Fresno, California

Fresno is the county seat of Fresno County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 427,652. 2005 estimates by the California Department of Finance approximate a city population of 464,727 and a metropolitan area of 1,002,284. Fresno is the sixth-largest city in California and the largest inland city in the state. It is located at 36°47' North, 119°48' West, in the San Joaquin Valley portion of California's expansive Central Valley. Its ZIP Code is 937xx. It is also the largest city in the United States that is not directly served by an Interstate highway (although there are long-term plans to upgrade California State Highway 99, the main freeway through the area, to Interstate standards; it is unofficially proposed to be designated Interstate 9).

Professional sports

Fresno has no major-league level professional sports teams, but it does have several minor league sports franchises.

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• Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League baseball, affiliate of the San Francisco Giants)
• Fresno Falcons (ECHL hockey)
• Central Valley Coyotes (AF2 football)

The Fresno Grizzlies play in Grizzlies Stadium, in downtown Fresno. The $46 million stadium opened in 2002 and marked the beginning of an ongoing effort to stimulate downtown commerce and Fresno tourism.

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