Fresno facts from the Fresno Chamber of Commerce

              The Center of it all
Fresno lies in the center of the Central
San Toaquin Valley, in the heart of
California. We are/in fact, 36 miles from
the exact center of the state?And we take
advantageTof that fact because some of the
world's most beautiful places lie right
outside our doorstep.
Yosemite National Park. 760,917 acres
of breathtaking wonder, is a scenic two
hour drive north ot the city. Sierra and
Kings Canyon National Parks, home of
some of California's giant redwoods, are
two hours to the east. Huntington Lake,
site of the world famous sailboat regattas,
is two hours to the northeast.
Hundreds of lakes, mountain streams
and campgrounds are within 30 minutes
to two hours of Fresno, where boating,
fishing, water skiing, swimming and
hiking are but a few of the recreational
options available. In the winter months,
downhill and cross country snow skiing
are available at Sierra Summit and Badger
Pass. Both are within two hours of Fresno.
How about San Francisco.. .Carmel...
Monterey? Crashing surf, white sand, sea
food and salt air, all within two and a half
to three hours drive from Fresno.
And let's not forget Los Angeles,
Disneyland, Hollywood and Beverly Hills,
only four and a half hours away.
Living in the Heart
of California
If you're just in town for a day, or are
interested in moving here, you'll find
Fresno an environment warm in
temperature and temperament. We're
happy about the first and proud of the
second.
In January, while most of the country is
covered in snow, our average temperature
is 45 degrees. And in Tune, when rain and
humidity plague
and northwest, we enjoy the sunshine in
temperatures averaging 7b degrees.
bo much tor temperatures. Let's move
on to temperament.
Fresno is basically a small town. How
can we be one of the fastest growing
metropolitan areas in California and still
be a small town?
Because people, and that elusive
something called "quality of life," still
come first.
Sure we're attracting new business and
industry. And we work hard at it. But
we're also working hard at preserving and
enhancing our cultural identity.
You're wondering what that means.
It means we have a new Metropolitan
Museum of Art, History and Science
destined to rival anything you'll find in
San Francisco or Los Angeles. It means
we have theaters, dance troups, historic
sites, a Philharmonic Orchestra and a
23,000 square foot Art Center.
We have 25 city parks, 45 tennis courts,
eight golf courses and league sports of all
kinds.
And we have a university.
California State University, Fresno, is
home to the Battlin' Bulldogs and their
boosters, the nationally reknown Red
Wave. Together they have built new
football and baseball stadiums and
expanded their basketball arena. All three
have been paid for through the fund
raising efforts and donations of the
community.
Learning and Caring
Also paid for through donations from
the community is Fresno's new Ronald
McDonald House. Nicknamed "the house
that love built," the new two story home
is operated in conjunction with Valley
Children's Hospital and is a home away
from home for the families of severely ill
children.
And that brings us to health care.
Fresno offers a full range of primary
and acute care medical facilities. Valley
Medical Center, the region's designated
trauma facility, operates the state's third
busiest emergency room. Valley
Children's Hospital provides pediatric
training for medical and surgical
residents. It also has a fully staffed heart
unit, as does St. Agnes Medical Center.
And, Fresno Community Hospital and
Medical Center's Burn Unit is nationally
recognized. All told, there are 10 hospitals
in the Fresno area.
Education is important in Fresno
County, too. From kindergarten on up,
we pride ourselves on the diversity of
programs available.
Fresno Unified School District serves
over 50,000 students on 74 different
campuses and is, in fact, one of the
county's largest employers.
There are eight private schools in
Fresno, with an enrollment of
approximately 3,000 students between the
ages of 6 and 18.
Higher education is also available in
Fresno on a number of different
campuses.
Fresno City College, a two-year
community college with an enrollment of
approximately 14,000, offers vocational
training programs as well as Associate of
Art and Science degrees.
California State University, Fresno, is a
four-year college offering a wide variety
of graduate and undergraduate programs.
The school is accredited and has an
enrollment of about 16,000. It ranks third
in number of nationally accredited
programs among the 19 campuses within
its system.
A Community Spirit
Fresno is one of the fastest growing
metropolitan areas in California. It is, in
fact, the eighth largest city in California
and the 65th largest in the country. Our
median age is 27.5 years, making us a
relatively young community. Over 62
percent of the population falls into the
"work age group" of 16 to 64 years of age.
Fresno ha^ hppn incorporated since
1885 and is a regional center of        '
agricultural, commercial and industrial
activity. This is due, in part, to our
central location and easy accessibility.
The Central Valley's major airport is
located in Fresno. Appropriately called
the Fresno Air Terminal, it provides air
service for six surrounding counties and
links the area with cities in California, the
Midwest and western states via daily jet
service. There are eight additional
airports serving county residents — two of
them within the city limits.
Interlocking freeways connect Fresno to
the rest of the county and state. Rail, bus
and motor carrier services further
facilitate the transport of goods, services
and people throughout the nation.
Now, that you've heard the details ...
come, let us show you Fresno. The
important thing we'd like you to
remember is that we are a community.
We work and play hard — but we do it
together.
We think that's what counts.