The area now known as Fresno County was the traditional homeland ofYokuts andMono peoples, and was later settled by Spaniards during a search for suitable mission sites. In 1846, this area became part of the United States as a result of theMexican-American War.
Fresno County was formed in 1856 from parts ofMariposa,Merced andTulare counties.Fresno isSpanish for "ash tree"[9] and it was in recognition of the abundance of the shrubby local ash,Fraxinus dipetala, growing along theSan Joaquin River that it received its name. Parts of Fresno County's territory were given toMono County in 1861 and toMadera County in 1893. The originalcounty seat was along the San Joaquin River inMillerton, but was moved to the rapidly growing town of Fresno on the newly built Southern Pacific Railroad line. A special election was held on March 23, 1874, to decide if Millerton should remain the County Seat or if the County Seat should be moved to another location. Fresno won the election that day and became the new Fresno County Seat.
The settling of Fresno County was not without its conflicts, land disputes, and other natural disasters. Floods caused immeasurable damage elsewhere and fires also plagued the settlers of Fresno County. In 1882, the greatest of the early day fires wiped out an entire block of the city of Fresno, and was followed by another devastating blaze in 1883.
At the same time residents broughtirrigation, electricity, and extensiveagriculture to the area. In 1865,William Helm brought his sheep to Fresno county, which was then a vast space of open land. Helm was the largest individual sheep grower in Fresno County. Moses Church developed the firstcanals, called "Church Ditches", forirrigation. Thesecanals allowed extensive cultivation ofwheat. Francis Eisen, leader of the wine industry in Fresno County, also began theraisin industry in 1875, when he accidentally let some of his grapes dry on the vine. Anthony Easterby and Clovis Cole developed extensive grain and cattle ranches. These and other citizens laid the groundwork for the cultivation of Fresno County – now one of the nation's leading agricultural regions. In more recent times cotton became a major crop in Fresno and the southern San Joaquin Valley, but recent drought and lower demand have lessened cotton's importance to the local economy.[citation needed]
The discovery of oil in the western part of the county, near the town ofCoalinga at the foot of theCoast Ranges, brought about an economic boom in the 1900s (decade), even though the field itself was known at least as early as the 1860s. By 1910,Coalinga Oil Field, the largest field in Fresno County, was the most richly productive oil field in California; a dramaticoil gusher in 1909, the biggest in California up until that time, was an event of sufficient excitement to cause theLos Angeles Stock Exchange to close for a day so that its members could come by train to view it. The Coalinga field continues to produce oil, and is currently the eighth-largest field in the state.[10][11]
More than thirty structures in Fresno County are on the National Register of Historic Places, including theFresno Water Tower, which once held over 250,000 US gallons (950 m3) of water for the city of Fresno, theMeux Home, andKearney Mansion Museum.[citation needed]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,011 square miles (15,570 km2), of which 5,958 square miles (15,430 km2) is land and 53 square miles (140 km2) (0.9%) is water.[12]
Fresno County consists of about 38 smaller towns including Fresno, Selma, Parlier, Clovis, Reedley, Sanger, Kerman, Kingsburg, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Calwa, Friant, Mendota, Fowler, Shaver Lake, San Joaquin, Orange Cove, Del Ray, Yokuts Valley, Auberry, Huron, Caruthers, Riverdale, Laton, Big Creek, Tranquility, Biola, Raisin City, Easton, Three Rocks, Cantou Creek, Lanare, Minkler, Mayfair, Malaga, Bowles, Monmouth, and West Park.[13][14]
Fresno County is part of theMadera AVAwine region. However, Fresno was named after two particular ash trees that grew near the town of Minkler on the Kings River, one of which is still alive and standing.[citation needed]
In October2019, theBureau of Land Management ended a five-year moratorium on leasing federal land in California to fossil fuel companies, opening 725,000 acres (1100 sq. miles; 29,000 ha) to drilling inSan Benito,Monterey, and Fresno counties.[17]
Fresno County, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The2010 United States census reported that Fresno County had a population of 930,450.[citation needed] The racial makeup of Fresno County was 515,145 (55.4%)White, 49,523 (5.3%)African American, 15,649 (1.7%)Native American, 89,357 (9.6%)Asian (3.3% Hmong, 1.7% Asian Indian, 1.0% Filipino, 0.8% Laotian, 0.6% Chinese, 0.5% Japanese, 0.5% Cambodian, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.2% Korean, 0.1% Pakistani, 0.1% Thai), 1,405 (0.2%)Pacific Islander, 217,085 (23.3%) fromother races, and 42,286 (4.5%) from two or more races. There were 468,070Hispanic orLatino residents of any race (50.3%).[32] 46.0% of Fresno County's population was of Mexican descent; 0.7% Salvadoran, and 0.3% of Puerto Rican origin.
As of thecensus[33] of 2000, there were 799,407 people, 252,940 households, and 186,669 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 134 people per square mile (52 people/km2). There were 270,767 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 54.3%White, 5.3%Black orAfrican American, 1.6%Native American, 8.1%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 25.9% fromother races, and 4.7% from two or more races. 44.0% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. In terms of ancestry, the county was 7.5%German, 6.6%Irish, 6.3%English ancestry according toCensus 2000. 59.3% spokeEnglish, 31.5%Spanish and 3.1%Hmong as their first language.
There were 252,940 households, out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% weremarried couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.59.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.1% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,725, and the median income for a family was $38,455. Males had a median income of $33,375 versus $26,501 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,495. About 17.6% of families and 22.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 31.7% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Fresno County is also known for having the highest rate ofchlamydia in the state. In 2006 it had 545.2 cases per 100,000 people, compared with the statewide average of 363.5.
TheGovernment of Fresno County is defined and authorized under theCalifornia Constitution,law, and the Charter of the County of Fresno. Much of the Government of California is in practice the responsibility of county governments, such as the Government of Fresno County. The County government provides countywide services such as elections and voter registration, law enforcement, jails, vital records, property records, tax collection, public health, and social services. In addition the County serves as the local government for all unincorporated areas.
The County government is composed of the elected five-member Board of Supervisors, several other elected offices including theSheriff,[37] District Attorney, Assessor-Recorder, Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, and Clerk/Registrar of Voters, and numerous county departments and entities under the supervision of the County Administrator. As of January 2025[update], the members of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors are:[38]
The Fresno County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for all of Fresno County and its population of approximately of 994,400 residents. They operate theFresno County Jail in downtown Fresno. The department provides police patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county which encompasses approximately 250,000 residents, or 25% of the county's total population. The department also provides law enforcement services by contract with the city ofSan Joaquin, population 4100.
Fresno County's voter registration shows a plurality ofDemocratic voters.[39]Presidential elections have been competitive in recent decades. In2020,Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate sinceLyndon Johnson in1964 to win a majority of the vote in Fresno County, only forDonald Trump to become the first Republican in 20 years to win the county just four years after Biden's victory.
The cities ofClovis,Coalinga, andKingsburg are considered solidly Republican, while the city of Fresno itself is split. The most Republican areas of Fresno are along theSan Joaquin River bluffs, while southern Fresno itself is considered heavily Democratic. Most smaller cities in Fresno such asFirebaugh,Selma, andSanger are split, with Democratic-leaning urban centers and Republican-leaning exteriors. Unincorporated Fresno County, as well as its mountain communities, are considered heavily Republican.[40]
According to theCalifornia Secretary of State, in October 2012, there were 410,188 registered voters in Fresno County. 158,267 (38.6%) were registered Republican, 164,663 (40.1%) were registered Democratic, 19,841 (4.8%) are registered with other political parties, and 67,417 (16.4%) declined to state a political party.[citation needed] Republicans have a plurality or majority of voter roll registration in the cities of Clovis, Coalinga, Kingsburg, Reedley, and the unincorporated areas. The other cities and towns have Democratic pluralities or majorities.
From Fresno County's incorporation in 1856, it voted Democratic in every election until1904, when PresidentTheodore Roosevelt stood for re-election. Fresno County backed Roosevelt over his Democratic opponentAlton B. Parker. This did not immediately change the county's voting tendencies, however. It supported southern DemocratWoodrow Wilson in the elections of1912 and1916.
Fresno County was generally Republican from the onset of the "roaring 1920s" until the Great Depression, when PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt forged the New Deal Coalition that benefitted the agrarian county. From1932 to1976, the county consistently votedDemocratic, barringRichard Nixon's landslide victory over former SenatorGeorge McGovern (D-SD) in1972.
With PresidentJimmy Carter's defeat byRonald Reagan, Fresno became a GOP-leaning swing county. It barely favored Reagan's successor (then) vice presidentGeorge H. W. Bush in1988. Fresno would narrowly vote Democratic forBill Clinton in1992, marking the first time that Democrats won the county since Jimmy Carter in1976. Republicans won elections in Fresno County by increasing margins from1996 to2004, then again in2024.
United States presidential election results for Fresno County, California[41][note 1]
Fresno tends to remain socially conservative but more moderate on economic issues, which can be seen in Fresno's support for both socially conservative proposition amendments and Democratic candidates in presidential elections, especially if economic times are poor. In contrast, gubernatorial elections are considered safe for Republicans in the county. It voted "Yes" in the2021 gubernatorial recall election and has voted for the Republican gubernatorial candidate in every election since1978.
Agriculture is the primary industry in Fresno County.[51] 1.88 million acres (0.76 million hectares; 7,600 square kilometres; 2,940 square miles) are under cultivation, almost half the total county area of 3.84 million acres (1.55 million hectares; 15,500 square kilometres; 6,000 square miles).[51] Ag production totaled $7.98 billion in 2017, making it the number one agricultural county in the nation.[51] Over 300 differentcrops are grown here.[51] Major crops and livestocks include:
Pistachio production in the United States was 523,900 MT in 2021, with 40% of that number being from Fresno, California.[56][57]
The peach harvest was worth $264,139,238 in 2017.[51]
Fresno is the second highest cotton producer in the state, harvesting 223,443bales in 2017.[58] This is a close second to neighboringKings.[58]
Due to its tremendous agricultural success, the county also has a tremendous problem withglyphosate resistance.[59] Okadaet al., 2013 finds a high degree of resistance in Marestail (Conyza canadensis).[59]
California Health Sciences University is a private university established in 2012. It currently offers a College of Pharmacy and College of Osteopathic Medicine and is committed to health sciences research and improving the access and delivery of quality health care in the San Joaquin Valley.
^U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001.U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
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