Fresno, California

F resno is a city in, and the county seat of, Fresno County, California, located in the center of the San Joaquin Valley, which is the southern portion of California’s Central Valley. Named for the abundant ash trees lining the San Joaquin River, Fresno was founded in 1872 as a railway station of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was incorporated in 1885. Today, the city of approximately 530,000 is an economic hub of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley, with much of the surrounding area predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production. Major crops in Fresno County include grapes, almonds, cotton, peaches, and nectarines with combined annual sales in excess of $3 billion. Fresno has had an ethnic mix from its earliest years with Chinese railroad workers and Scandinavian farmers joined by Germans from Russia, Japanese, and Armenians, and by the early 20th century, a large Hispanic population. There are now more than 70 ethnic groups in the metropolitan area. For most of its history, this 112-square-mile city has grown from the center outward – its surrounding farmland continually giving way to more development. “The City of Fresno has for many, AT A GLANCE FRESNO, CALIFORNIA WHAT: A city of 530,000 WHERE: In Fresno County, California, in the center of the San Joaquin Valley WEBSITE: www.fresno.gov rnia ROOM TO GROW