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Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven ...
of
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in the United States. As the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of Tulare County, Visalia serves as the economic and governmental center to one of the most productive agricultural counties in the country. Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks are located in the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, the highest mountain range within the contiguous United States. Visalia is west of
Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is an American national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and today protects of forested mountainous terrain. Encompassing a vertical relief ...
, and south of Fresno.


History

The area around Visalia was first settled by the Yokuts and Mono Native American tribes hundreds of years ago. When the first Europeans arrived is unknown, but the first to make a written record of the area was Pedro Fages in 1722. When California achieved
statehood A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "st ...
in 1850, Tulare County did not exist. The land that is now Tulare County was part of the vast County of Mariposa. In 1852, some pioneers settled in the area, then called Four Creeks. The area got its name from the many watershed creeks and rivers flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. All the water resulted in a widespread swampy area with a magnificent oak forest. The industrious group of settlers petitioned the state legislature for county status, and on July 10 of that same year, Tulare County became a reality. One of the first inhabitants of a fort built by the settlers was Nathaniel Vise, who was responsible for surveying the new settlement. In November 1852, he wrote, "The town contains from 60–80 inhabitants, 30 of whom are children of school age. The town is located upon one of the subdivisions of the Kaweah River and is destined to be the county seat of Tulare." In 1853, that prediction became a reality and Visalia has remained the county seat since that time. Visalia is named for Nathaniel Vise's ancestral home,
Visalia, Kentucky Visalia was a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 111 at the 2000 census. The city government was dissolved in November 2006. Geography Visalia is located at (38.914923, -84.449698). According to the United States ...
. Early growth in Visalia can be attributed in part to the
gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
along the
Kern River The Kern River, previously Rio de San Felipe, later La Porciuncula, is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfie ...
. The gold fever brought many transient miners through Visalia along the way, and when the lure of gold failed to materialize, many returned to Visalia to live their lives and raise families. In 1859, Visalia was added to John Butterfield's Overland Stage route from St. Louis to
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
. A plaque commemorating the location can be found at 116 East Main Street. Included in the early citizens were some notorious and nasty individuals who preyed upon the travelers along the Butterfield Stage route. Many saloons and hotels sprouted up around the stage stop downtown and commerce was brisk if a bit risky. The next memorable event was the arrival of the
telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
in 1860. Visalians then could get timely information of the events taking place on the East Coast that would ultimately develop into the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
. During the war, many citizens of Visalia could not decide whether Visalia should stand on the side of the North or the South, so they simply had a mini Civil War of their own on Main Street. No one really knows the outcome of the war, but apparently it was concluded to the satisfaction of the participants and life returned to normal. The federal government, however, was not so easily convinced, and reacting to concern about sedition, banned Visalia's pro-South ''Equal Rights Expositor'' newspaper and established a military garrison. Camp Babbitt was built in 1862 to stop overt Southern support and maintain law and order in the community. During these Civil War years, Visalia was incorporated, which gave the town new rights. The second incorporation in 1874 moved Visalia into city status with a common council and an ex-officio mayor and president. In 1893, the train bandits and murderers
John Sontag John Sontag (May 27, 1861 – July 3, 1893) was an outlaw of the American West known for train robberies. Background John Sontag was the oldest son of Maria (Bohn) and Jacob Contant of Mankato, Minnesota. After the death of his father in 1867, hi ...
and Chris Evans were apprehended, badly wounded, outside Visalia in what is called the
Battle of Stone Corral The Battle of Stone Corral, also known as the Gunfight at Stone Corral, occurred in June 1893 and was the final shootout during the pursuit of the Sontag-Evans Gang. After months of searching and several previous encounters, a small posse under th ...
. Sontag died three weeks later in police custody in Fresno; Evans was sent to
Folsom State Prison Folsom State Prison (FSP) is a California State Prison in Folsom, California, U.S., approximately northeast of the state capital of Sacramento. It is one of 34 adult institutions operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehab ...
. In 1904, the
Visalia Electric Railroad The Visalia Electric Railroad, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), began as an electric interurban railroad in Tulare County, in the U.S. State of California. The railroad was incorporated on 22 April 1904. Passenger ...
was incorporated. In October 1933, Visalia was the site of a fact-finding committee appointed by Governor James Rolph and charged with investigating labor violence in the San Joaquin cotton strike. Labor activist
Caroline Decker Caroline Decker Gladstein (born Caroline Dwofsky, April 26, 1912 – May 17, 1992) was a labor activist in the 1930s in California. A member of the Communist Party, as many activists were, she was an organizer for the Cannery and Agricultural W ...
led hundreds of strikers in a march on the courthouse, and led the questioning of strikers during the investigation. In the mid-1970s, the area was known for the serial burglaries of the then unidentified Visalia Ransacker. More recently, Visalia served as a host city for the
Amgen Tour of California The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on th ...
in 2009 and 2010.


Cityscape

The city is divided into neighborhoods, some of which were incorporated places or communities. Also, several independent cities around Visalia are popularly grouped with the city of Visalia, due to its immediate vicinity. Generally, the city is divided into these areas:
Downtown Visalia Downtown Visalia is the central business district of Visalia, California, United States, which is located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The area features an array of public art and unique shopping opportunities. Th ...
, North Visalia, the Eastside, Southwest Visalia, the Industrial Area, Mooney, and the Westside. Visalia has a rich architectural history, including many extant buildings dating to the mid- to late 1800s. Throughout the town center are many historic brick structures, including the Bank of Italy (currently Bank of the Sierra) and the
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...
/ Beaux-Arts Visalia Town Center Post Office, both of which are registered with the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. In addition to many other historic buildings and Victorian houses, Visalia is also home to a distinctive Fox Theatre, which was restored by a community group known as "Friends of the Fox" and currently serves as a live venue for music and stage performances.


Geography

Visalia is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of , of which are land and 0.05% is covered by water. Visalia is located at 36°19'27" North, 119°18'26" West (36.324100, −119.307347). The highest point in the Visalia–Porterville area is Mount Whitney. Located at the far reaches of the Sierra Nevada roughly east of the city, it reaches a height of . The hilliest parts of the Visalia area are the
Venice Hills The Venice Hills are a mountain range in Tulare County, California, along the St. John's River in East Visalia. They are part of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, be ...
and the entire Sierra Nevada foothills east of the city. Four main streams run through the city. The major stream is the St. John's River, which begins at the diversion dam in the Kaweah River and is largely seasonal. The others are Mill Creek,
Cameron Creek Cameron Creek is one of the four main creeks that flow through the city of Visalia and the surrounding communities. History Cameron Creek was named after Alexander and/or Monroe Cameron.Annie R. Mitchell, Land of the Tules: The Early Years of Tu ...
, and
Packwood Creek Packwood Creek is one of the four main creeks that flow through the city of Visalia and the surrounding communities. It is a distributary of the Kaweah River The Kaweah River is a river draining the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare County, Cal ...
. Many smaller creeks also flow through the city. The
Friant-Kern Canal The Friant-Kern Canal is a aqueduct managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in Central California to convey water to augment irrigation capacity in Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties. A part of the Central Valley Project, canal const ...
runs just east of the city along the western edge of the Sierra Nevada foothills.


Geology

Visalia is subject to
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
s due to its proximity to the
Pacific Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring ...
. The geologic instability produces numerous fault lines both above and below ground, which altogether cause around 10,000 earthquakes every year. One of the major fault lines is the
San Andreas Fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that extends roughly through California. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, and its motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizontal) ...
. No major earthquakes have hit the Visalia area. Most quakes are of low intensity and are not felt. The
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven ...
and metropolitan areas are also at risk from
blind thrust earthquake A blind thrust earthquake occurs along a thrust fault that does not show signs on the Earth's surface, hence the designation "blind". Such faults, being invisible at the surface, have not been mapped by standard surface geological mapping. Sometim ...
s. Parts of the city are also vulnerable to floods.


Climate

Visalia has a
semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi ...
(''BSk'', under the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
), and receives just enough annual precipitation to stay out of Köppen's ''BWk'' (
desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in deser ...
) classification. Visalia enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 26 days with measurable precipitation annually. The period of April through October is warm to hot and dry, with typical high temperatures of and lows of . However, temperatures frequently exceed and occasionally reach . The period of November through March is mild and somewhat rainy, with high temperatures of and lows of , but temperatures could occasionally drop to high 20s (−3 °C) or be as high as for a few days during winter. Visalia averages of precipitation annually, which mainly occurs during the winter and spring (November through April) with generally light rain showers, but sometimes as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Years of average rainfall are rare; the usual pattern is
bimodal In statistics, a multimodal distribution is a probability distribution with more than one mode. These appear as distinct peaks (local maxima) in the probability density function, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Categorical, continuous, and d ...
, with a short string of dry years (perhaps ) followed by one or two wet years that make up the average. While the Sierra Nevada mountains farther east in Tulare County tend to receive snow every winter, snowfall is extremely rare in Visalia. The greatest snowfall recorded in the city was just below on January 25, 1999.


Importance of the valley oak

Visalia's Valley Oak Ordinance, adopted in 1971, regulates pruning and removing valley oak ('' Quercus lobata'') trees. The area was once a dense oak woodland and the city is trying to maintain a healthy urban forest partly through preserving Mooney Grove Park, one of the largest valley oak groves in California. Also, just outside the city limits is the Kaweah Oaks Preserve, which is a nature preserve. It protects one of the last remaining valley oak
riparian forests A riparian forest or riparian woodland is a forested or wooded area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal, sink or reservoir. Etymology The term riparian comes from the Latin word '' ...
in the San Joaquin Valley. Visalia was the home of the minor league baseball team the Visalia Oaks for almost 30 years. The team's namesake was in recognition of the city's arboreal identity and had the mascot of Oakie, and later Chatter, both gray squirrels.


Environmental issues

Owing to geography Visalia suffers from
air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...
in the form of smog, agricultural and other
particulates Particulates – also known as atmospheric aerosol particles, atmospheric particulate matter, particulate matter (PM) or suspended particulate matter (SPM) – are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. Th ...
. The Visalia area and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion, which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, manufacturing, and other sources. Unlike other cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Visalia gets only of rain each year; pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Visalia and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low emission vehicles. Particulate pollution can also be high during the winter due to frequent low-level inversions and during longer periods of dry weather. The same low-level inversions that cause high pollution levels in the winter also cause the frequent dense fog, locally known as Tule fog. As a result, pollution levels have dropped in recent decades. The number of stage 1 smog alerts has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 annual report of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the 11th-most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.People at Risk In 25 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution.
American Lung Association. Retrieved on January 5, 2007.
In 2007, the annual report of the American Lung Association ranked the city as the fourth-most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.People at Risk In 25 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Year-Round Particle Pollution.
American Lung Association. Retrieved on January 5, 2007.
In 2008, the city was ranked the third-most polluted and again fourth for highest year-round particulate pollution.


Economy

The economy of Visalia is driven by
agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
(especially grapes, olives,
cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
,
citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...
, and nursery products),
livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...
, and distribution and manufacturing facilities (electronics and paper products are significant manufacturing sectors). Light manufacturing and industrial/commercial distribution represent the fastest growing portion of Visalia's employer base.


Top employers

According to the city's June 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:


Culture


In popular culture

*Visalia was featured in several episodes of
season two Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...
of the TV series '' 24'', though many characters mispronounced its name. When the show was supposedly showing downtown Visalia, residents noticed there were Los Angeles palm trees in the scene. *'' Ken Park'', a controversial 2002 film directed by Larry Clark and Edward Lachman, was filmed on location in Visalia. Never released in the United States, the film is much better known in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and abroad. *
Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
attended Mt. Whitney High School for one semester in Visalia. His movie '' Bull Durham'' mentions the town's professional baseball team, the Visalia Oaks (now the Visalia Rawhide), which has been in Visalia for more than 60 years (book-ending a brief stint of the team as the Central Valley Rockies). *As a minor league team for the Oakland A's, the Visalia Oaks were mentioned twice during the 2011 movie '' Moneyball.'' *The town is also mentioned in the book ''They Say'', in which Ida B. Wells comments on the town being a hot and dusty small village. *In the film '' Big Trouble in Little China'', Jack Burton's trucking company hails from Visalia. It can be seen on the passenger-side door early in the film. *Visalia appears in the video game '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' where it is parodied as Montgomery.


Media

The major daily newspaper in the area is the '' Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register ''owned by Gannett. A number of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies, and magazines are published, including the ''Valley Voice''. Many cities adjacent to Visalia also have their own daily newspapers whose coverage and availability overlaps into certain Visalia neighborhoods.


Sports

Visalia is home to the Visalia Rawhide (a "single-A" class team of the Arizona Diamondbacks) of Minor League Baseball. The Rawhide compete in the California League at Recreation Park. It is also home to the Visalia Vapor Trailers, the longest-active official National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) car club.


Religion

About 233,293
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...
are in the
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually ...
(85,000 in the city proper). Churches of the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, Methodist, Presbyterian. Lutheran, Baptist, Church of Christ, Assemblies of God, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pentecostal, Seventh-day Adventist Church,
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
, Oriental Orthodox Church, Mennonite, and other denominations can be found throughout the city. Some of the larger Protestant Christian congregations include Radiant Church, Visalia First Assembly, Neighborhood Church, Gateway Church, Grace Community Church, Christ Lutheran Church, Visalia Nazarene Church, and Visalia Community Covenant Church. Visalia has a multiethnic population practicing a variety of faiths, including
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...
,
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
,
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
,
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
,
Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheisti ...
,
Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
, Baháʼí,
Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality ...
. Immigrants from
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
have formed the Lao Buddhist Temple of Visalia, one of two Buddhist temples in the Visalia Area.


Education


Colleges and universities

College of the Sequoias College of the Sequoias (COS) is a public two-year community college in Visalia, California. The college is named for the Giant Sequoia trees native to the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range. History College of the Sequoias was originally esta ...
, a
community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior s ...
, is the only
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
college located in Visalia. Universities with branch campuses located within the city limits: * Fresno State * Chapman University * Fresno Pacific University * Brandman University Private colleges in Visalia include: * San Joaquin Valley College *
University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a private for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree leve ...
Visalia is the only
major city The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
in the Central Valley with a
population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...
over 100,000 that does not have a local four-year university. Visalia is also the largest primary statistical area in the United States without an NCAA member school.


Schools and libraries

Visalia Unified School District The Visalia Unified School District is a school district in Tulare County, California Tulare County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 473,117. The county seat is Visalia. Th ...
serves the entire city of Visalia, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population of about 30,000. The Tulare County Public Library operates its largest branch, the Visalia Branch, in
Downtown Visalia Downtown Visalia is the central business district of Visalia, California, United States, which is located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The area features an array of public art and unique shopping opportunities. Th ...
. There are other smaller libraries in Visalia, such as the Visalia Learning Center.


Transportation


Freeways and highways

California State Route 99, known as the Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial Freeway, is the major north–south highway that heads north to Fresno and south to
Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
. California State Route 198 runs east to
Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is an American national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and today protects of forested mountainous terrain. Encompassing a vertical relief ...
and west to San Lucas.
California State Route 63 State Route 63 (SR 63) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California in the Central Valley. It begins from near Tulare at Route 137, runs north through the city of Visalia and the towns of Cutler and Orosi, before en ...
, Mooney Boulevard, heads north towards Orosi and Kings Canyon National Park, and south to Tulare. California State Route 216, Lovers Lane, heads east to Woodlake.


Public transportation

Visalia Transit (formerly Visalia City Coach) operates public transportation to, from and within the communities of Visalia, Goshen, Farmersville and
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
. The Visalia Transit also provides Dial-A-Ride curb-to-curb para-transit service on a shared-ride, demand-response basis to locations within the city limits of Visalia, Goshen and Farmersville. Tulare County Area Transit (TCaT) provides the public transit services between Visalia and smaller communities throughout the greater Visalia area. Service includes Fixed Route and Demand Responsive services that are offered Monday through Saturday. Orange Belt Stages has a bus stop in Visalia for commuting Amtrak rail passengers with Visalia as their final destination. The nearest Amtrak stations that offer commercial rail transportation services are located in Hanford and Fresno. The Sequoia Shuttle provides an alternative form of transportation from Visalia and Three Rivers to
Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is an American national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and today protects of forested mountainous terrain. Encompassing a vertical relief ...
. The Loop is an easy, safe and free way for all school-aged kids to get to community centers and recreation centers throughout Visalia where activities for youth are happening. In late 2015, city officials unveiled the V-Line, a bus line that connects Visalia and Fresno. Its stops, in order, are the Visalia Transit Center, Visalia Municipal Airport, Yosemite International Airport, Fresno State University, and Fresno Courthouse. The bus fare is $10 each way. There are offers ranging from discounted to free for students, seniors, and disabled riders. This bus line has several amenities such as free WiFi and charging ports.


Air transportation

Visalia has one airport, the Visalia Municipal Airport . Other nearby commercial airports include: *
Fresno Yosemite International Airport Fresno Yosemite International Airport is a joint military/public airport in Fresno, California, United States. It is the primary commercial airport for the San Joaquin Valley and three national parks: Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon. It ...
, owned by the city of Fresno; serves the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven ...
. * Porterville Municipal Airport, owned by the city of Porterville; serves the Southeastern Sierra Nevada and the South Valley of the Porterville area * Meadows Field Airport, also known as Kern County Airport #1, serves the South Valley


Demographics

The
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
reported that Visalia had a population of 124,442. The population density was . The racial makeup of Visalia was 80,203 (64.5%)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 2,627 (2.1%)
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1,730 (1.4%) Native American, 6,768 (5.4%) Asian, 164 (0.1%)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 27,249 (21.9%) from other races, and 5,701 (4.6%) from two or more races. There were 57,262 people (46.0%) people of
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino origin, of any race. The Census reported that 123,116 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 606 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 720 (0.6%) were institutionalized. There were 41,349 households, out of which 18,102 (43.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21,219 (51.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 6,508 (15.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,909 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,282 (7.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships. 8,383 households (20.3%) were made up of individuals, and 3,330 (8.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98. There were 30,636 families (74.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.42. The population was spread out, with 37,406 people (30.1%) under the age of 18, 12,461 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 33,922 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 27,779 people (22.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 12,874 people (10.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. There were 44,205 housing units at an average density of , of which 25,380 (61.4%) were owner-occupied, and 15,969 (38.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%. 73,980 people (59.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 49,136 people (39.5%) lived in rental housing units.


2006–2008

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the racial composition of Visalia was as follows: *
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
: 84.0% ( Non-Hispanic Whites: 50.0%) * Black or African American: 2.2% * Native American: 1.8% * Asian: 5.0% * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1% * Some other race: 7.6% *
Two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
: 2.9% * Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 40.6%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
s make up 2.2% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 2,574 African Americans residing in Visalia. Native Americans make up 0.7% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 827 Native Americans residing in Visalia.
Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous peopl ...
s make up 5.0% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 5,762 Asian Americans residing in Visalia. The seven largest Asian American groups were the following: * Other Asian ( Cambodian, Laotian, Thai, Hmong, Lahu, Mien, etc.): 2.7% (3,092) * Vietnamese: 0.7% (804) * Filipino: 0.5% (597) * Chinese: 0.4% (500) *
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
: 0.4% (437) * Japanese: 0.2% (237) * Korean: 0.1% (97) Pacific Islander Americans make up 0.1% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 138 Pacific Islander Americans residing in Visalia. Multiracial Americans make up 2.9% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 3,350 multiracial Americans residing in Visalia. The four main multiracial groups were the following: * White & Black: 0.4% (468) * White & Native American: 0.9% (1,007) * White & Asian: 0.5% (534) * Black & Native American: 0.1% (68) Hispanics and Latinos make up 40.6% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 47,251 Hispanics and Latinos residing in Visalia. The four main Hispanic/Latino groups were the following: * Mexican: 38.2% (44,397) * Puerto Rican: 0.2% (177) *
Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a pers ...
: 0.1% (91) * Other Hispanic or Latino ( Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Honduran, etc.): 2.2% (2,586)
White American White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...
s make up 84.0% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 97,735 White Americans residing in Visalia. Much of the European American population is of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, Irish,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
, Italian, Russian, Polish, and
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
descent. Source: According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following: *
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
: 8.2% (9,486) *
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
: 6.4% (7,445) * Irish: 5.8% (6,726) * Portuguese: 2.5% (2,983) * Italian: 2.4% (2,792) *
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: 2.0% (2,278) * Dutch: 1.6% (1,877) * Scottish: 1.0% (1,178) * Scotch-Irish: 0.8% (953) * Polish: 0.7% (820) Source:


2000

The 2000 census recorded 91,565 people, 30,883 households, and 22,901 families residing in the city, with a
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
of 3,203.8 people per square mile. There were 32,658 housing units. As of the 2000 US Census, the racial distribution in Visalia was 54.9%
White American White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...
, 2.3%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 6.0%
Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous peopl ...
, 2.4% Native American, 0.3%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 20.3% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. 35.6% of the population was
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino (of any race). The census indicated that 70.9% spoke
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
, 12.1% Spanish, 1.0% Lahu, 0.8% Mien, 0.7% Hmong, 0.6% Laotian and 0.5%
Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...
as their
first language A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother to ...
. According to the census, 41.1% of households had children under 18, 54.9% were married couples, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 20.7% of households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...
household size was 2.91 and the average family size 3.37. The age distribution was: 31.3% under 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 88.9 males. The median income for a household was $53,975, and for a family was $61,823. Males had a median income of $46,423, females $34,265. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
was $23,751. 14.8% of the population and 13.2% of families were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
. 21.4% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those aged 65 or older were below the poverty line.


Government


Local government

Like much of the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven ...
, more resident voters are registered in the
Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...
than the Democratic Party. Of the 51,718 registered voters in Visalia; approximately 31.9% are Democrats and 49.1% are Republicans. The remaining 19.0% are Independents or are registered with one of the many smaller political parties, like the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
or the Libertarian Party. Visalia is a
charter city In the United States, a charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than solely by general law. In states where city charters are allowed by law, a city can adopt or modify its orga ...
with a city charter approved by the electorate that acts as a "constitution" for the city. Until the November 2012 elections, Visalia voters at large, elected the five-member
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...
that serves as the city's legislative and governing body. The city council members serve four-year terms, and they select one member to serve as
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
and one to serve as vice mayor. The
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...
hires a powerful
city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief exec ...
that serves as executive officer, administers city operations, and carries out city policies. Every odd-numbered year either two or three members are elected by the people to serve a four-year term. Each March, the City Council meets and chooses one of its members as mayor and one as vice-mayor. The current mayor of Visalia is Bob Link and vice mayor is Steve Nelsen. The City of Visalia had been threatened with a lawsuit from a network of civil-rights attorneys claiming the city violated the
California Voting Rights Act The California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (CVRA) is a state law in the state of California. It makes it easier for minority groups in California to prove that their votes are being diluted in "at-large" elections by expanding on the federal Voting ...
, passed into law in 2002. On March 5, 2012, the Visalia City Council voted to put on the November 2012 ballot an initiative that changed the way that Visalia voters get to elect their city council. The measure passed and since the November 2016 elections, Visalia holds district elections in which the candidates must live in one of the five areas (or "districts") forming the city, and only residents of that area cast their votes.


List of mayors

This is a list of Visalia mayors by year. * 2003-2005 Bob Link * 2009-2011 Bob Link * 2011-2013 Amy Shuklian * December 2016 – 2018 E. Warren Gubler


State and federal representation

In the California State Legislature, Visalia is in , and in . In the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, Visalia is in .


Infrastructure


Post Office

The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...
operates the Town Center Post Office at 111 West Acequia Avenue, the Visalia Post Office at 2345 West Beech Avenue, and the Millennium Post Office at 100 North Akers Street.Post Office Location - VISALIA
" ''
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...
''. Retrieved on October 29, 2009.
Official Zoning Map
." ''City of Visalia''. Retrieved on October 29, 2009.
The Town Center Post Office received listing in the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
on January 11, 1985.


Notable people


Sister cities

*
Putignano Putignano ( Barese: ) is an Italian town of 26 644 inhabitants located in the Murgia of the Metropolitan City of Bari, in Apulia, southern Italy. It is known for its ancient Carnival, for textile manufacturing companies and for karst caves. P ...
, Italy * Miki, Japan


See also

* Central California * List of cities and towns in California *
List of U.S. cities with large Hispanic populations This list of U.S. cities by American Hispanic and Latino population covers all incorporated cities and Census-designated places with a population over 100,000 and a proportion of Hispanic and Latino residents over 30% in the 50 U.S. states, the ...


References


Further reading


California History, Bancroft


External links

*
Experience Visalia

Visalia Chamber of Commerce

Visalia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Visalia Magazine
* {{Authority control 1874 establishments in California Butterfield Overland Mail in California Cities in Tulare County, California County seats in California Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1874 San Joaquin Valley Stagecoach stops in the United States