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Visalia, California

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"Visalia" redirects here. For other uses, seeVisalia (disambiguation).

Visalia(/vaɪˈseɪljə,vɪ-/vy-SAYL-yə, vih-)[9][10]is a city in the agriculturalSan Joaquin ValleyofCalifornia.The population was 141,384 as per the2020 census.Visalia is thefifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley,the40th most populousin California, and192ndin the United States.[11]As thecounty seatofTulare County,Visalia serves as the economic and governmental center to one of the most productive agricultural counties in the country.[12]

Visalia, California
City
Clockwise: View of Visalia; Bank of Italy Tower; Visalia Transit Center; Fox Theatre
Official logo of Visalia, California
Nickname:
Gateway to the Sequoias
Location within Tulare County in the state of California
Location withinTulare Countyin the state ofCalifornia
Visalia is located in California
Visalia
Visalia
Location in the United States
Visalia is located in the United States
Visalia
Visalia
Visalia (the United States)
Coordinates:36°19′49″N119°17′33″W/ 36.33028°N 119.29250°W/36.33028; -119.29250
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyTulare
RegionSan Joaquin Valley
IncorporatedFebruary 27, 1874[1]
Government
• TypeCouncil–manager
•City CouncilMayorBrian Poochigiann
Vice MayorBrett Taylor
Liz Wynn
Emmanuel Hernandez Soto
Steve Nelsen[2]
•City ManagerLeslie Caviglia[3]
•Chief of PoliceJason Salazar[4]
•Fire ChiefDan Griswold[5]
Area
[6]
• Total
37.94 sq mi (98.25 km2)
• Land37.91 sq mi (98.20 km2)
• Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) 0.05%
Elevation
[7]
331 ft (101 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total
141,384
• Rank40thin California
192ndin the United States
• Density3,726.52/sq mi (1,439.02/km2)
DemonymVisalian
Time zoneUTC−8(PST)
• Summer (DST)UTC−7(PDT)
ZIP code
93277-93279, 93290-93292
Area code559
FIPS code06-82954
GNISfeature IDs1652807,2412160
Websitewww.visalia.city

History

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Main article:History of Visalia

The area around Visalia was first settled by theYokutsandMono Native Americantribes hundreds of years ago.[13]When the first Europeans arrived is unknown, but the first to make a written record of the area wasPedro Fagesin 1722.[14]

Workers weighing and sacking sugar at the Pacific Sugar Company in Visalia, c. 1900

When California achievedstatehoodin 1850, Tulare County did not exist. The land that is now Tulare County was part of the vastCounty of Mariposa.[15]In 1852, some pioneers settled in the area, then called Four Creeks. The area got its name from the many watershed creeks and rivers flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. All the water resulted in a widespread swampy area with a magnificent oak forest. The industrious group of settlers petitioned the state legislature for county status, and on July 10 of that same year, Tulare County became a reality.[16]

Visalia Fox Theater

One of the first inhabitants of a fort built by the settlers was Nathaniel Vise, who was responsible for surveying the new settlement. In November 1852, he wrote, "The town contains from 60–80 inhabitants, 30 of whom are children of school age. The town is located upon one of the subdivisions of theKaweah Riverand is destined to be the county seat of Tulare. "In 1853, that prediction became a reality and Visalia has remained the county seat since that time.[17][18]Visalia is named for Nathaniel Vise's ancestral home,Visalia, Kentucky.

Early growth in Visalia can be attributed in part to thegold rushalong theKern River.The gold fever brought many transient miners through Visalia along the way, and when the lure of gold failed to materialize, many returned to Visalia to live their lives and raise families. In 1859, Visalia was added toJohn Butterfield's Overland Stage routefromSt. LouistoSan Francisco.A plaque commemorating the location can be found at 116 East Main Street. Included in the early citizens were some notorious and nasty individuals who preyed upon the travelers along the Butterfield Stage route. Many saloons and hotels sprouted up around the stage stopdowntownand commerce was brisk if a bit risky.[19][20]

The next memorable event was the arrival of thetelegraphin 1860. Visalians then could get timely information of the events taking place on theEast Coastthat would ultimately develop into theCivil War.During the war, many citizens of Visalia could not decide whether Visalia should stand on the side of the North or the South, so they simply had a mini Civil War of their own on Main Street. No one really knows the outcome of the war, but apparently it was concluded to the satisfaction of the participants and life returned to normal. The federal government, however, was not so easily convinced, and reacting to concern about sedition, banned Visalia's pro-SouthEqual Rights Expositornewspaper and established a military garrison. Camp Babbitt was built in 1862 to stop overt Southern support and maintain law and order in the community. During these Civil War years, Visalia was incorporated, which gave the town new rights.[21]

The second incorporation in 1874 moved Visalia into city status with a common council and an ex-officio mayor and president.[22]In 1893, the train bandits and murderersJohn SontagandChris Evanswere apprehended, badly wounded, outside Visalia in what is called theBattle of Stone Corral.Sontag died three weeks later in police custody in Fresno; Evans was sent toFolsom State Prison.[23]In 1904, theVisalia Electric Railroadwas incorporated.[24]

In October 1933, Visalia was the site of a fact-finding committee appointed by GovernorJames Rolphand charged with investigating labor violence in the San Joaquin cotton strike. Labor activistCaroline Deckerled hundreds of strikers in a march on the courthouse, and led the questioning of strikers during the investigation. In the mid-1970s, the area was known for the serial burglaries of the then unidentifiedVisalia Ransacker.[25]More recently, Visalia served as a host city for theAmgen Tour of Californiain 2009 and 2010.[26]

Geography

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See also:Central Valley (California);San Joaquin Valley;Tulare County, California;andList of California area codes
A view of East Visalia fromRocky Hill:Left to right:Exeter,Visalia,Friant-Kern Canal(foreground),Sequoia Freeway,Venice Hills,andWoodlake

Visalia is irregularly shaped and covers a total area of 36.3 sq mi (94 km2), of which 36.3 sq mi (94 km2) are land and 0.05% is covered by water. Visalia is located at 36°19'27 "North, 119°18'26" West (36.324100, −119.307347).[27]

The highest point in the Visalia–Porterville area isMount Whitney.[28]Located at the far reaches of theSierra Nevadaroughly 58 mi (93 km) east of the city, it reaches a height of 14,505 ft (4,421 m), and was long famous as the highest mountain in the lower 48 states. The hilliest parts of the Visalia area are theVenice Hillsand the entire Sierra Nevada foothills east of the city. Four main streams run through the city. The major stream is theSt. John's River,which begins at the diversion dam in the Kaweah River and is largely seasonal. The others areMill Creek,Cameron Creek,andPackwood Creek.Many smaller creeks also flow through the city. TheFriant-Kern Canalruns just east of the city along the western edge of the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Cityscape

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The city is divided into neighborhoods, some of which wereincorporated placesorcommunities.Also, several independent cities around Visalia are popularly grouped with the city of Visalia, due to its immediate vicinity. Generally, the city is divided into these areas:Downtown Visalia,North Visalia, the Eastside, Southwest Visalia, the Industrial Area,Mooney,and the Westside.

Climate

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Visalia has asemi-arid climate(BSk,under theKöppen climate classification), and receives just enough annual precipitation to stay out of Köppen'sBWk(desert climate) classification. Visalia enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 26 days with measurable precipitation annually.[29]

Visalia averages 10.32 inches (262.1 mm) of precipitation annually, which mainly occurs during the winter and spring (November through April) with generally light rain showers, but sometimes as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. Years of average rainfall are rare; the usual pattern isbimodal,with a short string of dry years (perhaps 7–8 in [180–200 mm]) followed by one or two wet years that make up the average. While the Sierra Nevada mountains farther east in Tulare County tend to receive snow every winter, snowfall is extremely rare in Visalia. The greatest snowfall recorded in the city was 2 in (5.1 cm) on January 25, 1999.[30]The city falls within USDAplant hardiness zone9b (25 to 30 °F/-3.9 to -1.1 °C).[31][32]

Climate data for Visalia, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1898–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 80
(27) 		89
(32) 		90
(32) 		103
(39) 		108
(42) 		113
(45) 		115
(46) 		115
(46) 		110
(43) 		104
(40) 		94
(34) 		86
(30) 		115
(46)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 66.7
(19.3) 		71.8
(22.1) 		78.8
(26.0) 		87.5
(30.8) 		94.5
(34.7) 		101.0
(38.3) 		101.9
(38.8) 		101.1
(38.4) 		97.7
(36.5) 		89.9
(32.2) 		77.0
(25.0) 		67.0
(19.4) 		103.4
(39.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 55.3
(12.9) 		61.3
(16.3) 		66.9
(19.4) 		72.7
(22.6) 		80.6
(27.0) 		88.8
(31.6) 		93.8
(34.3) 		93.2
(34.0) 		88.3
(31.3) 		77.8
(25.4) 		64.4
(18.0) 		55.4
(13.0) 		74.9
(23.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 46.9
(8.3) 		51.4
(10.8) 		56.2
(13.4) 		60.6
(15.9) 		68.0
(20.0) 		75.1
(23.9) 		80.2
(26.8) 		79.0
(26.1) 		74.2
(23.4) 		65.1
(18.4) 		53.9
(12.2) 		46.6
(8.1) 		63.1
(17.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 38.4
(3.6) 		41.6
(5.3) 		45.4
(7.4) 		48.6
(9.2) 		55.4
(13.0) 		61.5
(16.4) 		66.7
(19.3) 		64.9
(18.3) 		60.1
(15.6) 		52.3
(11.3) 		43.3
(6.3) 		37.9
(3.3) 		51.3
(10.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 30.8
(−0.7) 		34.3
(1.3) 		37.6
(3.1) 		40.4
(4.7) 		47.7
(8.7) 		53.0
(11.7) 		61.1
(16.2) 		59.4
(15.2) 		52.8
(11.6) 		44.2
(6.8) 		35.4
(1.9) 		30.6
(−0.8) 		29.3
(−1.5)
Record low °F (°C) 13
(−11) 		24
(−4) 		22
(−6) 		26
(−3) 		29
(−2) 		35
(2) 		40
(4) 		40
(4) 		32
(0) 		25
(−4) 		23
(−5) 		20
(−7) 		13
(−11)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm) 1.96
(50) 		1.64
(42) 		1.82
(46) 		0.97
(25) 		0.36
(9.1) 		0.13
(3.3) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.00
(0.00) 		0.07
(1.8) 		0.55
(14) 		0.99
(25) 		1.83
(46) 		10.32
(262.2)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.1
(0.25) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.25)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) 7.5 6.9 6.6 3.7 2.1 0.7 0.0 0.1 0.4 1.9 3.6 6.4 39.9
Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Source 1: NOAA[33]
Source 2: National Weather Service[30]

Importance of the valley oak

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Visalia's Valley Oak Ordinance, adopted in 1971,[34]regulatespruningand removing valley oak (Quercus lobata) trees.[35]The area was once a dense oak woodland and the city is trying to maintain a healthyurban forestpartly through preserving Mooney Grove Park, one of the largest valley oak groves in California. Also, just outside the city limits is theKaweah Oaks Preserve,which is a 322-acre (1.3 km2) nature preserve. It protects one of the last remaining valley oakriparian forestsin the San Joaquin Valley.

The Visalia Rawhide

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TheVisalia Rawhideare aMinor League Baseballteam of theCalifornia Leagueand theSingle-Aaffiliate of theArizona Diamondbacks.They have played their home games atValley Strong Ballparksince their inception in 1946.

The team has had nine names, most of which reflected its changing major-league affiliates, most recently theMinnesota Twins,Colorado Rockies,Oakland A's,Tampa Bay Rays,andDiamondbacks.They took the name Rawhide in 2009.

In conjunction withMajor League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Rawhide were organized into the Low-A West at the Low-A classification.[36]In 2022, the Low-A West became known as the California League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit.[37]

Environmental issues

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Owing to geography Visalia suffers fromair pollutionin the form ofsmog,agricultural and otherparticulates.The Visalia area and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley are susceptible toatmospheric inversion,which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes,locomotives,manufacturing, and other sources. Unlike other cities that rely on rain to clear smog, Visalia gets only 11.03 in (280.16 mm) of rain each year; pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Visalia and other major cities led to the passage of early national environmental legislation, including theClean Air Act.More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandatinglow emission vehicles.Particulate pollution can also be high during the winter due to frequent low-level inversions and during longer periods of dry weather. The same low-level inversions that cause high pollution levels in the winter also cause the frequent dense fog, locally known asTule fog.

As a result, pollution levels have dropped in recent decades. The number of stage 1 smog alerts has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 annual report of theAmerican Lung Associationranked the city as the 11th-most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.[38]In 2007, the annual report of theAmerican Lung Associationranked the city as the fourth-most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution.[39]In 2008, the city was ranked the third-most polluted and again fourth for highest year-round particulate pollution.[40]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860548—
187091366.6%
18801,41254.7%
18902,885104.3%
19003,0856.9%
19104,55047.5%
19205,75326.4%
19307,26326.2%
19408,90422.6%
195011,74932.0%
196015,79134.4%
197027,13071.8%
198049,72983.3%
199075,63652.1%
200091,56521.1%
2010124,44235.9%
2020141,38413.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[41]

2020 census

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Visalia city, California – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[42] Pop 2010[43] Pop 2020[44] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
Whitealone (NH) 50,269 55,081 50,556 54.90% 44.26% 35.76%
Black or African Americanalone (NH) 1,558 2,166 2,398 1.70% 1.74% 1.70%
Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH) 675 811 827 0.74% 0.65% 0.58%
Asianalone (NH) 4,472 6,421 7,655 4.88% 5.16% 5.41%
Pacific Islanderalone (NH) 79 129 131 0.09% 0.10% 0.09%
Other Racealone (NH) 87 209 672 0.10% 0.17% 0.48%
Mixed race or Multiracial(NH) 1,806 2,363 4,570 1.97% 1.90% 3.23%
Hispanic or Latino(any race) 32,619 57,262 74,575 35.62% 46.02% 52.75%
Total 91,565 124,442 141,384 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

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The2010 United States Census[45]reported that Visalia had a population of 124,442. The population density was 3,431.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,324.9/km2). The racial makeup of Visalia was 80,203 (64.5%)White,2,627 (2.1%)African American,1,730 (1.4%)Native American,6,768 (5.4%)Asian,164 (0.1%)Pacific Islander,27,249 (21.9%) fromother races,and 5,701 (4.6%) from two or more races. There were 57,262 people (46.0%) people ofHispanicorLatinoorigin, of any race.

The Census reported that 123,116 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 606 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 720 (0.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 41,349 households, out of which 18,102 (43.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21,219 (51.3%) wereopposite-sex married couplesliving together, 6,508 (15.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,909 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,282 (7.9%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships.8,383 households (20.3%) were made up of individuals, and 3,330 (8.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98. There were 30,636families(74.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.42.

The population was spread out, with 37,406 people (30.1%) under the age of 18, 12,461 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 33,922 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 27,779 people (22.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 12,874 people (10.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

There were 44,205 housing units at an average density of 1,218.9 per square mile (470.6/km2), of which 25,380 (61.4%) were owner-occupied, and 15,969 (38.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%. 73,980 people (59.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 49,136 people (39.5%) lived in rental housing units.

2006–2008

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According to the 2006–2008American Community Survey,the racial composition of Visalia was as follows:

African Americansmake up 2.2% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 2,574 African Americans residing in Visalia.

Native Americansmake up 0.7% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 827 Native Americans residing in Visalia.

Asian Americansmake up 5.0% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 5,762 Asian Americans residing in Visalia. The seven largest Asian American groups were the following:

Pacific Islander Americansmake up 0.1% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 138 Pacific Islander Americans residing in Visalia.

Multiracial Americansmake up 2.9% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 3,350 multiracial Americans residing in Visalia. The four main multiracial groups were the following:

  • White & Black: 0.4% (468)
  • White & Native American: 0.9% (1,007)
  • White & Asian: 0.5% (534)
  • Black & Native American: 0.1% (68)

Hispanics and Latinosmake up 40.6% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 47,251 Hispanics and Latinos residing in Visalia. The four main Hispanic/Latino groups were the following:

White Americansmake up 84.0% of Visalia's population. According to the survey, there were 97,735 White Americans residing in Visalia. Much of theEuropean Americanpopulation is ofGerman,Irish,English,Italian,Russian,Polish,andFrenchdescent.

Source:[46]

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following:

Source:[47]

2000

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The2000 census[48]recorded 91,565 people, 30,883 households, and 22,901 families residing in the city, with apopulation densityof 3,203.8 people per square mile. There were 32,658 housing units. As of the 2000 US Census, the racial distribution in Visalia was 54.9%White American,2.3%African American,6.0%Asian American,2.4%Native American,0.3%Pacific Islander,20.3% fromother races,and 4.2% from two or more races. 35.6% of the population wasHispanicorLatino(of any race).[49]

The census indicated that 70.9% spokeEnglish,12.1%Spanish,1.0%Lahu,0.8%Mien,0.7%Hmong,0.6%Laotianand 0.5%Tagalogas theirfirst language.[50]

According to the census, 41.1% of households had children under 18, 54.9% were married couples, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 20.7% of 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 2.91 and the average family size 3.37.[48]

The age distribution was: 31.3% under 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.[48]

The median income for a household was $53,975, and for a family was $61,823. Males had a median income of $46,423, females $34,265. Theper capita incomewas $23,751. 14.8% of the population and 13.2% of families were below thepoverty line.21.4% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those aged 65 or older were below the poverty line.[51]

Religion

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About 233,293Christiansare in themetropolitan area(85,000 in the city proper). Churches of theCatholic,Methodist, Presbyterian. Lutheran, Baptist, Church of Christ, Assemblies of God, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pentecostal,Seventh-day Adventist Church,Eastern Orthodox Church,Oriental Orthodox Church,Mennonite, and other denominations can be found throughout the city. Some of the larger Protestant Christian congregations include Radiant Church, Visalia First Assembly, Neighborhood Church, Gateway Church, Grace Community Church, Christ Lutheran Church, Visalia Nazarene Church, and Visalia Community Covenant Church.

St. Charles Borromeois the largest Catholicparish churchinNorth America.[52]

Visalia has a multiethnic population practicing a variety of faiths, includingJudaism,Islam,Buddhism,Hinduism,Zoroastrianism,Sikhism,Baháʼí,Sufism.Immigrants fromSoutheast Asiahave formed the Lao Buddhist Temple of Visalia, one of two Buddhist temples in theVisalia Area.

Economy

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The economy of Visalia is driven byagriculture(especiallygrapes,olives,cotton,citrus,and nursery products),livestock,and distribution and manufacturing facilities (electronics and paper products are significant manufacturing sectors).[53]Light manufacturing and industrial/commercial distribution represent the fastest growing portion of Visalia's employer base.[54]

Top employers

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According to the city's June 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[55]the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Tulare County 5,105
2 Kaweah Delta Medical Center 4,550
3 Visalia Unified School District 2,913
4 Visalia Mall 1,200
5 VF Outdoor 1,012
6 Walmart 840
7 Graphic Packaging 757
8 College of the Sequoias 705
9 City of Visalia 646
10 UPS 600

Arts and culture

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The Tulare County Public Library operates its largest branch, the Visalia Branch, inDowntown Visalia.There are other smaller libraries in Visalia, such as the Visalia Learning Center.[citation needed]

Historic brick structures include theBank of Italy,and theVisalia Town Center Post Office,both of which are registered with theNational Register of Historic Places.Other historic buildings include theFox Theatre,used for music and stage performances.[56]

Sports

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Visalia is home to theVisalia Rawhide(a "single-A" class team of theArizona Diamondbacks) ofMinor League Baseball.The Rawhide compete in theCalifornia LeagueatRecreation Park.[57]

It is also home to the Visalia Vapor Trailers, the longest-active officialNational Hot Rod Association(NHRA) car club.[58]

Visalia Buddhist Temple

Government

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Local government

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Visalia City Hall

Like much of theSan Joaquin Valley,more resident voters are registered in theRepublican Partythan theDemocratic Party.

Of the 51,718 registered voters in Visalia; approximately 31.9% areDemocratsand 49.1% areRepublicans.The remaining 19.0% are Independents or are registered with one of the many smaller political parties, like theGreen Partyor theLibertarian Party.[59]

Visalia is acharter citywith a city charter approved by the electorate that acts as a "constitution" for the city.[60]Until the November 2012 elections, Visalia voters at large, elected the five-memberCity Councilthat serves as the city's legislative and governing body. The city council members serve four-year terms, and they select one member to serve asmayorand one to serve asvice mayor.TheCity Councilhires a powerfulcity managerthat serves as executive officer, administers city operations, and carries out city policies. Every odd-numbered year either two or three members are elected by the people to serve a four-year term. Each March, the City Council meets and chooses one of its members as mayor and one as vice-mayor. The current mayor of Visalia is Bob Link and vice mayor is Steve Nelsen.

The City of Visalia had been threatened with a lawsuit from a network of civil-rights attorneys claiming the city violated theCalifornia Voting Rights Act,passed into law in 2002. On March 5, 2012, the Visalia City Council voted to put on the November 2012 ballot an initiative that changed the way that Visalia voters get to elect their city council.[61]The measure passed and since the November 2016 elections, Visalia holds district elections in which the candidates must live in one of the five areas (or "districts" ) forming the city, and only residents of that area cast their votes.[62]

List of mayors

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This is a list of Visalia mayors by year.

  • 2003-2005 Bob Link[63]
  • 2009-2011 Bob Link[63]
  • 2011-2013 Amy Shuklian[64]
  • December 2016 – 2018 E. Warren Gubler[63][65]

State and federal representation

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In theCalifornia State Legislature,Visalia is split betweenthe 12th Senate District,represented byRepublicanShannon Grove,andthe 16th Senate District,represented byDemocratMelissa Hurtado.Visalia is also split betweenthe 32nd Assembly District,represented byVacant,andthe 33rd Assembly District,represented byRepublicanDevon Mathis.[66]

In theUnited States House of Representatives,Visalia is split betweenCalifornia's 20th congressional district,represented byRepublicanVince Fong,[67]andCalifornia's 21st congressional district,represented byDemocratJim Costa.[68]

Education

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Colleges and universities

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College of the Sequoias

College of the Sequoias,acommunity college,is the onlypubliccollege located in Visalia.

Universities withbranch campuseslocated within the city limits:

Private collegesin Visalia include:

Visalia is the onlymajor cityin theCentral Valleywith apopulationover 100,000 that does not have a localfour-year university.

Schools

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See also:List of schools in Visalia, California

Visalia Unified School Districtserves the entire city of Visalia, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population of about 30,000.[69]

Media

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Main article:Media in Visalia, California

The daily newspaper is theVisalia Times-Delta.

Infrastructure

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Transportation

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Main article:Transportation in Visalia

Freeways and highways

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California State Route 99,known as the Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial Freeway, is the major north–south highway that heads north toFresnoand south toBakersfield.California State Route 198runs east toSequoia National Parkand west toSan Lucas.California State Route 63,Mooney Boulevard, heads north towardsOrosiandKings Canyon National Park,and south toTulare.California State Route 216,Lovers Lane, heads east toWoodlake.

Partial view of Visalia Transit Center

Public transportation

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Visalia Transit(formerly Visalia City Coach) operates public transportation to, from and within the communities of Visalia,Goshen,FarmersvilleandExeter.[70]The Visalia Transit also provides Dial-A-Ride curb-to-curb para-transit service on a shared-ride, demand-response basis to locations within the city limits of Visalia, Goshen and Farmersville.[71]

Tulare County Area Transit(TCaT) provides the public transit services between Visalia and smaller communities throughout the greater Visalia area. Service includes Fixed Route and Demand Responsive services that are offered Monday through Saturday.[72]

Orange Belt Stageshas a bus stop in Visalia for commuting Amtrak rail passengers with Visalia as their final destination.

Amtrak Thruway18provides daily connections to the nearest Amtrak station inHanford.The bus continues on toSanta Maria,with several stops in between.[73]

The Sequoia Shuttle provides an alternative form of transportation from Visalia andThree RiverstoSequoia National Park.[74]

The Loopis an easy, free way for all school-aged children to get to community centers and recreation centers throughout Visalia where activities for youth are happening.[75]

In late 2015, city officials unveiled the V-Line, a bus that connects Visalia and Fresno. Its stops, in order, are the Visalia Transit Center, Visalia Municipal Airport,Fresno Yosemite International Airport,Fresno State University,and theFresno Courthouse,which is walking distance to theFresno Amtrakstation. The bus fare is $10 each way. Discounted fares are available for students, seniors, and disabled riders. This bus has amenities such as free WiFi and charging ports.[76]

TheCalifornia High-Speed Rail Authorityhas plans to build a high speed rail station 20 miles west of Visalia namedKings–Tulare Regional Station,which will service the city ofHanfordas well as Visalia. Originally planned to be at-grade, the High-Speed Rail Authority has now built a viaduct crossingCalifornia State Route 198,which the station will be situated atop.[77]

Visalia Municipal Airport

Air transportation

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Visalia Municipal Airportis located here.

Rail Transportation

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Current
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Santa Fe Ave and Oak Ave intersection showing active SJVR (former SP) tracks; former ATSF diamond crossing was also here.

Visalia is currently served by theSan Joaquin Valley Railroadas part of its Goshen Subdivision, which runs fromGoshen, California(a connection with theUnion PacificFresno Subdivision) toExeter, California.This line was originally built by the Visalia Railroad (incorporated May 19, 1874) and was later acquired by theSouthern Pacificin 1895. SP sold the line to the SJVR in 1992.[78]The railroad primarily serves the Visalia Industrial Park, on the western side of the city limits.[79]

Former
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TheVisalia Electric Railroadran eastward from the city, and at one time had lines extending toWoodlakeandStrathmore,with the line to Woodlake being electrified. The VE was operational from 1906 to 1990, when the line was abandoned and pulled up east of Exeter.[78]

Visalia was formerly a station stop on theVisalia Districtof theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.A depot and small yard were located in the city. The line was originally built by theSan Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad.The portion of this rail line through Visalia was abandoned and removed in 1994.

In 1887, the Visalia and Tulare railroad was established between its two namesake cities. The railroad ceased operation by October 1900, a victim of competition and an accident with a wandering calf on May 7, 1900, which injured several people.[78]

Visalia Town Center Post Office

Notable people

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See also:List of people from Visalia, California

Sister cities

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See also

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References

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Further reading

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Wikivoyage has a travel guide forVisalia.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Visalia,_California&oldid=1243848093"