Modesto has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen climate classification. The nearest large open seaport is the Port of Stockton, used for oceangoing ships that transport goods, particularly cement, fertilizer, and agricultural products, from California to overseas. This access was given as part of a government plan when hydroelectric power dams were installed upstream for valuable flood control, irrigation, and electric power generation. Rivers and lakes near Waterford are wide enough to be accessible for a kayak, or small motorboat, and there are several points of public access. Although summertime brings high temperatures, swimming is prohibited by local ordinance in rivers, creeks, and the many irrigation canals. There are no public boat ramps or docks within the city limits. Most of the rivers and streams are otherwise not accessible to public use or view due to fences and private property rights. In Modesto there is also a small creek aptly named Dry Creek, which although badly polluted by agricultural runoff, is adjacent to several parks in Modesto. (The original winning motto, 'Nobody's got Modesto's goat', was later declined by town officials.) Modesto's motto is sometimes spoofed as 'The land gets the water, the bankers get the wealth, the cows get contentment, and the farmers get the health.' Geography Īlthough the city is located on the Tuolumne River and near the Stanislaus River, it has no operating port for oceangoing ships due to the shallow depths of these rivers, and also due to a small dam on the Tuolumne River near Highway 99. The motto was selected in a contest held in 1911, with a $3 prize for the winner. The city's official motto, 'Water Wealth Contentment Health,' is emblazoned on the downtown Modesto Arch, which is featured in local photographs and postcards. For the next few decades, Modesto's population grew about two percent per year to over 100,000 in 1980, and over 200,000 in 2001. During World War II, the area provided canned goods, powdered milk, and eggs for the US armed forces and Allied forces. By 1900, Modesto's population was more than 4,500. Irrigation water came from dams installed in the foothills, and irrigated fields of vegetables and fruit and nut trees flourished. With fields of grain, the nearby Tuolumne River for grain barges, and railroad traffic, the town grew. Modesto's population exceeded 1,000 residents in 1884. Ralston's modesty prompted him to ask that another name be found, and the town was named Modesto in recognition of his modesty. When Modesto was founded in 1870, it was to be named Ralston after financier William C. The City of Modesto was originally a stop on the railroad connecting Sacramento to Los Angeles. In this ranking, Modesto ranked 8th in housing affordability and travel time but also ranked 86th in job forecast growth and 99th in foreclosures. In December 2009, Forbes ranked Modesto 48th out of 100 among 'Best Bang-for-the-Buck Cities'. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index for 2011, which interviews 1,000 participants about their jobs, finances, physical health, emotional state of mind and communities, ranked Modesto 126 out of the 190 cities surveyed. The farm-to-table movement plays a central role in Modesto living as in the Central Valley. Led by milk, almonds, chickens, walnuts, and corn silage, the county grossed nearly $3.1 billion in agricultural production in 2011. Stanislaus County ranks sixth among California counties in farm production, and is home to Gallo Family Winery, the largest family-owned winery in the United States. Modesto has been honored as a Tree City USA numerous times. Its distance from other places include 40 miles (64 km) north of Merced, California, 92 miles (148 km) east of San Francisco, 66 miles (106 km) west of Yosemite National Park, and 24 miles (39 km) south of Stockton. Modesto is located in the Central Valley, 68 miles (109 km) south of Sacramento and 90 miles (140 km) north of Fresno. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto Combined Statistical Area. Modesto ( Spanish for ''modest'') is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States.

Modesto bee