Merced

Formed April 19, 1855 (39^th county)

Merced County (281,202), Merced (86,370)

The concrete Modern style structure replaced the wonderful 1875 courthouse.  Nacht and Lewis provided the designs for this 2005 courthouse.  It is located on N Street between 22^nd and 23^rd streets.  A Courts Building was added in 1949 and an Administration Building was added in 1974.  California State Highway 99 is eight blocks to the southwest of the courthouse.  Snelling was the home to the 1857 courthouse with Merced taking the county seat in 1872.  April 19, 1855 was when Merced County originated from Mariposa County as the 39^th county.  The county and county seat are named for the river which is Spanish for “mercy.” 

The area of the county is 1929 square miles.  It is 26 out of 58 in the state.  It ranks 24 out of 58 in population in the state.  It has a density of 145.8 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 58 in the state.  Merced County has 67.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 enters from the north, Stanislaus County and exits to the south, Fresno County.  The San Joaquin River crosses the western part of the county and the Merced River crosses the northern part of the county.  The county is a flat rectangle lying at a 45-degree angle.  This county is in the Merced Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Merced County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, controller, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Nine Superior Court Judges, clerk, and counsel serve Merced County (judicial.)  San Jose, California is west, Stockton, California is northwest, and Fresno, California is southeast of the county.  The county center is 14.6 miles West-Southwest of Merced nearer Atwater.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Stanislaus, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, San Benito, and Santa Clara counties.  Merced is slightly north of the county’s center.  Merced is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 30.7% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced MUR-SED.