Fresno, California
Fresno (/ˈfrɛznoʊ/ ⓘ; Spanish for 'Ash') is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about 115 square miles (300 km2) and had a population of 542,107 as of the 2020 Census, making it the fifth-most populous city, in California, the most populous inland city in California, and the 34th-most populous city in the nation.[7][11][12]
"Fresno" redirects here. For other uses, see Fresno (disambiguation).
Fresno
United States
May 1872
October 21, 1885[1]
Spanish for "ash tree"
Annalisa Perea
Mike Karbassi
- Annalisa Perea
- Mike Karbassi
- Miguel Arias
- Tyler Maxwell
- Luis Chavez
- Garry Bredefeld
- Nelson Esparza
Georgeanne White[3]
116.00 sq mi (300.43 km2)
114.79 sq mi (297.30 km2)
1.21 sq mi (3.13 km2) 1.04%
308 ft (94 m)
542,107
4,722.60/sq mi (1,823.43/km2)
717,589 (US: 61st)
4,510.0/sq mi (1,741.3/km2)
1,008,654 (US: 56th)
Fresnan
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. It has since become an economic hub of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley, with much of the surrounding areas in the Metropolitan Fresno region predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production. Fresno is near the geographic center of California, approximately 220 miles (350 km) north of Los Angeles, 170 miles (270 km) south of the state capital, Sacramento, and 185 miles (300 km) southeast of San Francisco. Yosemite National Park is about 60 miles (100 km) to the north, Kings Canyon National Park 60 miles (100 km) to the east, and Sequoia National Park 75 miles (120 km) to the southeast.
Fresno is also the fourth-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States with 50.5% of its population being Hispanic in 2020.[13]
Infrastructure[edit]
Since 2010, statewide droughts in California have strained both Fresno's and the entire Central Valley's water security.[86][87] The city uses surface water from Millerton Lake and Pine Flat Reservoir to supply a pair of water treatment plants.[88]
In popular culture[edit]
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 "WWVA Jamboree" radio and television show in Wheeling, West Virginia. 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 miniseries 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.
BBC documentarian, Louis Theroux, visited Fresno, and rode with Fresno police as they dealt with the high drug usage in the city. Additionally, he interviewed many of the individuals involved in the drug scene, some languishing in their habit, and others working to overcome it. From that footage, he produced a British documentary The City Addicted to Crystal Meth, first aired on 9 August 2009.[98]
Fresno is mentioned in the 2009 animation film Monsters vs. Aliens.
The 2014 horror film Unfriended is set in Fresno along with the 2000 Motocross film Fresno smooth.
Fresno's sister cities are:[99][100]
