Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Fresno
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Fresno
Read Next
The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.
14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered
Museum of contemporary art in Los Angeles Moca - CALIFORNIA
From Gainsborough to Tansey: 7 Paintings in California
Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.
U.S. Death Toll During Major Events
The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.
26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History
Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd
Causes of the Great Depression
Discover
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Diverse elementary school children wearing school uniforms running outside of school. Boys girls
Pro and Con: School Uniforms
Fresno
Fresno Downtown Fresno, California.

Fresno

California, United States
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Fresno
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

Fresno, city, seat (1874) of Fresno county, central California, U.S. The town site—located in the San Joaquin Valley, about 190 miles (305 km) southeast of San Francisco—was settled in 1872 as a station on the Central (later Southern) Pacific Railroad. After the introduction of irrigation in the 1880s, Fresno (Spanish: “Ash Tree”) developed as an agricultural community. It processes and markets cotton, grain, fruits, wines, sugar beets, and dairy products. There is also some manufacturing. Fresno is headquarters of Sierra National Forest and is a gateway to resort areas of the Sierra Nevada. It is the home of California State University, Fresno (1911), Fresno Pacific University (1944), and a community college (1910), and a branch of the University of California, San Francisco, medical school is there. Local attractions include the Fresno Metropolitan Museum (opened 1984), which features art, history, and science exhibits; the Fresno (modern) Art Museum; Forestiere Underground Gardens, designed and built by Sicilian immigrant Baldasare Forestiere; Shinzen Japanese Garden; and Chaffee Zoo. A number of national parks and national forests, including Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia National Park, and Kings Canyon National Park, lie east of Fresno. Inc. 1885. Pop. (2010) 494,665; Fresno Metro Area, 930,450; (2020) 542,107; Fresno Metro Area, 1,008,654.

This article was most recently revised and updated by World Data Editors.