The Spanish word for ash tree is "fresno," and it is from these ubiquitous trees lining the San Joaqin River that Fresno takes its name. Fresno County was formed in 1856, with the town of Millerton as its county seat. However, the threat of constant floods drove the population of Millerton to higher ground. They eventually settled around the Central Pacific Railroad's Fresno Station. The community grew and became an incorporated city in 1895.

Located in the heart of the San Joaqin Valley in the center of California, Fresno is the hub of government, health care, and education for the area. Agriculture still plays a major part in the economy, as does food processing. Sun-Maid, Kraft Foods, and Foster Farms are located in Fresno.

The downtown area offers a proliferation of strip malls and shopping centers. The Tower District, centered around the historic Tower Theatre, features a number of nightclubs, restaurants, bookstores, and independent shops. Roeding Park is home to the Chaffee Zoological Gardens and Rotary Playland and Storyland, while Kearney Park plays host to the annual Civil War Revisited.