Fresno, California

Fresno
Coordinates: 36°45′N 119°46′W / 36.750°N 119.767°W / 36.750; -119.767
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyFresno
RegionSan Joaquin Valley
Railway stationMay 1872
IncorporatedOctober 21, 1885
Named afterSpanish for "ash tree"
Government
  TypeStrong Mayor
  MayorJerry Dyer (R)
  Council PresidentMike Karbassi
  Council Vice PresidentMiguel Arias
  City council
Members
  • D1: Annalisa Perea
  • D2: Mike Karbassi
  • D3: Miguel Arias
  • D4: Tyler Maxwell
  • D5: (vacant)
  • D6: Nick Richardson
  • D7: Nelson Esparza
  City managerGeorgeanne White
Area
  City
116.00 sq mi (300.43 km2)
  Land114.79 sq mi (297.30 km2)
  Water1.21 sq mi (3.13 km2)  1.04%
Elevation
308 ft (94 m)
Population
 (2020)
  City
542,107
  Rank89th in North America
34th in the United States
5th in California
  Density4,722.60/sq mi (1,823.43/km2)
  Urban
717,589 (US: 61st)
  Urban density4,510.0/sq mi (1,741.3/km2)
  Metro
1,164,909 (49th)
DemonymFresnan
Time zoneUTC−08:00 (Pacific)
  Summer (DST)UTC−07:00 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
93650, 93701–93712, 93714–93718, 93720–93730, 93737, 93740, 93741, 93744, 93745, 93747, 93750, 93755, 93760, 93761, 93764, 93765, 93771–93779, 93786, 93790–93794, 93844, 93888
Area code559
FIPS code06-27000
GNIS feature IDs277606, 2410546
Websitefresno.gov

Fresno (/ˈfrɛzn/ ; Spanish for 'Ash tree') is a 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.

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 third-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States with 50.5% of its population being Hispanic in 2020.