Modesto, California

"Modesto" redirects here. For other uses, see Modesto (disambiguation).

Modesto, California
City
Clockwise: Modesto Arch; Modesto Transportation Center; Tenth Street Place; Gallo Center for the Arts
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname:  City of Great Neighbors
Motto:  Water Wealth Contentment Health
Interactive map of Modesto, California
Modesto Location within California Modesto Location within the United States
Coordinates: 37°39′41″N 120°59′40″W
Country	United States
State	California
Region	San Joaquin Valley
County	Stanislaus
Founded	November 8, 1870
Incorporated	August 6, 1884
Named for	Modesty of William Chapman Ralston
Government
• Type	Council-manager
• Mayor	Sue Zwahlen
• City manager	Joseph Lopez
Area
• City	44.80 sq mi (116.04 km2)
• Land	42.97 sq mi (111.30 km2)
• Water	1.83 sq mi (4.74 km2)  0.61%
• Metro	1,515 sq mi (3,920 km2)
Elevation	89 ft (27 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	218,464
• Rank	1st in Stanislaus County 19th in California 109th in the United States
• Density	5,007.6/sq mi (1,933.45/km2)
• Urban	357,301 (US: 116th)
• Urban density	5,077/sq mi (1,960.2/km2)
• Metro	552,878 (US: 105th)
• Metro density	364.9/sq mi (140.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	95350–95358, 95397
Area code	209 , 350
FIPS code	06-48354
GNIS IDs	277609, 2411130
Website	modestogov.com

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Modesto (/məˈdɛstoʊ/ mə-DESS-toh; Spanish pronunciation: [moˈðesto]; Spanish for "modest") is the county seat of and the largest city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California.

Modesto is located in the Central Valley region, 68 miles (109 km) south of Sacramento and 90 miles (140 km) north of Fresno. Distances from other places include: 40 miles (64 km) north of Merced, California, 92 miles (148 km) east of San Francisco, 66 miles (106 km) west of Yosemite National Park, and 24 miles (39 km) south of Stockton.

The city, in the San Joaquin Valley, is surrounded by rich farmland. Stanislaus County ranks sixth among California counties in farm production. It is home to Gallo Family Winery, the largest family-owned winery in the United States.

Modesto has been often honored as a Tree City USA.