FRESNO CALIFORNIA Fast Fresno Facts
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
FRESNO
CALIFORNIA
Fast Fresno Facts
• Centered in the World’s 6th Largest Economy
• California’s 5th Largest City
• Metro GDP - $38.8 Billion
• Birthplace of High-Speed Rail in the U.S.
• Fresno is Spanish for “Ash Tree”
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About Fresno............................. 3 Location & Infrastructure........... 12
Mayor Lee Brand...................... 4 Logistics.................................... 13
Demographics.......................... 5 Transportation.............................. 14
Workforce................................ 6 Housing Market........................... 15
Higher Education.................... 7 Recreation & Tourism................... 16
Top Employers.......................... 8 Weather...................................... 18
Business Activity....................... 9
2
ABOUT FRESNO
History
The City of Fresno’s history stretches back to the years following the 1849 California Gold Rush. Fresno County was formed in
1856 and was named after the abundant ash trees found along the banks of the San Joaquin River. The tiny town of Millerton,
which sat along the banks of the San Joaquin River, was the first county seat.
A little more than a decade later, A.Y. Easterby purchased land in what is today southeast Fresno in a part of town known as
Sunnyside. In 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad established a station near Easterby’s farm for the new Southern Pacific line.
Leland J. Stanford, a director for the railroad, is credited with selecting the site of the new station. Not long after, a store was
built and the town of Fresno Station – later to be called Fresno – was born.
Fresno became an incorporated city in 1885. In 1890, its population was
10,818. By 1940, it was more than 60,000. The real boom came after
World War II, when the population went from 91,669 in 1950 to 354,202 in
1990. Today, the population is more than 525,000 with a metropolitan area
population of more than 1 million people.
The area has had an ethnic mix from the earliest years with Chinese railroad
workers and Scandinavian farmers joined by Germans from Russia, Japanese
and Armenians and by the early 20th century a large Hispanic population.
There are now more than 70 ethnic groups in the metropolitan area.
From the start, agriculture was the backbone of the local economy. Major crops include grapes, almonds, cotton, peaches
and nectarines. Now, though, Fresno is diversifying into distribution and e-commerce, as well as growing its manufacturing
base. It also has a budding technology sector. When the high-speed rail line is finished to San Jose, it is expected that Fresno
will boom with not only Silicon Valley commuters, but also Bay Area tech businesses who will find this region attractive for
expansion.
Government
The City of Fresno has a “Strong Mayor” form of government. The City Charter designates the Mayor as the Chief Executive
Officer and the City Council as the legislative branch. If the City was a private corporation, it would be one of the largest
employers in Central California. Council members would be the equivalent of the board of directors.
The Mayor has veto powers and the authority to draft and propose a budget. The Mayor also appoints a Chief Administrative
Officer – or City Manager – who is responsible for appointing department heads and overseeing the day-to-day operations
of the city. Earlier this year, Brand named Wilma Quan-Schecter as City Manager. Quan-Schecter officially took over in July,
becoming the first female City Manager in Fresno’s history.
3
MAYOR LEE BRAND
Lee Brand is the 25th Mayor of the City of Fresno. He won the seat in the November
2016 election and was sworn into office on January 3, 2017.
Brand grew up poor in Fresno’s southeast area. He was the middle child who grew up
surrounded by his mother and her extended Italian family. Brand’s maternal grandfather
Ralph immigrated from an Italian village and ended up in Fresno. After an Army stint he
settled down and sent for a mail-order bride from Italy.
After struggling as a youth, Brand earned an undergraduate degree – graduating
summa cum laude – from California State University, Fresno, and a graduate degree in
public administration from the University of Southern California.
In the late 1970s, he began dabbling in real estate. Eventually, he co-founded Westco
Equities, Inc., a property management/construction firm which he owned and operated
for 29 years. Brand sold his interest in the business when he became mayor. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker, a licensed
General Contractor and a Certified Property Manager.
Before becoming Mayor, Brand served as City Council President, Chairman of the Redevelopment Agency and as a
Commissioner on the Fresno City Planning Commission. During his eight years representing District 6 on the City Council, Brand
authored and successfully passed more than twenty legislative initiatives, which regulate fiscal responsibility, accountability,
and transparency, in addition to such initiatives as the Water Conservation Act and the School Liaison Act.
Brand’s mayoral goals are led by economic development, with its cornerstone ten year “Path to Prosperity,” which will ultimately
bring 10,000 new jobs to Fresno by 2027. Other priorities are public safety, water supply and quality, and addressing poverty
and homelessness. His public safety goal is to at least 1,000 sworn police officers in the City of Fresno.
Mayor Brand celebrating the 207th anniversary of Mexican independence
with local students at City Hall.
4
DEMOGRAPHICS
Since the 2010 census, the population of Fresno County has grown by 3.6 percent. According to
California Department of Finance population projections, the county will grow to over 1 million residents
by the year 2020.
Source: California Department of Finance
DIVERSITY
Fresno County is a geographically and culturally Projected Growth Rates
diverse county encompassing nearly 6,000
square miles. With 15 incorporated cities, Population (2015-2030)
ranging from a few thousand in population to Fresno County 22.4%
the 5th largest city in the state, the county is able California 13.4%
to suit a wide variety of industries.
Population (2017)
Fresno County 995,975
Clovis 110,762
Coalinga 16,982
Firebaugh 8,202
Fowler 6,091
Fresno* 525,832
Huron 7,186
Kerman 14,614
Kingsburg 12,338
Mendota 11,828
Orange Cove 9,369 Fresno State Partners with the University of
Parlier 15,500 Guadalajara on Pilot Study Abroad Program
Reedley 26,152
Acknowledging the growing importance between
Sanger 26,412 Fresno and Guadalajara, the University of Guadalajara
San Joaquin 4,070 offered ten Fresno State students scholarships for a
Selma 25,156 summer study abroad program in Guadalajara during
*5th largest city in California by population the 2016 academic year.
FACT: 49% of Fresno metro area residents are of Mexican heritage
5
WORKFORCE
Current labor and industry information Fresno County Labor Force 449,100
along with occupational industry Employed 411,400
projections for the Fresno Metropolitan Unemployed 37,700
Statistical Area (MSA) Unemployment Rate 8.4%
California Employment Development Department, June 2017
Industry Employment - Fresno MSA Top 5 Projected Growth Occupations by Occupational
Classification - Fresno MSA (2012 - 2022)
Jun ‘17 Jun ‘16 YOY YOY
Industry
Employed Employed Change Change (%) SOC
Rank Occupational Title % Growth
Total, All Code
398,800 389,800 9,000 2.3%
Industries Personal Care & Svs
1 39-0000 38.0%
Total Farm 53,300 52,000 1,300 2.5% Occupations
Total Nonfarm 345,500 337,800 7,700 2.3% Architecture & Engineering
2 17-0000 35.4%
Occupations
Mining &
400 400 0 0.0% Construction & Extraction
Lodging 3 47-0000 32.2%
Occupations
Construction 17,200 16,100 1,100 6.8%
Healthcare Support
4 31-0000 26.0%
Manufacturing 24,800 25,500 (700) (2.7%) Occupations
Trade, Trans., & Computer & Mathematical
67,000 65,000 2,000 3.1% 5 15-0000 24.8%
Utilities Occupations
Information 3,700 3,700 0 0.0% California Employment Development Department, Employment Projections by
Industry and Occupation, Feb. 2015
Financial
13,700 13,200 500 3.8%
Activities
Professional &
32,100 31,900 200 0.6%
Business Svs
Top 5 Projected Growth Industries by
Educational &
65,700 63,800 1,900 3.0% Employment - Fresno MSA (2012 - 2022)
Health Svs
Leisure & Rank Industry % Growth
32,500 33,400 (900) (2.7%)
Hospitality
1 Construction 37.7%
Other Services 12,400 11,500 900 7.8%
Educational Svs, Health Care,
2 31.9%
Government 76,000 73,300 2,700 3.7% & Social Assistance
California Employment Development Department, June 2017 3 Professional & Business Svs 31.4%
4 Leisure & Hospitality 22.1%
5 Financial Activities 19.5%
California Employment Development Department, Employment Projections by
Industry and Occupation, Feb. 2015
6
HIGHER EDUCATION
Universities
Fresno State University of California, San Francisco - Fresno
Ranked as the 17th best national university by Washington Monthly, UCSF Fresno is a major clinical and educational branch of
California State University, Fresno, universally known as Fresno the UCSF School of Medicine. It is the only major campus of the
State, is the largest university in central California with a student five UCSF campuses to be located outside the city of San Francisco.
population of more than 23,000. Consisting of eight Schools UCSF is exclusively dedicated to graduate education in the health
and Colleges, Fresno State offers undergraduate, graduate, and sciences and is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading
doctoral degrees. It was the first university in the U.S. to operate a universities in medical education and research. It currently ranks as
fully licensed commercial winery. The Lyles College of Engineering the 3rd best medical school in the country for both Research and
offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the following Primary Care in the 2016 Best Medical Schools rankings released
programs: by U.S. News & World Report.
Civil Engineering • Computer Engineering California Health Sciences University
Construction Management • Electrical Engineering The first university of its kind in Fresno County, California Health
Geomatics Engineering • Mechanical Engineering Sciences University (CHSU) welcomed its inaugural College of
University of California, Merced Pharmacy class in August of 2014 in Clovis, CA. CHSU College of
UC Merced is the newest of the University of California campuses, Pharmacy is a four-year pharmacy school that provides a Doctor of
located about 50 minutes north of Fresno. The university currently Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) program. CHSU plans to open four
has a student enrollment of more than 6,200 with undergraduate more doctoral schools at their 70-acre planned master campus to
and postgraduate degrees available from three Schools, with an train health care professionals in the San Joaquin Valley. The five
additional two - School of Medicine and School of Management colleges to be housed on the main campus will include:
- planned for the near future. The School of Engineering offers College of Pharmacy • College of Medicine
undergraduate and graduate degrees in the following programs: College of Allied Health • College of Dentistry
Bioengineering • Computer Science Engineering College of Optometry
Environmental Engineering • Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering • Materials Science & Engineering
Professional & Technical Schools
Fresno Pacific University Bitwise Industries - Geekwise Academy
Fresno Pacific is a private liberal arts university located in the city
Located in Downtown Fresno, Geekwise Academy is an accelerated
of Fresno. Current enrollment exceeds 3,400 with bachelor’s and
training program for current and aspiring computer programmers
and developers. The Academy teaches students hard skills
Community Colleges currently in-demand in the technology industry with a variety of six
Clovis Community College Clovis, CA week courses that are fast-paced, rigorous, and narrowly focused.
Fresno City College Fresno, CA Selected students then participate in a 26-week internship program
that has been developed to bridge the gap between the students
Reedley College Reedley, CA and their ability to move into roles as developers in the Fresno
West Hills College, Coalinga Coalinga, CA technology industry.
West Hills College, North Center Firebaugh CA
San Joaquin College of Law Clovis, CA
Institute of Technology Clovis, CA
7
TOP EMPLOYERS
TOP 10
Top 10 Major Regional Private Employers
# Company Location Sector Employees
1. Community Medical Centers Multiple Healthcare 8,600
2. Saint Agnes Medical Center Fresno Healthcare 2,812
3. Kaiser Permanente Fresno Fresno Healthcare 2,250
4. Alorica, Inc. Multiple Call-Center 2,100
5. Cargill Meat Solutions Fresno Food Processing 1,300
6. Wawona Frozen Foods Clovis Food Processing 1,200
7. Pelco by Schneider Electric Clovis Manufacturing 1,100
8. Foster Farms Multiple Food Processing 1,100
9. Harris Ranch Beef Company Selma Food Processing 1,000
10. Aetna Healthcare Fresno Healthcare 904
8
BUSINESS ACTIVITY
Fresno Notable Opening & Expansion Announcements
2014 - 2017
Project Size New
# Company Location Type Investment $
(SF) Jobs
1. Amazon Fresno New 855,000 2,000 $200 million
2. ULTA, Inc. Fresno New 670,000 542 $110 million
3. OK Produce Fresno Expansion 314,915 100 -
4. Bitwise Industries Fresno Expansion 300,000 - $30 million
5. IFCO Systems Fresno New 204,000 80 -
6. D&H Systems Fresno Expansion 200,000 40 $9 million
7. Pana-Pacific Fresno Expansion 150,000 100 $8.3 million
8. Cargill Fresno Expansion 124,800 300 $50 million
9. Scelzi Enterprises Fresno Expansion 80,000 100 $4 million
10. JD Foods Fresno Expansion 65,000 144 $10.5 million
11. Brenntag Pacific Fresno Expansion 53,787 22 $9 million
12. Quail-T-Ruck Services Fresno Expansion 50,000 5 $2.8 million
13. Lightning Source Fresno New 50,000 25 -
14. Caylym Technologies Fresno Expansion 41,000 53 $3.5 million
15. Valley Industrial Products Fresno New 37,500 15 -
16. Fiore Di Pasta Fresno Expansion 36,000 - -
17. Baker Distributing Fresno New 24,450 10 -
18. Alfa Laval, Inc Fresno New 22,965 28 -
19. Blueline Rental Fresno New 17,500 17 -
20. Alorica, Inc. Fresno Expansion - 400 -
21. Aetna Health of California Fresno Expansion - 225 $29.1 million
22. The Gap, Inc. (Distribution Center) Fresno Expansion - 200 -
23. Betts Company Fresno Expansion - 53 $7 million
24. Producers Dairy Fresno Expansion - 50 -
25. Outback Materials Fresno Expansion - 49 $3.5 million
9
BUSINESS ACTIVITY
Selected Fresno Development Projects:
Community Medical Centers
Cancer Center: Clovis Community Medical Center is planning a $65
million facility for cancer hospital. The 9,290 square meter facility will be
one of a kind in the valley. The goal of the Cancer Center is to consolidate
all of Community’s outpatient cancer services to the new facility and will
conduct research with UCSF.
Community Regional Medical Center: A five-story, 16,722 square meter
pediatric office building in Downtown Fresno. The more than $1 billion
expansion will feature pediatric sub-specialists and outpatient services. The
expansion should be completed by the end of summer 2017.
High-Speed Rail: The nation’s first ever high-speed rail project broke
ground in Downtown Fresno in January 2015. Phase 1 of the $64 billion
California High-Speed Rail (HSR) project will connect San Francisco and Los
Angeles through the San Joaquin Valley with passenger trains traveling up
to 354 kilometers per hour. The first operational segment is expect to be
completed by 2025 and Phase 1 by 2029. Construction of the system is
currently underway in Fresno and Madera.
Downtown Fresno Station: Downtown Fresno has been
designated as the location for the first high-speed rail station. The
station will be located at Mariposa and H Streets and planning for the
station is currently underway. The City of Fresno in partnership with
the California HSR Authority is developing a master plan to include
station area designs, market feasibility analysis, a real estate development strategy, an infrastructure and financing
plan, and transportation integration plan. The Fresno Station will support and further advance Downtown Fresno’s
current revitalization efforts.
The Square at Campus Pointe: $260 million, 45 acre mixed-use development project at Fresno State. A public-
private partnership development, at full build out, Campus Pointe will have over 1 million SF of space. Currently 23,225
square meters of retail space has been constructed with anchor tenant Maya Theaters opening in April of 2015. Future phases
of the project call for office buildings, a hotel, and a senior housing project.
10BUSINESS ACTIVITY
Selected Fresno Development Projects (continued):
The Fulton Street Reconstruction Project: The Fulton Mall was one of the nation’s first pedestrian malls
constructed. Built in 1964, the mall converted Downtown Fresno’s “main” street into a pedestrian only mall. The mall and
surrounding buildings have suffered from neglect for decades. The City of Fresno held a grand reopening in October 2017
on a $20 million project to return the mall to vehicle traffic in an effort to help revitalize one of Fresno’s historic districts.
Warehouse Row Project: $13 million renovation of the historic Warehouse Row buildings in Downtown Fresno. Nearly
completed, project consists of 20,624 square meters of commercial office space.
Hotel Fresno: $23 million renovation project of Downtown Fresno’s historic Hotel Fresno. When complete, the seven-story
building will consist of 79 residential apartment units. Renovations are expected to begin in 2016.
GV Urban: GV Urban of Granville Homes, a major residential developer in Fresno, is Granville’s urban development
division focused on new, preservation, and revitalization residential development projects in Downtown Fresno. In just the
past couple of years GV Urban has completed 7 residential mixed-use projects in Downtown Fresno, with another nearing
completion. The eight projects total to nearly 270 multi-family housing units along with an additional 1,393 square meters
of retail/commercial space. GV Urban has plans for new projects as Downtown Fresno’s revitalization continues to expand.
Boardwalk at Palm Bluffs: New 6,874 square meters office complex development located in north Fresno. The new
development is part of the larger Palm Bluffs Corporate Center project, which includes 157,935 square meters of existing
occupied commercial office space.
The Marketplace at El Paseo: 45 acre retail development project located in northwest Fresno. Phase 1 of the project
has been completed, which consists of 37,161 square meters of retails space. Phase 2 of the project has an additional 32,516
square meters of retail space is currently under construction.
Hotel Projects: There are six hotel projects in the Fresno/Clovis area that have reached the permitting process.
Fresno, CA
o 92-unit hotel located on West Shaw Ave east of CA-99.
o 100-unit hotel near Herndon Ave and CA-41 with 6,200 SF event center.
o 92-unit hotel located just south of Fresno-Yosemite International Airport.
o 152-unit hotel to be located in the Campus Pointe development at Fresno State.
11LOCATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Centrally Located Fresno is centrally located between California major
markets in northern and southern California, with access to two of the state’s
major transportation corridors in freeway CA-99 and I-5.
Measure C Much of Fresno County’s road and highway improvements
are funded by Measure C, a half-cent sales tax aimed at improving the
overall quality of Fresno County’s transportation system. In its first 20
years, Measure C delivered more than $1 billion of improvements
to state highways and county roadways, including the building
of additional lanes to freeways throughout the County. As a result of the
successful original measure, Fresno County voters chose to extend
Measure C for an additional 20 years.
According to a March 2015
Brookings Institute report analyzing
the nation’s top 96 Large Metro
areas, Fresno – at 5.6 miles –
has the 7th shortest typical
commute distance in the
country.
City/Region Distance from Fresno
Silicon Valley 225 kilometers (km)
Sacramento 233 km
Los Angeles 309 km
Reno 458 km
San Diego 507 km
Las Vegas 619 km
Phoenix 933 km
12LOGISTICS
Ground Package Delivery
Transit Days from Fresno
Seattle
FedEx
Portland
Transit Days Boise
Reach over 38 million customers
1 with guaranteed next-day ground
Reno service, without the additional
2 Sacramento
San Francisco
Salt Lake
City cost of expedited shipping.
3 Las
Denver
FRESNO Vegas
4 Los Angeles
San Diego Phoenix Albuquerque
Tucson
Due to Fresno’s unique location in the middle of
the state, FedEx, UPS, and OnTrac, can reach all
of California’s major market within 1 day with
Seattle
their standard ground shipping, guaranteed.
UPS OnTrac even has the ability to reach the entire west
Portland
coast with their standard ground shipping service.
Boise
Sacramento Reno
Salt Lake
San Francisco City
Denver
Las
FRESNO Vegas
Los Angeles
Phoenix
Distances to Deep Water Ports
San Diego Albuquerque
Tucson Port km from Fresno
Seattle
Stockton 186
OnTrac Oakland 268
Portland
LA/Long Beach 688
Boise
Sacramento Reno
Salt Lake
San Francisco City
Denver
Las
FRESNO Vegas
Los Angeles
San Diego Phoenix
Tucson 13TRANSPORTATION
High-Speed Rail The nation’s very first high-
The Fresno Yosemite speed rail project broke ground in downtown
Fresno on January 2015. Our region will now
International Airport (FAT)
is located approximately nine air mark the starting point of a high-speed rail
kilometers northeast of downtown network that will one day span the entire state,
Fresno. FAT currently has direct jet beginning with the first operational segment
service to Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, between the San Joaquin Valley and Los
Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City, Dallas/ Angeles, before advancing to a 804-kilometer
Fort Worth, and Guadalajara, Jalisco (GDL). Local residents system connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles.
appreciate the ease of getting in and out of the Fresno Airport Phase 2 of the project calls for extensions to
compared to other terminals in our nation. A newly expanded
Sacramento and San Diego to complete the
terminal will enhance service even further.
entire 1,287-kilometer system.
2016 International Air Service Stats Already, the design and right-of-way phases
Fresno g Guadalajara of the first high-speed rail segment have
resulted in hundreds of hours of employment
Passengers (Arrival/Departure)..............................201,623 and millions of dollars in contracts for local
GDL Aircraft Operations (Landing/Takeoff):..........1,376
businesses. Some of the strongest voices in
Fresno County government, business, and civic
leadership, have joined a regional partnership
Freight Rail is one of the most called Fresno Works to bring the planned High-
viable transportation options for the Speed Rail Operations and Heavy Maintenance
Fresno County manufacturing and Facility (HMF) to Fresno. In addition, training
distribution/warehousing industries.
and educational programs are gearing up to
Fresno County is served by Union
Pacific (UP), BNSF, and San Joaquin
provide a skilled workforce for high-speed rail
Valley Railroad, which provides service to both UP & BNSF construction, operations, and maintenance.
lines.
14HOUSING MARKET
The most significant factor contributing to Fresno County’s
affordable cost of living is affordable housing. The relatively low The Fresno metropolitan area ranks
cost of housing in Fresno County attracts many new residents
to the region. These new residents arrive from all parts of the
#1 as the healthiest housing market
country but especially from California’s large metropolitan areas. in the U.S.
Multi-Indicator Market Index®
As the rebound effect from the housing market lows of the Great Freddie Mac
Recession begin to fade, real estate markets increasingly depend
on strong fundamentals to drive sustainable housing activity. The
Fresno housing market possesses these strong fundamentals; Median Sales Price of Homes Sold,
solid job growth, low vacancy rate, a market not overvalued, and June 2017
affordability, amongst other factors. Thanks to the presence of Region Median Price
these fundamentals, the Fresno housing market was ranked as
the healthiest in the United States entering 2016 according to a Fresno County $255,500
report issued by mortgage industry leader Freddie Mac. Clovis $323,000
Fresno $235,000
Alameda County $769,750
Berkeley $1,198,500
Oakland $719,000
Los Angeles County $569,000
Long Beach $522,500
Santa Monica $1,477,500
Sacramento County $335,000
Elk Grove $410,000
Sacramento $297,000
San Francisco $1,246,000
Santa Clara County $965,000
San Jose $830,000
Sunnyvale $1,300,000
California Home Sale Activity by City, CoreLogic,
June 2017
15RECREATION & TOURISM
A Few Ways to Take Advantage of What the Region Has to Offer
• Explore the outdoors. Not only does the Fresno metro region have three rivers that run through it, the San
Joaquin , Fresno, and the Kings, there are also three national parks nearby, including Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings
Canyon.
• Enjoy what’s in season. The region is one of the most productive farming areas in the world, take advantage. The
area is loaded with farmers markets that offer freshly picked fruits and vegetables. Many of the markets are seasonal
but the county also has several year-round markets as well.
• Taco ‘bout tacos! Fresno is the self-appointed taco capital of the state. There is a major festival devoted to the
beloved taco – The Taco Truck Throwdown – hosted by Fresno’s AAA baseball team, the Fresno Grizzlies. During this
event the Grizzlies’ alter-ego, the Fresno Tacos, make an appearance. Now in it 7th year, the popularity of the Taco Truck
Throwdown has turned this single-day event into a two-day event.
• Visit the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, a local treasure. Established in 1929, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo is located in
Roeding Park near downtown Fresno. It recently underwent a major renovation and expansion, with the addition of the
13-acre African Adventure Experience, a giraffe feeding area, and sea lion exhibit. Work is currently underway on Phase
2 of the African Adventure, which will bring back hippos along with a host of other species.
• Discover Fresno’s art scene. Along with the Arte Américas, the region’s premier Latino art gallery and cultural
center, Fresno is home to Fresno Art Museum, the African-American Historical and Cultural Museum of the San
Joaquin Valley, and Fresno County’s Historical Museum. Art Hop, one of the coolest events the city has, occurs the
first Thursday night of each month and is devoted to visiting art galleries, retailers, and restaurants featuring the work of
local artists.
• See a concert. Whether its at the Save Mart Center, which hosts the biggest names in music – i.e Rolling Stones,
Paul McCartney, Blake Shelton, Selena Gomez, Bruno Mars – or a more intimate venue, Fresno has it all. The Save
Mart Center, located at Fresno State, was ranked as the 4th best arena in the U.S. by “Venues Today” based on its
concerts and events. The intimate venues include the Woodward Park Rotary Amphitheater, the Saroyan Theatre,
Fulton 55, and Strummer’s to name a few. Fresno also has the Fresno Philharmonic and a regular schedule of touring
Broadway shows.
• Celebrate Fresno’s Latino Heritage. Between September 15 and October 15, Fresno State hosts over 20
unique events to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, including a free concert celebrating Mexican Independence Day, the
Rebozo Revival Festival, and a “Frida” movie showing to name just a few.
Big Fresno Fair Fresno Chaffee Zoo Fresno’s Vineyard Farmers Saroyan Theatre
Market
16RECREATION & TOURISM
Sports
In addition to being able to play your favorite sport nearly year-round, Fresno offers a variety of college and professional
sports teams to root for.
Fresno Grizzlies
Sport: Baseball
Type: Professional - Triple-A (affiliate of the Houston Astros)
League: Minor League Baseball - Pacific Coast League
Season: April - September
Venue: Chukchansi Park (12,500 capacity)
Grizzlies in their Fresno Tacos alternate
uniforms
Fresno Football Club (Fresno FC)
Sport: Soccer
Type: Professional - Division II (MLS affiliate TBD)
League: United Soccer League (USL) - Western Conference
Season: March - October
Venue: Chukchansi Park (8,400 capacity)
Former Bulldogs
Notable Collegiate Programs
Fresno State Bulldogs - Football
Sport: Football
Division: NCAA Division I - Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference: Mountain West (MW) - West Division
Season: August - November Derek Carr, QB - Oakland Raiders
Venue: Bulldog Stadium (41,031 capacity)
Fresno State Bulldogs - Men’s Basketball
Sport: Basketball
Division: NCAA Division I
Conference: Mountain West (MW)
Season: November - March
Venue: Save Mart Center (15,596 capacity) Paul George, SF - Oklahoma City Thunder
Fresno State Bulldogs - Baseball
Sport: Baseball
Division: NCAA Division I
Conference: Mountain West (MW)
Aaron Judge, RF - New York Yankees
17WEATHER
CLIMATE The sun shines on Fresno County 288 days a year resulting in one of the nation’s most
hospitable and Mediterranean-like climates. The average high temperature is 24.7 degrees Celsius and the
average low temperature is 10.2 degrees. Average rainfall is 292.1 millimeters. Fresno’s elevation is 308
feet but, countywide, elevations range from 100 feet to 14,248 feet at the top of the peak of North Palisade
in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.
Sunshine 288 days/year
Elevation 93.88 m Fresno truly has something
Average Rainfall 292.1 mm 1 for everyone
Prevailing Winds North, 6.4 kph
1. Fresno, CA; California Nevada River Forecast Center, Climate Station Precipitation Summary
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg. High Temp. (C) 12.55 16.38 19.44 23.55 28.61 33.16 36.83 35.78 32.67 26.5 18.5 12.61
Avg. Low Temp. (C) 3.11 4.83 6.55 8.89 12.39 15.83 18.72 17.78 15.39 10.67 5.78 2.94
Avg. Rainfall (mm) 53.10 48.26 48.00 26.16 9.14 4.06 0.25 0.25 0.15 3.81 28.70 41.65
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, 01/01/1948 to 06/09/2016 at Fresno-Yosemite Intl Airport, Fresno, CA
18You can also read
