Introduction
Fresno is located in central California on the San Joaquin Valley. It is one of the largest cities in California and the natural beauty is everywhere in the city. Fresno has derived its name from the Spanish word for ash tree that flourished on its riverbanks. The snow capped mountain “Sierra Nevada” rises on its western part while the flat fertile low-lying agricultural plain subsides in the east to form agricultural plains (Bloom Trail). Agriculture is the backbone of economy and the orchard fills the landscape outside the city and peach, nectarine, almond, orange and palm orchards are found when one takes a tour across the area.
The early inhabitants of this area were here between 7,000 and 50,000 years ago and the first European settlers found Yokut tribes in this river valley of San Joaquin and the kings. The Monache tribe also settled here. But the population of Fresno now exceeds 786,000 and includes Basque, Asian, Indian, Armenian, Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese, among its residents. The county attracts farmers, Ranchers, and other immigrants to settle down here.
Beside its rich agricultural ground, Fresno is the home of unique natural features in its massive park system. The giant Sequoia tree, an oldest living thing on the earth is found in the Sequoia National Park in the country. Fresno’s large public parks are Woodward Park and Roeding Park.
Fast Facts
- Location: Fresno is sixth-largest city in California and the natural beauty is everywhere in the city. Fresno is located at 36°47' North, 119°48' West, in central California on the San Joaquin Valley. Its Zip Code is 937xx.
- Total area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the total area of the city is 271.4 Km.sq or 104.8 square miles. And 104.4 square miles of it is land and .4 square miles of it is water. Thus the total area is 0.42% water. It is the largest inland city in the state
- Population: As per information of 2000 census, the total population of the city is 427,652 with 140,079 households and 97,915 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,097.7/square miles. The racial makeup of the city is 50% white, 11.23% Asian, 8.36% Black, 1.58% Native American and 0.14%Pacific Islanders. The 23.36% of the population is from other races and 5.16% are from two or more races.
- Housing Units: At an average population density of 1,427.9/square miles there are 149,025 housing units. Out of this 40.4% are children under 18 years of age, 46.1% are married couples, 17.6% are females with no husbands, and 30.1% are non-families. The average household size is 2.99 and the average family size is 3.57.
- Medium Household Income: The medium income for a household in the city is $32,236 and that of a family is $35,892. Moreover the medium income of male is $32.279 versus $26,551 for female. The per capita income of the city is $15,000.Of the total populations 36.2% of those under the age of 18 and 10% of those are 65 and above are living below poverty line.
- Average annual rainfall and temperature: The average annual rainfall is 0.95 inches. The temperature in the winter months falls to 38°F and summer temperature rises to 96°F approximately.