San Joaquin County (ⁱ/ˌsæn hwɑːˈkiːn/; Spanish: San Joaquín, meaning "St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 779,233. The county seat is Stockton.

San Joaquin County comprises the Stockton–Lodi–Tracy metropolitan statistical area within the regional San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland combined statistical area. The county is located in Northern California's Central Valley just east of the very highly populated nine-county San Francisco Bay Area region and is separated from the Bay Area by the Diablo Range, having access to the Bay Area via the Altamont Pass. One of the smaller counties by area in California, it has a high population density and is growing rapidly due to overflow from the Bay Area.

The City of San Joaquin, despite sharing its name with the county, is located in Fresno County.

History

San Joaquin County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The county was named after the San Joaquin River, which runs through it. In the early 19th century, Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga, commanding an expedition in the lower great California Central Valley, gave the name of San Joaquin (meaning Joachim) to the San Joaquin River, which springs from the southern Sierra Nevada. San Joaquin County is the site of the San Joaquin Valley's first permanent residence.

Prior to incorporation in 1850, the area now encompassing San Joaquin County was inhabited by the Yokuts and Miwok native peoples. These communities lived in villages throughout the region, consuming diverse diets that reflected the flora and fauna of the California Delta. Acorns from Valley Oak trees, salmon from the San Joaquin, Mokelumne, Calaveras, and Stanislaus rivers, and Tule Elk were staples of the native diet, which was supplemented with various native berries and plants. The native population of San Joaquin County fell dramatically during a statewide epidemic of malaria in 1828, and a subsequent rebellion of native peoples in the Central Valley, led by Chief Estanislao.

Between 1843 and 1846, during the era when California was a province of independent Mexico, five Mexican land grants were made in what would become San Joaquin County: Rancho Campo de los Franceses, Pescadero (Grimes), Pescadero (Pico), Sanjon de los Moquelumnes, and Thompson. The largest of these grants was the Rancho Campos de los Franceses, secured by Charles Weber and Guillermo Gulnac, which was eventually developed into the city of Stockton.

As the Gold Rush drew miners to the Sierra Nevada, Stockton grew into a major logistical and mercantile hub for the San Joaquin Valley and mother lode, which allowed for the City and County populations to rise significantly between 1850 and 1870. As the state's gold economy waned in the 1870s, San Joaquin County transitioned into a major national center of agriculture, which it remains to this day. Reclamation of the California delta, which began in 1869, strongly benefited this agricultural growth. The importance of agriculture to the region's economy led to the creation of a dynamic industrial engineering sector in Stockton, Lodi, and nearby Rio Vista in the 1880s. Notably, the Sperry Flour Company, Holt Manufacturing Company, the operation of R. G. LeTourneau, Samson Ironworks, and the canning empire of Tillie Lewis were firms of national and international significance. Holt Manufacturing, led by Benjamin Holt, would pioneer the industrial manufacturing and sales of the tractor, while R. G. LeTourneau patented the bulldozer in 1926.

Importance to railroads

The Central Pacific Railroad in the 1860s utilized San Joaquin County's exceptionally flat terrain to construct a rail line from Sacramento to Stockton and then southwest through Altamont Pass to the San Francisco Bay. In 1909, a second railroad, the Western Pacific, utilized the same route through Stockton to reach the Bay Area. In the early 1900s, the Santa Fe Railroad constructed from Bakersfield and Fresno went through Stockton to travel northwards, reaching Oakland. Smaller lines constructed at Stockton were the Tidewater Southern to Modesto and the Central California Traction to Sacramento. Both started as electrically powered. These railroads encouraged the growth of farms, orchards, and ranches in San Joaquin County and adjacent counties.

Tracy tire fire

On August 7, 1998, a tire fire ignited at S.F. Royster's Tire Disposal just south of Tracy on South MacArthur Drive, near Linne Rd. The tire dump held over 7 million illegally stored tires and was allowed to burn for more than two years before it was extinguished. Allowing the fire to burn was considered to be a better way to avoid groundwater contamination than putting it out. However, the cleanup cost $19 million and local groundwater was still discovered to be contaminated.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,426 square miles (3,690 km²), of which 1,391 square miles (3,600 km²) is land and 35 square miles (91 km²), comprising 2.5%, is water. The county has a very low inland elevation and a very flat drainage basin for the San Joaquin River and its numerous tributaries. With the resulting exceptionally high water table, the county is a marshy and swampy delta with a tendency to flood in the spring with melting snow runoff from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The geographical center of San Joaquin County is near Stockton at approximately 37°54'N 121°12'W (37.9,-121.2).

National protected area

San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	3,647	—
1860	9,435	158.7%
1870	21,050	123.1%
1880	24,349	15.7%
1890	28,629	17.6%
1900	35,452	23.8%
1910	50,731	43.1%
1920	79,905	57.5%
1930	102,940	28.8%
1940	134,207	30.4%
1950	200,750	49.6%
1960	249,989	24.5%
1970	290,208	16.1%
1980	347,342	19.7%
1990	480,628	38.4%
2000	563,598	17.3%
2010	685,306	21.6%
2020	779,233	13.7%
2023 (est.)	800,965	16.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

**San Joaquin County, California - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	245,919	215,530	35.88%	27.66%
Black or African American alone (NH)	48,540	56,898	7.08%	7.30%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	3,179	3,135	0.46%	0.40%
Asian alone (NH)	94,547	134,684	13.80%	17.28%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	3,248	4,977	0.47%	0.64%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	1,383	4,192	0.20%	0.54%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	22,149	34,092	3.23%	4.38%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	266,341	325,725	38.86%	41.80%
Total	685,306	779,233	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population	680,277
White	403,225	59.3%
Black or African American	50,400	7.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native	6,782	1.0%
Asian	97,902	14.4%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	3,427	0.5%
Some other race	78,817	11.6%
Two or more races	39,724	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	260,636	38.3%
Per capita income	$22,857
Median household income	$53,764
Median family income	$60,725

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type	Population	White	Other	Asian	Black or African American	Native American	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Acampo	CDP	387	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	92.2%
August	CDP	8,017	63.3%	27.1%	4.2%	2.2%	3.2%	70.6%
Collierville	CDP	1,891	81.8%	17.1%	0.0%	1.2%	0.0%	23.1%
Country Club	CDP	9,311	67.0%	20.7%	4.7%	6.4%	1.1%	36.4%
Dogtown	CDP	2,407	91.4%	7.1%	1.5%	0.0%	0.0%	32.4%
Escalon	City	7,106	90.8%	5.0%	1.6%	0.8%	1.8%	21.4%
Farmington	CDP	299	75.9%	14.0%	0.0%	10.0%	0.0%	0.0%
French Camp	CDP	4,702	70.8%	15.8%	2.2%	10.1%	1.1%	55.4%
Garden Acres	CDP	10,516	60.5%	32.6%	2.4%	2.3%	2.1%	68.0%
Kennedy	CDP	3,756	61.1%	28.8%	0.8%	9.2%	0.1%	81.2%
Lathrop	City	17,488	51.4%	16.2%	24.4%	5.8%	2.1%	44.7%
Lincoln Village	CDP	4,363	64.6%	23.2%	8.2%	3.3%	0.7%	30.5%
Linden	CDP	1,874	94.1%	4.7%	0.0%	1.2%	0.0%	17.6%
Lockeford	CDP	3,241	94.0%	5.9%	0.1%	0.0%	0.0%	31.1%
Lodi	City	62,354	79.1%	11.7%	6.5%	1.7%	1.0%	33.8%
Manteca	City	66,081	75.5%	13.2%	6.5%	3.5%	1.4%	37.4%
Morada	CDP	4,481	66.3%	18.4%	12.2%	2.3%	0.8%	16.1%
Mountain House	City	8,895	37.2%	13.0%	32.3%	13.6%	3.8%	17.8%
Peters	CDP	697	83.8%	16.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	39.3%
Ripon	City	14,021	86.7%	5.4%	5.4%	1.6%	1.0%	20.7%
Stockton	City	289,926	45.6%	19.1%	21.8%	12.0%	1.6%	40.0%
Taft Mosswood	CDP	1,406	30.4%	30.4%	16.1%	21.4%	1.6%	65.0%
Terminous	CDP	367	93.7%	6.3%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Thornton	CDP	783	73.1%	24.8%	1.0%	0.8%	0.4%	67.4%
Tracy	City	81,115	53.9%	22.5%	16.0%	6.3%	1.4%	38.0%
Victor	CDP	244	93.4%	6.6%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	21.7%
Waterloo	CDP	227	81.5%	18.5%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	33.0%
Woodbridge	CDP	4,153	77.4%	16.5%	6.0%	0.0%	0.0%	23.3%

Places by population and income
Place	Type	Population	Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income
Acampo	CDP	387	$25,012	$121,455	$121,455
August	CDP	8,017	$12,109	$30,231	$32,769
Collierville	CDP	1,891	$26,183	$52,083	$66,250
Country Club	CDP	9,311	$23,248	$49,716	$54,493
Dogtown	CDP	2,407	$27,074	$67,083	$80,750
Escalon	City	7,106	$26,092	$61,855	$80,921
Farmington	CDP	299	$25,878	$33,833	$44,861
French Camp	CDP	4,702	$11,630	$41,993	$48,531
Garden Acres	CDP	10,516	$13,553	$42,043	$46,176
Kennedy	CDP	3,756	$11,450	$32,917	$38,723
Lathrop	City	17,488	$20,506	$64,732	$65,256
Lincoln Village	CDP	4,363	$26,777	$57,359	$62,463
Linden	CDP	1,874	$32,553	$79,500	$78,125
Lockeford	CDP	3,241	$19,916	$40,946	$51,968
Lodi	City	62,354	$25,011	$49,318	$58,710
Manteca	City	66,081	$23,823	$60,963	$66,933
Morada	CDP	4,481	$40,146	$68,516	$85,351
Mountain House	City	8,895	$30,915	$95,977	$103,271
Peters	CDP	697	$30,941	$71,964	$78,261
Ripon	City	14,021	$31,588	$75,934	$83,279
Stockton	City	289,926	$20,082	$47,365	$51,684
Taft Mosswood	CDP	1,406	$11,430	$31,597	$32,361
Terminous	CDP	367	$44,594	$57,500	$51,000
Thornton	CDP	783	$15,438	$46,250	$50,060
Tracy	City	81,115	$26,846	$76,739	$83,073
Victor	CDP	244	$24,507	$36,667	$81,667
Waterloo	CDP	227	$29,955	$29,926	$91,518
Woodbridge	CDP	4,153	$35,400	$65,867	$87,614

2010 census

The 2010 United States Census reported that San Joaquin County had a population of 685,306. The racial makeup of San Joaquin County was 349,287 (51.0%) White, 51,744 (7.6%) African American, 7,196 (1.1%) Native American, 98,472 (14.4%) Asian, 3,758 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 131,054 (19.1%) from other races, and 43,795 (6.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 266,341 persons (38.9%). The Filipino American population was 46,447, just under half (47%) of all Asian Americans in San Joaquin County, and as of 1990 have been the largest population of Asian Americans in the county.

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
San Joaquin County	685,306	349,287	51,744	7,196	98,472	3,758	131,054	43,795	266,341
Incorporated cities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Escalon	7,132	5,823	30	80	96	22	823	258	1,928
Lathrop	18,023	7,410	1,300	231	3,968	144	3,735	1,235	7,674
Lodi	62,134	42,662	517	560	4,293	105	11,164	2,833	22,613
Manteca	67,096	41,840	2,869	735	4,780	384	11,648	4,840	25,317
Ripon	14,297	11,392	221	125	599	36	1,208	716	3,177
Stockton	291,707	108,044	35,548	3,086	62,716	1,822	60,332	20,159	117,590
Tracy	82,922	43,724	5,953	715	12,229	747	13,173	6,381	30,557
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Acampo	341	169	0	1	3	8	136	24	199
August	8,390	3,914	224	183	358	20	3,110	581	5,897
Collierville	1,934	1,552	14	21	49	1	229	68	518
Country Club	9,379	5,744	472	159	628	42	1,537	797	3,790
Dogtown	2,506	2,040	15	23	57	2	253	116	638
Farmington	207	164	7	1	6	0	18	11	42
French Camp	3,376	1,678	410	31	163	11	920	163	1,748
Garden Acres	10,648	5,244	233	172	358	40	3,908	693	7,338
Kennedy	3,254	517	200	23	258	4	2,109	143	2,513
Lincoln Village	4,381	2,971	154	58	269	13	536	380	1,422
Linden	1,784	1,541	6	10	25	1	127	74	385
Lockeford	3,233	2,526	10	22	64	13	413	185	956
Morada	3,828	2,848	47	28	412	30	263	200	676
Mountain House	9,675	3,467	903	45	3,830	71	663	696	1,637
Peters	672	532	7	15	20	0	60	38	153
Taft Mosswood	1,530	443	192	10	183	1	617	84	1,099
Terminous	381	338	2	6	7	0	13	15	40
Thornton	1,131	554	43	3	45	1	443	42	770
Victor	293	177	0	7	19	0	79	11	150
Waterloo	572	450	0	5	21	1	77	18	152
Woodbridge	3,984	2,997	15	46	201	7	582	136	1,234
Other unincorporated areas	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	70,496	48,526	2,352	795	2,815	232	12,878	2,898	26,128

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 563,598 people, 181,629 households, and 134,768 families residing in the county. The population density was 403 people per square mile (156 people/km²). There were 189,160 housing units at an average density of 135 units per square mile (52 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.1% White, 6.7% Black or African American, 1.1% Native American, 11.4% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 16.3% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races. 30.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 9.3% were of German, 5.3% Irish and 5.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 66.4% spoke English, 21.3% Spanish, 2.2% Tagalog, 1.8% Mon-Khmer or Cambodian, 1.1% Vietnamese and 1.1% Hmong as their first language.

There were 181,629 households, out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.48.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,282, and the median income for a family was $46,919. Males had a median income of $39,246 versus $27,507 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,365. About 13.5% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Metropolitan statistical area

The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated San Joaquin County as the Stockton–Lodi, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau ranked the Stockton–Lodi, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area as the 76th most populous metropolitan statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012.

The Office of Management and Budget has further designated the Stockton–Lodi, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area as a component of the more extensive San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area, the 5th most populous combined statistical area and primary statistical area of the United States as of July 1, 2012.

Economy

Agriculture

As of 2018, the gross value of agricultural production in the county was $2.6 billion. The top product was almonds, followed by grapes, milk, and walnuts.

San Joaquin County is home to one of the largest walnut processing facilities in the world, DeRuosi Nut. Another large company, Pacific State Bancorp (PSBC), was based there but was closed by the California Department of Financial Institutions on August 20, 2010.

Business and industry

San Joaquin County is home to several large manufacturing, general services, and agricultural companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, Blue Shield of California, Dart Container, Holz Rubber Company, Kubota Tractors, Lodi Iron Works, Miller Packing Company, Pacific Coast Producers, Tiger Lines, Valley Industries, and Woodbridge-Robert Mondavi.

As of 2019, about 260,000 people were employed in the county, with nearly 200,000 employed in private industry and about 44,500 employed in government.

As of 2013, the goods movement industry is also an important part of the local economy, with an Amazon fulfillment center in Tracy and the Port of Stockton.

Education

San Joaquin County is home to 18 public school districts and numerous private schools.

K-12:

Escalon Unified School District
Lammersville Joint Unified School District
Lincoln Unified School District
Linden Unified School District
Lodi Unified School District
Manteca Unified School District
Ripon Unified School District
Stockton Unified School District
Tracy Unified School District - Covers some areas for K-12 and some for 9-12 only

Secondary:

Galt Joint Union High School District
Oakdale Joint Unified School District (while it is a unified school district, it only covers 9–12 in its sections in this county)

Elementary:

Banta Elementary School District
Galt Joint Union Elementary School District
Jefferson Elementary School District
New Hope Elementary School District
New Jerusalem Elementary School District
Oak View Union Elementary School District
Valley Home Joint Elementary School District

School districts include:

District Name	Enrollment	Lang Arts Performance	Math Performance
Escalon Unified	3,140	49.4%	46.0%
Lincoln Unified	8,712	50.9%	51.3%
Linden Unified	2,758	44.4%	45.9%
Lodi Unified	31,266	38.0%	43.1%
Manteca Unified	23,643	42.7%	42.4%
Ripon Unified	3,014	58.3%	60.3%
Stockton Unified	38,617	29.1%	38.2%
Tracy Unified	17,375	44.3%	41.2%
	Averages for all Districts	45.5%	48.5%

On June 8, 2010, Lammersville Unified School District was approved in Mountain House.

The San Joaquin Delta Community College District is composed of San Joaquin Delta College located in Stockton and covers San Joaquin County as well as Rio Vista in Solano County, Galt in Sacramento County, and a large portion of Calaveras County.

A private university, the University of the Pacific, has its main campus in Stockton.

Media

San Joaquin County is in the Sacramento television market, and thus receives Sacramento media.

The Record, The Manteca Bulletin, and The Lodi News-Sentinel are daily newspapers. Bilingual Weekly News publishes a weekly newspaper in both Spanish and English. Tracy Press also publishes a weekly newspaper.

Big Monkey Group publishes four Stockton magazines: Weston Ranch Monthly, Brookside Monthly, Spanos Park Monthly and On the Mile. Caravan is a local community arts and events monthly tabloid. The Central Valley Business Journal is a monthly business tabloid. Karima Magazine is a popular/consumer magazine covering the Central Valley as well as newsworthy events in the Bay Area. San Joaquin Magazine is a regional lifestyle magazine covering Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, and Manteca. The Downtowner is a free monthly guide to downtown Stockton's events, commerce, real estate, and other cultural and community happenings.

Poets' Espresso Review is a periodical that has been based in Stockton, mostly distributed by mail, since summer of 2005. Artifact is a San Joaquin Delta College periodical based in Stockton since December 2006, featuring writing in all genres, photography, and visual media by students, staff and faculty as well as community members. The Pacifican, University of the Pacific's newspaper since 1908 features News, Opinion, Lifestyles, and Sports pertinent to the Pacific campus and surrounding Stockton community.

In popular culture

The television show Sons of Anarchy was set in Charming, California, a fictional town in San Joaquin County.

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 5
Interstate 205
Interstate 580
State Route 4
State Route 12
State Route 26
State Route 33
State Route 88
State Route 99
State Route 120
State Route 132

Public transportation

San Joaquin Regional Transit District provides city bus service within Stockton. RTD also runs intercity routes throughout the county, and subscription commuter routes to Livermore, Pleasanton, Sacramento, and Santa Clara County.

The cities of Lodi, Escalon, Manteca, Tracy and Ripon operate their own bus systems.

Train and bus service

Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains both stop in Stockton. Amtrak's Oakland-Stockton-Fresno-Bakersfield San Joaquins trains stop at the San Joaquin Street station. This is the former Santa Fe Railroad station in Stockton. Amtrak's Sacramento-Stockton-Fresno- Bakersfield San Joaquins trains stop at the Robert J. Cabral Station which is also used by Altamont Corridor Express trains to San Jose which originate in Stockton. This is the former Southern Pacific Railroad station in Stockton. RTD Hopper is a public bus service operated by San Joaquin Regional Transit connecting Stockton to Ripon, Manteca, Tracy, Lodi, and Lathrop.

Airports

Stockton Metropolitan Airport features passenger service to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Phoenix, along with cargo service and general aviation. Other general aviation airports in the county include Lodi Airport, Tracy Municipal Airport, and New Jerusalem Airport.

Port

The Port of Stockton is a major inland deepwater port in Stockton, California, located on the San Joaquin River before it joins the Sacramento River to empty into Suisun Bay, eighty miles (130 km) inland. The port sits on about 4,200 acres (17 km²), and occupies an island in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of San Joaquin County.

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† Stockton	City	291,707
2	Tracy	City	82,922
3	Manteca	City	67,096
4	Lodi	City	62,134
5	Lathrop	City	18,023
6	Ripon	City	14,297
7	Garden Acres	CDP	10,468
8	Mountain House	City	9,675
9	Country Club	CDP	9,379
10	August	CDP	8,390
11	Escalon	City	7,132
12	Lincoln Village	CDP	4,381
13	Woodbridge	CDP	3,984
14	Morada	CDP	3,828
15	French Camp	CDP	3,376
16	Kennedy	CDP	3,254
17	Lockeford	CDP	3,233
18	Dogtown	CDP	2,506
19	Collierville	CDP	1,934
20	Linden	CDP	1,784
21	Taft Mosswood	CDP	1,530
22	Thornton	CDP	1,131
23	Peters	CDP	672
24	Waterloo	CDP	572
25	Terminous	CDP	381
26	Acampo	CDP	341
27	Victor	CDP	293
28	Farmington	CDP	207

San Joaquin County, California facts for kids

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