Fresno

Formed March 1, 1856 (40^th county)

Fresno County (1,008,650), Fresno (542,252)

The government appearance to the steel and glass courthouse fits into the surroundings at Tulare and M streets.  California State Highway 41 is nine blocks to the east of the site.  The facility was built in 1966 using the Modern style designs of Walter Wagner and Associates.  The City of Fresno also had the 1893 courthouse since Fresno has been the only county seat.  There is also a Hall of Records using what looks like a previous courthouse built in 1935.  There are augmenting courthouses in Clovis, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Kingsbury, Reedley, Sanger, and Selma.  Fresno County was formed on March 1, 1856 from parts of Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare counties as the 40^th county.  Fresno is Spanish for “ash tree.” 

Fresno County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, controller, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Forty-three Superior Court Judges, clerk, and counsel serve Fresno County (judicial.)  The county is in south central California, southeast of San Jose, California.  The county center is 57.6 miles Northeast of Fresno nearer Tollhouse.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Madera, Mono, Inyo, Tulare, Kings, Monterey, San Benito, and Merced counties.  A bowl tipping to the northwest best describes the shape for the county.  The San Joaquin River is the northern border and the Kings River is part of the south border.  Fresno is located near the geographic center, which at this part of the county is near the north border.  Fresno is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 53.8% of the county population.  

The area of the county is 5963 square miles.  It is 6 out of 58 in the state.  It ranks 10 out of 58 in population in the state.  It has a density of 169.2 persons per square mile making it 21 out of 58 in the state.  Fresno County has 83.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 crosses from Merced County in the northwest into Kings County in the southwest.  This county is in the Fresno Metropolitan Statistical Area.