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Modesto is the County Seat of Stanislaus County, California . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 188,856. Current census estimates place the population at 206,300. One and a half hours from Sacramento, California's capital city, and 2 hours from both San Jose and San Francisco, Modesto's location has turned the agriculturally based city into a Bedroom Community . Over twenty percent of the workforce travels outside of the county to their place of employment. The area is plagued by some of the worst air quality in the nation, on occasion surpassing even that of Los Angeles . It is also reported to have the highest car theft per capita rate in the United States for at least 2 years running. GEOGRAPHY Modesto is located at 37°39'41" North, 120°59'40" West (37.661479, -120.994543). Modesto is located on the Tuolumne River and is bordered by the Stanislaus and San Joaquin rivers. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 93.1 Km&2 (36.0 Mi&2 ). 92.7 km&2 (35.8 mi&2) of it is land and 0.4 km&2 (0.2 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 0.47% water. Modesto's international character can also be seen in its five officially recognized sister cities. They are Kurume , Japan ; Vernon , Canada ; Vijayawada , India ; Aquascalientes , Mexico ; and Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine . HISTORY Modesto, originally a stop on the railroad connecting Sacramento to Los Angeles , was founded in 1870 and was to be named for William Chapman Ralston , its founder and the financier of many projects in early California. However, he declined the suggestion and a Spanish -speaking railroad worker at the naming ceremony said that Ralston was "Muy modesto" or very modest. Instead, the town was named Modesto. Modesto's official slogan is ''"Water Wealth Contentment Health,"'' which is emblazoned on a large arch uptown that has been immortalized in many photographs. A contest was run in 1911 to determine the slogan. The original winning slogan was: "Nobody's got Modesto's goat". The second place entry was the final winner. TRANSPORTATION Modesto is served by one of the busiest rail corridors in the country. The Amtrak San Joaquins make six daily stops on the route between Oakland and Bakersfield , and two stops daily on the route between Sacramento and Bakersfield. Air service is provided to San Francisco International Airport by Skywest Airlines, under an agreement with United Airlines . Modesto is also served by California Route 99 , and Both CA- 132 , and California Route 108 , a seasonal highway (opening usually in May or June, closing with the first major snow) which is the main route into Stanislaus National Forest and Inyo National Forest. The Modesto Airport lies next to the Tuolumne River. Between the airport and the river lies Veterans' Park. The MAX (Modesto Area Express) buses are part of the city's public transportation system. MAX buses connect to the ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) train station in Lathrop, the "dial-a-ride" service which specifically caters to seniors and the disabled. In order to eligible to use the dial-a-ride service one must be either over the age of 65, or ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-certified The dial-a-ride buses go to Modesto, Salida, and Empire. It is open to the general public only during certain times [http://www.modestoareaexpress.com/dar_information.htm . They also provide door-to-door service for ADA members where passengers can loaded and unloaded from the bus by the driver is necessary, they also escort passengers to the front of the desired destination (usually an office building or hospital), and they will carry heavy packages for the passenger. For senior citizens that are not ADA certified, drivers will carry the passenger's bags up to the curb and if more help is needed, a PCA (Personal Care Assistant) will be suggested. INDUSTRY Modesto's industries are mainly food processing and related industries; E & J Gallo Winery , Del Monte Foods, Foster Farms, Frito Lay , Blue Diamond Growers, Hershey and Con-Agra are nationally recognized food companies with large operations in the area. However, with its maturing infrastructure, the service industry is taking hold with companies such as Gift Specialists, Inc. providing gifting services to businesses large and small {Link without Title} . ACTIVISM In recent years, Modesto has seen a growing number of activist movements, sporting a thriving Food Not Bombs program, the Environmentalists of Green Action, various individuals working to Counter Military Recruitment in schools, a product of the No Child Left Behind Act , several Animal Rights demonstrations, and various other events/movements. Many of these are supported by, if not directly organized with or by the Direct Action Anti-Authoritarians Collective , a local community activist group. On . The march coincided with thousands upon thousands of others across the country, one of many Immigration Reform Protests , and the Great American Boycott . This event is believed to be one of the largest, if not ''the'' largest, demonstration in Modesto's history. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 188,856 people, 64,959 households, and 46,640 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 2,037.4/km&2 (5,277.3/mi&2). There were 67,179 housing units at an average density of 724.7/km&2 (1,877.2/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 69.58% White , 3.97% African American , 1.24% Native American , 6.03% Asian , 0.50% Pacific Islander , 12.74% from Other Races , and 5.93% from two or more races. 25.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 64,959 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were Married Couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.36. In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,394, and the median income for a family was $45,681. Males had a median income of $38,595 versus $26,989 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $17,797. 15.7% of the population and 12.2% of families were below the Poverty Line . 21.9% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. FAMOUS/INFAMOUS PEOPLE FROM MODESTO
INTERESTING FACTS Modesto is the setting for the movie '' American Graffiti '' created by George Lucas , who was born in the city (the actual location set was Petaluma, California). Many of the characters and scenes from the movie are based on actual events that happened in Modesto during the time that Lucas went to high school there. Modesto and the greater Modesto area have recently been been associated with high profile murders, including Chandra Levy and Laci Peterson . It was also the district of former congressman Gary Condit . Although Scott Peterson has been convicted and sentenced to die for the killing of his wife, the method of administering death in California is now in judicial suspension. Modesto is Home to the Modesto Nuts of the High-A California League ( Colorado Rockies minor league team); the Nuts play their home games at John Thurman Field . Modesto is also the home of the critically acclaimed musical group Grandaddy , E & J Gallo Winery , and the McHenry Mansion . SEE ALSO McHenry Mansion A Historic Landmark EXTERNAL LINKS
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