CA · Fresno County · 542,107 (2020) · 34th-largest US city · Pacific time
Fresno, California
Fresno lies in the middle of California's San Joaquin Valley, almost exactly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is the largest inland city in California and the thirty-fourth in the United States.
- State
- California
- County
- Fresno County
- Population (2020)
- 542,107
- Rank
- 34th in the US
- Coordinates
- 36.74°N, 119.79°W
- Time zone
- Pacific
- Metro area
- about 1.0 million
- State capital
- No – Sacramento
Where Fresno is
Fresno is at 36.74°N, 119.79°W in Fresno County, of which it is the county seat. The city covers about 115 square miles of flat valley floor at roughly 310 feet above sea level, surrounded on all sides by irrigated farmland — Fresno County is the most productive agricultural county in the United States. The Sierra Nevada foothills begin 30 miles east and the Coast Ranges 50 miles west. Fresno is the largest city in the San Joaquin Valley and the nearest big city to Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks. Sacramento, the state capital, is 170 miles northwest; Los Angeles 220 miles south and San Jose 150 miles northwest.
Population and rank
The 2020 Census counted 542,107 residents, ranking Fresno 34th in the US — just 522 behind Tucson — and fifth in California after Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco. The Fresno metropolitan area is Fresno County and holds about 1.0 million people; with the neighbouring Madera and Visalia metros the central valley urban region exceeds 1.6 million. Fresno grew about 9 percent between 2010 and 2020.
Geography
- San Joaquin River — flows past the north edge of the city on its way from the Sierra to the Delta and San Francisco Bay; Friant Dam, 15 miles northeast, diverts most of its water into irrigation canals.
- Kings River — 15 miles southeast, another Sierra river that once fed Tulare Lake, now farmed.
- Sierra Nevada — the range rises from the foothills to peaks above 13,000 feet within 70 miles; Kings Canyon is the deepest canyon in North America. See the Sierra Nevada map.
- Valley climate — hot, dry summers, winter tule fog and some of the worst air quality in the country because the valley traps pollution.
Nearest large cities
Fresno is three to four hours from either Los Angeles or the Bay Area on Highway 99 and Interstate 5. Distances are approximate road miles from downtown.
| City | State | Road distance (mi) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | CA | 150 | NW |
| Sacramento | CA | 170 | NW |
| San Francisco | CA | 190 | NW |
| Los Angeles | CA | 220 | S |
| Las Vegas | NV | 400 | E |
Is Fresno the state capital?
No. California's capital is Sacramento, 170 miles up the Central Valley to the northwest. Fresno was founded by the Central Pacific Railroad in 1872 and has never been a seat of state government. It is the seat of Fresno County and the fifth-largest city in the state.
Related maps
- California map — the state with its 58 counties.
- Sacramento — the state capital.
- US cities map.
- Sierra Nevada and national parks maps.
- Nearby cities: San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles.
- Pacific division · Pacific Time Zone.