Welcome to the Central Valley
Located in the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, the metropolitan Fresno area is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation. Despite this rapid growth, Fresno has managed to maintain the character of a smaller community, with minimal traffic and an easy friendliness. But it has the advantages of city-living with a rich diversity of people, cultural offerings that range from museums to opera and major rock concerts, plus triple A baseball, minor-league hockey, and NCAA sports. With multiple smaller suburbs and communities in the surrounding area, you have the option of selecting an urban or rural setting for your home, while having convenient access to shopping, entertainment and outdoor recreation.

The Fresno area is one of the most affordable metropolitan areas in California, with some of the best housing values on the West Coast. And the region offers excellent K-12 education with a variety of public, charter and private schools, as well as local community colleges and three universities.

The All-American City is in the top agriculture-producing county in the nation, and is known as the business, financial and entertainment center of Central California.

Outdoor Recreation
There are seven easily accessible lakes, two major rivers and several reservoirs for fishing, boating and outdoor recreation. Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are all just a short drive away for hiking and camping activities. Three major ski resorts also are nearby, offering some of the state's best downhill and cross-country skiing.
All the while, you remain just one hour's drive from the breathtaking Sierra Nevada mountain range, and just a few hours from San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles.

Arts and Entertainment
Live music or a theatrical show, Fresno has an array of venues for entertainment. The Save Mart Center, located on the campus of California State University, Fresno, showcases many great music talents and family friendly shows. Selland Arena has a seating capacity of 11,300 and has hosted more than 10 million guests for numerous concerts and family shows. Fresno was also the home of William Saroyan, award-winning writer and playwright, his accomplishments included a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, and The Drama Critic’s Circle Award. His legacy remains in Fresno with the William Saroyan Theater located inside the Fresno Convention Center. Warnors Theatre in downtown Fresno, is a mix of Moorish, Spanish and Italian renaissance architecture complimented by its 80 years of musical and theatrical productions.

Fresno encompasses unique shopping locations designed to fulfill the shopper’s heart, such as the recently renovated Shops at River Park, Fashion Fair Mall, Fig Garden Village and Sierra Vista Mall. Other shopping locations include the antiques and specialties in Old Town Clovis and The Tower District in Fresno.

Several local sporting teams provide year-round entertainment. The Fresno Grizzlies Triple A baseball team and the Fresno Falcons hockey team play regularly in downtown Fresno and California State University, Fresno (commonly known as Fresno State) is the home of a nationally recognized football team and the 2008 College Baseball World Series National Champions.