and counties

Cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants

• Stockton
• Bakersfield
• Fresno
• Modesto
• Visalia

Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in San Joaquin County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Nickname: Location of Bakersfield, California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Kern County Founded 1869 Government  - Mayor Harvey Hall Area  - City  131 sq mi (339. ... Fresno redirects here. ... Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in the U.S. state of California. ... Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately 230 miles southeast of San Francisco and 190 miles north of Los Angeles. ...

Cities with 20,000 to 100,000 inhabitants

• Atwater
• Ceres
• Clovis
• Dinuba
• Delano
• Hanford
• Lemoore
• Lodi
• Los Banos
• Madera
• Manteca
• Merced
• Oakdale
• Porterville
• Reedley
• Sanger
• Selma
• Tracy
• Tulare
• Turlock
• Wasco

Atwater is a city located in Merced County, California. ... Ceres is a city located in Stanislaus County, California. ... Pollasky Avenue, Old Town Clovis Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, adjacent to the larger city of Fresno. ... Dinuba is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. ... Delano is a city located in Kern County, California. ... Location in Kings County and the state of California Country State County Kings Government  - Mayor Joaquin D. Gonzalez  - Vice Mayor David G. Ayers  - City Manager Gary Misenheimer Area  - City  13. ... Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. ... Lodi (IPA: ) (LOW-dye) is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. ... Los Banos is a city in Merced County, California, near the junction of California State Route 152 and Interstate 5. ... Madera is the county seat of Madera County, California. ... Nickname: The Family City Location of the City of Manteca, California Coordinates: Suburban Manteca Government  - Mayor Willie Weatherford Area  - City 41. ... Merced (pronounced Mer-SED), is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. ... Oakdale is a city located in Stanislaus County, California. ... Porterville is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. ... Reedley is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. ... Sanger is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. ... Selma is a city in Fresno County, California. ... 11th Street and Central Avenue, Tracy Tracy is a city in San Joaquin County, California, in the United States. ... Tulare (pronounced: ) is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. ... Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. ... Wasco is a city located in Kern County, California. ...

Cities With Less Than 20,000 Inhabitants

• Waterford
• Exeter
• Pixley
• Lindsay
• Farmersville

Waterford is the 8th largest city of the 9 incorporated cities in Stanislaus County, California, United States. ... Exeter is a city located in Tulare County, California. ... Pixley is a census-designated place located in Tulare County, California. ... Location of Lindsay, California Lindsay is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. ... Farmersville is a city located in Tulare County, California. ...

List of counties

• San Joaquin
• Fresno
• Kern
• Kings
• Madera
• Merced
• Stanislaus
• Tulare

San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. ... Kern County is a county located in the southern Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. ... Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, southeast of Fresno County. ... Madera County is a county of California, located in the Central Valley north of Fresno County. ... Merced County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. ... Stanislaus County is a county located in Californias California Central Valley, between Stockton and Fresno. ... Tulare County is a county located in U.S. state of Californias Central Valley, south of Fresno. ...

Other related articles

• List of California rivers
• San Joaquin (soil)

The following is a partial listing of rivers in the state of California, United States of America. ... San Joaquin soil profile San Joaquin is an officially designated state insignia, the State Soil of California. ...

References

	v • d • e State of California Sacramento (capital)
Topics	Climate | Culture | Districts | Economy | Elections | Geography | Government | Early History | Modern History | Politics | Californians Image File history File links Flag_of_California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ... Greetings from California, vintage large-letter postcard. ... The culture of California is a Western culture and most clearly has its roots in the culture of the United States. ... There are several different types of districts in California. ... The number of elections in California varies by year. ... Californias Yosemite Valley. ... This article continues the history of California in the years 1900 and later; for events through 1899, see History of California to 1899. ... The recent and current politics of the U.S. state of California are complex and involve a number of entrenched interests. ... This is a partial list of well-known people from California. ...
Regions	Antelope Valley | Big Sur | Cascade Range | Central Coast | Central Valley | Channel Islands | Coachella Valley | Conejo Valley | Cucamonga Valley | Death Valley | East Bay (SF) | Eastern California | Emerald Triangle | Gold Country | Great Basin | Greater Los Angeles | Inland Empire | Lake Tahoe | Los Angeles Basin | Mojave | North Bay (SF) | North Coast | Northern California | Owens Valley | The Peninsula | Pomona Valley | Redwood Empire | Russian River | Sacramento Valley | San Fernando Valley | San Francisco Bay Area | San Joaquin Valley | Santa Clara Valley | Santa Clarita Valley | Shasta Cascade | Sierra Nevada | Silicon Valley | South Bay (SF) | Southern California | Tech Coast | Tri‑Valley | Wine Country | Yosemite This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... A truck passes eastbound along the busy Highway 58 through the Antelope Valley. ... Map of Big Sur Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. ... “Cascades” redirects here. ... The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, extending from Santa Cruz in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, but centering primarily on Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. ... This article is about Californias Central Valley. ... The Channel Islands of California, also called the Santa Barbara Islands, are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California. ... The Cucamonga Valley is a region between the Los Angeles and San Bernardino areas, in San Bernardino County and Riverside County, of California, USA. It is located east of the Pomona Valley and it is a major site of wine production. ... For other uses, see Death Valley (disambiguation). ... A satellite image of the East Bay The East Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and is comprised of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. ... Eastern California is not a well-defined term. ... The Emerald Triangle is a collection of three counties in Northern California, consisting of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity. ... Gold Country (also Mother Lode Country) is a region of northeastern California famed for the mines and mineral deposits which so famously brought the 49ers west for the California Gold Rush. ... Drainage map showing the Great Basin in orange Various Definitions of the Great Basin (NPS) The Great Basin is a large, arid region of the western United States. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. ... The Inland Empire and its regions within The Inland Empire refers to the region in Southern California located in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties in the United States. ... Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. ... The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the peninsular and transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles. ... For the indigenous American tribe, see Mohave. ... San Francisco is in the foreground in this picture looking north. ... The North Coast of the U.S. state of California is a mostly rural coastline on the Pacific Ocean stretching from the city of San Francisco to the border of Oregon characterized by cliffs, hills, and tide pools. ... Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Owens Valley is the arid ranching valley of the Owens River in southeastern California in the United States. ... USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... The Pomona Valley, a part of the Inland Empire (the Pomona Valley is its own georgraphical area, and should not be bundled in with the Inland Empire. ... The Redwood Empire (also Redwood Coast or North Coast) is a region of California that stretches from San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon coast. ... The Russian River downstream of Duncans Mills The Russian River rises in the coastal mountains of Mendocino County, north of Ukiah, in Northern California. ... The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta. ... San Fernando Valley from its southwestern edge. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. ... The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. ... The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, north of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. ... This article is about the mountain range in the Western United States. ... For the Nintendo 64 game, see Space Station Silicon Valley. ... The South Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and is roughly synonymous with Silicon Valley and the Santa Clara Valley. ... This article is about the region of Southern California. ... Tech Coast is the nickname given to the Southern California region extending from Santa Barbara in the north to San Diego in the south. ... The Tri-Valley region of California is based around the San Francisco Bay Area cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and San Ramon in the three valleys from which it takes its name: Amador Valley, Livermore Valley and San Ramon Valley. ... Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain with background of the Mayacamas Mountains Wine Country is a region of Northern California in the United States that is known world-wide[1] as a premium wine-growing region since the mid-19th century. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-ee, IPA: ) is a national park located largely in Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, California, United States. ...
Metro areas	Bakersfield | Chico | El Centro | Fresno | Los Angeles–Long Beach–Glendale | Madera | Modesto | Merced | Napa | Oakland–Fremont–Hayward | Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura | Redding | Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario | Sacramento–Roseville | Salinas | San Diego–Carlsbad–San Marcos | San Francisco–San Mateo–Redwood City | San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara | Santa Ana–Anaheim–Irvine | Santa Barbara–Santa Maria | Santa Cruz–Watsonville | Santa Rosa–Petaluma | Stockton | Vallejo–Fairfield | Visalia–Porterville | Yuba City In the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas. ... Nickname: Location of Bakersfield, California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Kern County Founded 1869 Government  - Mayor Harvey Hall Area  - City  131 sq mi (339. ... Nickname: Location of Chico in California Coordinates: , Country State County Settled 1843 Founded 1860 Incorporated January 8, 1872 Government  - Mayor Andrew Holcombe  - City Council Scott Gruendl Steve Bertagna Larry Wahl Ann Schwab Mary Flynn Tom Nickell  - City Manager Area  - City 71. ... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... Fresno redirects here. ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles County Government  - Mayor Bob Foster Area  - City  65. ... Nickname: Location of Glendale within Los Angeles County and the State of California. ... Madera is the county seat of Madera County, California. ... Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in the U.S. state of California. ... Merced (pronounced Mer-SED), is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. ... Napa is the county seat of Napa County, California. ... “Oakland” redirects here. ... For the unincorporated community in Yolo County, California, see Fremont, Yolo County, California. ... Hayward is a city located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County. ... Nickname: Location in Ventura County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Ventura Government  - Mayor Dr. Thomas E. Holden Area  - City  36. ... Location in Ventura County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Ventura Settled 1875 Incorporated September 29, 1964 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Andrew P. Fox  - City manager Scott Mitnick Area [1]  - City  55. ... Coordinates: Country United States State California County Ventura Mayor Carl Morehouse Area    - City 84. ... Nickname: Location Redding in Shasta County, California Coordinates: , Country State County Settled 1873 Incorporated October 4, 1887 Government  - Mayor Dick Dickerson  - City Council Rick Bosetti Ken Murray Patrick H. Jones  - City Manager Kurt Startman Area  - City 154. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Riverside Government  - Mayor Ron Loveridge Area  - City  78. ... San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... Location in Placer County Coordinates: , County Incorporated April 10, 1909 Government  - Mayor Jim Gray[1] Area  - City 79. ... Nickname: Location of Salinas, California Country State County Monterey Government  - Mayor Dennis Donohue Area  - City 19 sq mi (49. ... “San Diego” redirects here. ... Location of Carlsbad within San Diego County, California. ... San Marcos is a city located in the northern portion of San Diego County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,977. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. ... For other uses, see San José. Nickname: Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location in Santa Clara County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Santa Clara Government  - Mayor Otto Lee Area  - City 22. ... Location of Santa Clara within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location of Santa Ana within Orange County, California. ... “Anaheim” redirects here. ... Motto: Innovation. ... Nickname: Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California Coordinates: , County Government  - Mayor Marty Blum Area  - City 111. ... Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County, California. ... For other uses, see Santa Cruz. ... Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. ... Location in Sonoma County and the state of California Country State County Sonoma Area  - City 40. ... Aerial view of Petaluma, California. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in San Joaquin County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Vallejo (pronounced IPA: in English; in the original Spanish) is a city in Solano County, California, United States. ... The Welcome to Fairfield roadside sign Fairfield Courthouse Fairfield is a city located northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA. it is approximately 45 miles from both San Francisco and Sacramento. ... Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately 230 miles southeast of San Francisco and 190 miles north of Los Angeles. ... Porterville is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. ... Town Square located in downtown Yuba City. ...
Counties	Alameda | Alpine | Amador | Butte | Calaveras | Colusa | Contra Costa | Del Norte | El Dorado | Fresno | Glenn | Humboldt | Imperial | Inyo | Kern | Kings | Lake | Lassen | Los Angeles | Madera | Marin | Mariposa | Mendocino | Merced | Modoc | Mono | Monterey | Napa | Nevada | Orange | Placer | Plumas | Riverside | Sacramento | San Benito | San Bernardino | San Diego | San Francisco | San Joaquin | San Luis Obispo | San Mateo | Santa Barbara | Santa Clara | Santa Cruz | Shasta | Sierra | Siskiyou | Solano | Sonoma | Stanislaus | Sutter | Tehama | Trinity | Tulare | Tuolumne | Ventura | Yolo | Yuba The U.S. state of California is divided into 58 counties. ... Official website: http://www. ... Alpine County is the smallest county, by population, in the U.S. state of California. ... jay is gay Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. ... Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of state capital Sacramento. ... Calaveras County is a county located in the Gold Country of the U.S. state of California. ... Colusa County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, northwest of Sacramento. ... Contra Costa County is a suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. ... Del Norte County is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of California, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. ... El Dorado County is a county located in the Gold Country of the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. ... Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. ... Glenn County is a county located in the California Central Valley north of Sacramento County. ... Humboldt County is a county located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific Ocean. ... Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, and borders both Arizona and Mexico. ... Inyo County is a county located in east-central California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite National Park. ... Kern County is a county located in the southern Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. ... Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, southeast of Fresno County. ... Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Los Angeles County is a county in California and is by far the most populous county in the United States. ... Madera County is a county of California, located in the Central Valley north of Fresno County. ... Marin County (pronounced muh-RIN) is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ... Mariposa County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. ... Islands off Mendocino A Beach in the City of Elk Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma County and west of the Central Valley. ... Merced County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. ... Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California, bounded by the state of Oregon to the north and the state of Nevada to the east. ... Mono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. ... Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. ... Napa Valley redirects here. ... Nevada County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada, in the Mother Lode country. ... Cities in Orange County Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. ... Placer County is a county located in California, USAs Sierra Nevada, in the Gold Country. ... Plumas County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ... Sacramento County is a county of the U.S. state of California. ... San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. ... San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, containing more land than each of nine states. ... San Diego County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California, along its border with Mexico. ... San Francisco redirects here. ... San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... San Luis Obispo County is a county located on the central Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. ... Official website: http://www. ... Santa Barbara County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, just west of Ventura County. ... Santa Clara County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. ... Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area, it forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. ... Shasta County is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, in the Cascade Mountains. ... Sierra County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada. ... Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Sonoma County is on the northwest coast of California, one of the northernmost parts of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, U.S. Its population at the 2000 census was 458,614. ... Stanislaus County is a county located in Californias California Central Valley, between Stockton and Fresno. ... Sutter County is a county located along the Sacramento River in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of state capital Sacramento. ... Tehama County (pronounced teh-HAY-muh) is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. ... Trinity County is a county located in northwestern California, along the Trinity River and among the Klamath Mountains. ... Tulare County is a county located in U.S. state of Californias Central Valley, south of Fresno. ... Tuolumne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Californias Sierra Nevada. ... Ventura County . ... Yolo County is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, bordered by the counties of Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter. ... Yuba County is located in the U.S. state of Californias Central Valley, north of Sacramento, along the Feather River. ...

Coordinates: 36°37′44″N 120°11′06″W / 36.62889, -120.185 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...