Modesto, California

Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 188,856. Current census estimates place the population at 206,300. Its location, an hour and half from both the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, has turned the once agriculturally based region into a bedroom community. Over twenty percent of the workforce travels outside of the county to their place of employment. The area is plagued by some of the worst air quality in the nation, on occasion surpassing even that of Los Angeles.

Modesto is the location set for the movie American Graffiti created by George Lucas, who was born in the city. Many of the characters and scenes from the movie are based on actual events that happened in Modesto during the time that Lucas went to high school there, such as the time Lucas wrecked his father's car on Coffee Road.

Modesto and the greater Modesto area have recently been been associated with high profile murders, including Chandra Levy and Laci Peterson. It was also the district of Gary Condit.

Modesto's official slogan is Water Wealth Contentment Health, which is emblazoned on a large arch downtown that has been immortalized in many photographs. The original winning slogan was: "Nobody's got Modesto's goat".

The Modesto Airport lies next to the Tuolumne River. Between the airport and the river lies Veterans' Park.

Modesto is Home to the Modesto Nuts of the High-A California League (Colorado Rockies minor league team); the Nuts play their home games at John Thurman Field. Modesto is also the home of the band Grandaddy as well as the birthplace of Conan Neutron. Modesto is also the home of Gallo Winery.

Modesto's international charcter can also be seen in its five officially recognized sister cities. They are, Kurume, Japan, Vernon, Canada, Vijawata, India, Aquascalientes, Mexico, and Melniski, Ukraine.

Geography

Modesto is located at 37°39'41" North, 120°59'40" West (37.661479, -120.994543)¹. Modesto is located on the Tuolumne River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 93.1 km² (36.0 mi²). 92.7 km² (35.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.47% water.

Transportation

Modesto is served by one of the busiest rail corridors in the country. The Amtrak San Joaquins make six daily stops on the route between Oakland and Bakersfield, and two stops daily on the route between Sacramento and Bakersfield. Air service is provided to San Francisco International Airport by Skywest Airlines, under an agreement with United Airlines.

Industry

Modesto's industries are mainly food processors and related industries. Gallo, Del Monte Foods, Frito Lay, Blue Diamond Growers, Hershey and Con-Agra are nationally recognized food companies with large operations in the area.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 188,856 people, 64,959 households, and 46,640 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,037.4/km² (5,277.3/mi²). There are 67,179 housing units at an average density of 724.7/km² (1,877.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 69.58% White, 3.97% African American, 1.24% Native American, 6.03% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 12.74% from other races, and 5.93% from two or more races. 25.58% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 64,959 households out of which 38.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% are married couples living together, 14.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% are non-families. 22.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.86 and the average family size is 3.36.

In the city the population is spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $40,394, and the median income for a family is $45,681. Males have a median income of $38,595 versus $26,989 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,797. 15.7% of the population and 12.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.9% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Famous/Infamous People From Modesto

• Chidi Ahanotu - NFL defensive end
• George Lucas - Writer, Producer, Director
• Scott Peterson - Convicted Murderer
• Gary Condit - Former Congressman