Book a stay in Fresno, the big city of California's Central Valley, and Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia are all within a couple of hours. It is surrounded by farmland that grows a large share of the country's fruit and nuts. Its charms are modest but real. The Forestiere Underground Gardens are a wonderfully odd hand-dug estate, the Chaffee Zoo is well regarded, and the Tower District has the best mix of coffee shops, theaters and nightlife.
About 555,000 people live here. Housing costs less than in coastal California, though rents are not cheap. The downsides deserve honesty: crime is high for a city its size, especially car break-ins, summer heat regularly passes 100 degrees, and air quality can be poor from wildfire smoke and winter stagnant air. Valley fever is also a local concern. For many, the trade is a lower price of entry into California.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- Raisin Capital of the World; Gateway to Yosemite; Capital of the Central Valley
- Founded
- 1872 settled (Central Pacific Railroad station); 1885 incorporated
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Hmong; Punjabi; Armenian
- Airports
- Fresno Yosemite International (FAT), about 10 minutes from downtown; Merced Regional (MCE) about 60 miles north; Visalia (VIS) small regional; Sacramento (SMF) about 170 miles; San Jose (SJC) about 150 miles; Bakersfield (BFL) about 110 miles
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis/rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-3 per bag; tour guides 15-20%
