Fresno, Calif.

Mayor: Ashley Swearengin (to 2013)

City Manager: Mark Scott

2010 census population (rank): 494,665 (34); Male: 243,124 (49.1%); Female: 251,541 (50.9%); White: 245,306 (49.6%); Black: 40,960 (8.3%); American Indian and Alaska Native: 8,525 (1.7%); Asian: 62,528 (12.6%); Other race: 111,984 (22.6%); Two or more races: 24,513 (5.0%); Hispanic/Latino: 232,055 (46.9%). 2010 population 18 and over: 345,842; 65 and over: 46,101 (9.3%); Median age: 29.3.

2005 population estimate (rank): 461,116 (36)

See additional census data

Land area: 104 sq mi. (269 sq km);

Alt.: 328 ft.

Avg. daily temp.: Jan., 45.7° F; July, 81.9° F

Churches: 450 (approximate);

City-owned parks: 38 (690 ac.);

Radio stations: AM, 11¹; FM, 13¹; Bilingual 1;

Television stations: 8¹

Civilian Labor Force (MSA) Sept. 2011: 337,200;

Unemployed (Sept. 2011): 14.9%;

Per capita personal income (MSA) 2010: $19,835

Chamber of Commerce: Fresno Chamber of Commerce, 2331 Fresno St., Fresno, CA 93721

1. Metropolitan area.

Fresno is located in central California, 184 mi southeast of San Francisco and 222 mi northwest of Los Angeles. It is the seat of Fresno County. Fresno was incorporated as a city in 1885.

Fresno began as a station for the Central Pacific Railroad in 1872 and was made the seat of Fresno County in 1874. The city's name is Spanish for the ash trees that the early explorers found in the area.

Fresno is a leading agribusiness hub, with 250 different crops produced by 7,500 farmers on 1.9 million irrigated acres, worth $3 billion a year. Fresno County's top agricultural products are grapes, cotton, tomatoes, cattle and calves, and turkeys.

The city is also a distribution and manufacturing center. Its diverse industries include agricultural chemicals, farm equipment, canned fruit and vegetables, clothing, computer software, electric wire, pumps, glass, and plastic products.

See also Encyclopedia: Fresno.