Map of Stockton California Area
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Stockton serves as the County seat for San Joaquin County. One of California’s faster-growing communities, Stockton features an extremely diverse populace. Historically, Stockton was the land of the Yatchicumne, a tribe of Yokuts Indians.
In the nineteenth century, with the California Gold Rush, Stockton became an inland port for gold miners. At the same time, thousands of Chinese immigrants arrived in the area. Following the Gold Rush, many of these immigrants worked on the railways and land reclamation around the River Delta (Sacramento-San Joaquin).
To this day, Stockton continues to be highly diverse. In fact, in 2020, U.S. News deemed Stockton the most racially diverse city in all of America.
This article will be looking at Stockton’s location in the U.S., its size, if Stockton is a good place to live, where the best areas are to live, and what Stockton is best known for.
Where is Stockton located on the U.S. Map?
Stockton is located in Northern California in the state’s long Central Valley alongside a waterway, the San Joaquin Delta, which links to the San Francisco Bay. The city is east of San Francisco (83 miles) and south of the state capital Sacramento (45 miles).
How big is Stockton?
Stockton is a fairly large city, with a population estimated at 312,697 in 2019. It is the largest city in San Joaquin County, the 13th-largest in California, and the 62nd-largest in the U.S. As far as area, the city covers 65.25 square miles.
As it is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, it is likely that its population will continue to grow in the coming years, particularly as housing prices have risen dramatically in the nearby San Francisco Bay area.
Is Stockton a good place to live?
There are certain pros and cons to living in Stockton.
Pros
- Mild, comfortable winters
- Proximity to the Bay Area and Sacramento
- Rebuilding economy
Cons
- High cost of living and housing (like most of California)
- Relatively high crime rates
- Low education rates
Stockton continues to serve to this day as the inland port for the San Francisco Bay area. This, in addition to its location in the Central Valley along the Interstate-5 Freeway, makes Stockton one of the state’s most important hubs for transportation, distribution, and agriculture.
Hit hard by the economic recession, Stockton has made a solid comeback, particularly with the help of urban renewal projects (like in the downtown area). Employment levels have also risen in recent times. Nonetheless, it still suffers from relatively high crime rates.
The city’s mayor, Michael Tubbs, is both the first black mayor as well as the youngest ever elected (at 26 in 2016). He has been working to revitalize Stockton and casts its diversity as a strength: “For the city of Stockton to thrive,” he says, “we’re going to have to invest in everybody, but particularly those who haven’t been invested in historically—and that’s the majority of our population.”
According to bestplaces.net, Stockton boasts a score of 8.2/10 for their Climate Comfort Index, thanks in particular to its mild winters. It also features over 100,000 trees, meaning there’s plenty of shade to help get you through the hotter parts of summer.
What are the best areas to live in Stockton?
Stockton features nice suburbs near the University of Pacific campus. Some higher-rated neighborhoods include Brookside, Spanos Park, Weston Ranch, Stonewood, and Sherwood Manor.
Unfortunately, many parts of Stockton are better avoided due to their high crime rates.
What is Stockton known for?
First, some interesting facts about Stockton’s history:
- Stockton used to be known as “Tuleburg,” “Mudville,” and “Gas City” prior to becoming Stockton in 1850 during its incorporation.
- The city was named after Commodore Robert F. Stockton in honor of his service during the Mexican-American War. This made Stockton one of the first communities in California to have a non-Spanish or Native American name.
- The city hosts the state’s oldest university, The University of the Pacific (UoP), chartered way back in 1851.
- Some famous movies have been filmed in Stockton, including All the King’s Men, Cool Hand Luke, Flubber, Glory Days, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and This is Spinal Tap.
And here are some of the most famous Stocktonians:
- Dave Brubeck – jazz musician (he attended UoP)
- James H. Budd – California governor from 1895-1899
- Jose Hernandez – astronaut
- Benjamin Holt – inventor (his company became the Caterpillar company)
- Chris Isaak – musician
- Maxine Hong Kingston – novelist
- Janet Leigh – actress
- Pavement – indie rock band
- Webster M. Slaughter – NFL player
- Alex Spanos – former owner of the San Diego Chargers
- Nick and Nate Diaz – UFC fighters
Here are 5 things that Stockton is best known for
1. The University of the Pacific (known as UoP)
- As mentioned, UoP is California’s very first university, dating back to 1851. Originally in San Jose, the university relocated to the Stockton area in 1924. Their mascot is the Pacific Tigers and they compete in Division I (NCAA) athletics.
- UoP features a beautiful campus reminiscent of Ivy League schools, with brick buildings and ample greenery. It has featured in many films.
2. The weather
- The average temperature in Stockton? A balmy 75.7 degrees. Its temperate (i.e mild) climate appeals to many people, and the delta breeze keeps things feeling cooler even on hotter summer days.
- Thanks to this mild climate, people can enjoy eating outside in Stockton almost year-round.
3. The California Delta
- There are over 1,000 miles to explore throughout the Delta, and Stockton is a great place for launching your boat. Wildlife is abundant, including migratory birds, Snowy Egrets, ducks, geese, and a wide variety of fish.
4. Location
- Stockton is well known, particularly in the state of California, due to its proximity to other popular destinations: Sacramento to the north (and Lake Tahoe to the northeast), San Francisco to the West, and Yosemite to the east.
- It’s easy to get around thanks to the cross-town freeway, State Highway 4, which joins two of California’s major freeways, the I-5 and Highway 99.
5. Diversity
- Due to its rich history of immigration dating back to the nineteenth century, Stockton is incredibly diverse. Its people and restaurants reflect this diversity, meaning that pretty much any cuisine can be found.
- There are a number of annual cultural events that showcase this diversity, including the Greek Food Festival, the Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival, the Cambodian New Year Celebration, the Obon Festival, an annual Pow Wow, and much more.
