Fresno

Fresno is in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The city has a population estimated at 530,000 and around 1 million live in the county (2019).

Understand
Many visitors find themselves stopping in Fresno on the way to Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, or other destinations in the Sierras. The Save Mart Center at California State University, Fresno ("Fresno State") has also played host to concerts featuring high-profile acts.

Fresno's most famous son is the writer William Saroyan, after whom a local theater is named. The city has a large Hmong community.

Climate
Winter weather typically features highs around, and "extreme" lows in the low to mid 30s F, often with morning fog and sometimes frost. Rain fall is sparse and occurs exclusively in winter and early spring months. Most rain storms last less than 2 days and are often spread weeks apart. It is not uncommon to experience hail, however it is very rare to see snow fall on the valley floor. The few times it does snow, the snow rarely sticks over night. While winter temperatures can reach below freezing, most all storms feature "warm fronts" that more or less eliminate the chance for snow (mid to low 40s F is a typical "cold" rain storm).

Summer temperatures average in the mid-90s F. Days with high temperatures or above are not uncommon. Humidity is only around 20% in the afternoon, though, making for a more bearable dry heat. The chance to find over 110° days commonly occurs beginning late July and continuing to mid August. During these days the low nighttime temperature will only get down to the mid 80s F. It is common for a heat wave to last two weeks.

By plane

 * The following airlines offer service from:
 * AeroMexico (Guadalajara)
 * Skywest dba Alaska Airlines (Portland, Seattle, San Diego)
 * Allegiant (Las Vegas)
 * American Airlines (Dallas-Ft Worth) and Skywest dba American Eagle (Phoenix and Los Angeles)
 * Skywest dba Delta Connection (Salt Lake City)
 * Frontier Airlines (Denver)
 * United Airlines (Chicago O'Hare) and Skywest dba United Express (Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco)
 * Volaris (Guadalajara Leon/El Bajio, and Morelia)

There are taxis, rideshare and hotel shuttles to bring you into town locally and long shuttles and buses for onward transport to Yosemite National Park, Hanford, Lenmore and Visalia. There are also car rental available from the airport which is the preferred method for greater flexibility in getting around. See this Link for a list of ground transport providers. The #26 bus connects the airport to downtown Fresno and the up north along N Palm Ave to Villaggio Mall while #39 bus goes west along Clinton to W Clinton and Brawey Ave in the west side of town, nowhere near downtown.

By train
Amtrak serves Fresno with six trains a day via its San Joaquin route, running south to Bakersfield and north to either Sacramento or Oakland. is in a historic Santa Fe Passenger Depot at 2650 Tulare St.

By car
Almost everybody gets to Fresno by car. The drive to Fresno takes about 3 hours from San Francisco, 3½ hours from Los Angeles, and 5½ hours from San Diego. Coming from the southern Peninsula or South Bay, most people take U.S. Highway 101 to Gilroy, State Highway 152 over Pacheco Pass and through Los Banos, then State Highway 99 south to Fresno. From the northern Peninsula, one might take highway 92 over the San Mateo Bridge ($7 toll as of 2022), to 880 North, then 580 East to 205 East to 5 North to 120 East to 99 South. From Los Angeles, take Interstate 5 north and State Highway 99 north. Fresno is accessible from the southern Central Coast by State Highway 41, usually used with State Highway 46. Fresno is the largest city in the United States without an Interstate highway running through it, but 99 provides much of that function and is slated to be upgraded to Interstate status.

By bus
Greyhound has a terminal next to Amtrak in downtown Fresno. Exercise caution in this area at night.


 * Flixbus, runs service along the 99 corridor.
 * V-Line runs six times a day between Visalia, Fresno airport, the university, and downtown Fresno.
 * KART, runs twice a day, weekdays, to Hanford.
 * Fresno County Rural Transit, runs service out to the small communities in Fresno County. Schedules vary.
 * Fresno County Rural Transit, runs service out to the small communities in Fresno County. Schedules vary.

By car
As is typical in California Central Valley cities, a car is useful and often necessary to access most parts of town. Traffic congestion in Fresno is not as bad as larger places in California, but Shaw and Herndon avenues can get quite crowded, especially since there is no east-west freeway through the north side. CA-99 runs along the west side of the city, becoming semi-rural before exiting Fresno County on the northwest side of Fresno. CA-41 runs down the middle of the city. Until the late 1990s and early 2000s these were the only freeways in Fresno, but a surge in growth has spurred the development of the CA-180 and CA-168 freeways.

By bus
There is a modest bus system, Fresno Area Express (FAX), but a car would be advised. The city has a bus rapid transit line.

By bike
In 2011, Fresno became the first town or city in the Central Valley to earn a Bronze Medal Designation from the League of American Bicyclists, recognizing Fresno as a bicycle friendly community. The city is expanding its bike lanes further in an effort to improve bike access.

Eat
River Park Plaza contains many popular chain restaurants, including The Elephant Bar and Yoshino's Sushi House. For a large and diverse concentration of local establishments, head to the (Tower District). There are also many notable restaurants sprinkled elsewhere throughout the Fresno area.



Drink
Night life in Fresno is great if you're in the right areas.





Stay safe
Crime presents considerable concerns in Fresno. As a rule of thumb, travellers should exercise increased caution in parts of the city located south of Shaw Avenue.

Homeless people are known to congregate near the city's so-called Chinatown area, across the railroad tracks from Chukchansi Park. The area also suffers from a high crime rate. Caution should be exercised when visiting the area.

Avoid the southeastern part of the city at night due to high crime rates.

Unlike other parts of California, earthquakes of any magnitude are infrequent in Fresno and surrounding areas. If felt, the quakes tend to cause very little (if any) damage.

Cope

 * Woodward Park is a large grassy park on the north side of Fresno, on Friant Road. There is an entry fee of $5 per car,but if you get there early enough (usually before 7AM) there is no charge.
 * Roeding Park is another large park in southwest Fresno. It contains the Chaffee Zoo and small amusement parks Storyland and Playland. It has the same $5 entry fee.

Consulates

 * 🇸🇻 El Salvador


 * 🇲🇽 Mexico

Go next
The adjacent town of Clovis has a small "old town" with numerous antique stores. The last weekend of April the town hosts the Clovis Rodeo.

Millerton Lake is about 20 miles northeast of Fresno on Friant Road. It's a popular site for fishing and waterskiing.

Many locals escape the summer heat at the lakes in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. These lakes have recreation areas, campgrounds, and bed and breakfasts:
 * Shaver Lake (with nearby Sierra Summit ski resort)
 * Huntington Lake
 * Bass Lake
 * Pine Flat Lake