Stockton (California) – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (2024)

Stockton is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in northern California.

Understand

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Located on the San Joaquin Delta, Stockton is the world's most inland natural port and was previously a major port city. One of the larger cities along I-5 through the Central Valley, it is a convenient stop and offers a variety of restaurants and accommodations for road-trippers. There are several shopping centers and movie theaters and one art museum but few major attractions.

The poem "Casey at the Bat," about the losing baseball team, "the Mudville Nine" may be a reference to Stockton, which was referred to as Mudville in its earlier years.

Stockton (California)
Climate chart (explanation)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation+Snow totals in inches
See Stockton's 7 day forecast Data from NOAA (1981-2010)
Metric conversion
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

Get in

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37°58′32″N 121°18′3″W

Map of Stockton (California)

By car

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Stockton is in central California between Interstate 5 and State Highway 99. Stockton is just north of Interstate 205. State Routes 26, 4 and 88 also intersect with Stockton.

  • From the San Francisco Bay Area, take Interstate 580 to 205 east then merge north onto Interstate 5.
  • From Reno and North Lake Tahoe, take Interstate 80 west to Sacramento and South on Interstate 5.
  • From South Lake Tahoe, take US Route 50 west to Sacramento and then south on Interstate 5.
  • From Redding and the Pacific Northwest, take Interstate 5 south.
  • From the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California, take Interstate 5 or State Route 99 north.

By plane

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  • 1 Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK IATA). A small airport that is served only by Allegiant Air with flights from Las Vegas, Phoenix-Mesa (not the main Phoenix airport), and San Diego. It is also served by United Express with flights to Los Angeles. Larger airports with more connections are located in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. Unfortunately, the Sacramento airport is on the far northwest side (about 60 miles), rather than between the two cities. Allow plenty of time during the morning and evening commute. Oakland is about 10 miles further. (updated Apr 2020)

By train

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Stockton is relatively well served by rail, by both commuter and intercity trains. The Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) makes four round trips between Stockton and San Jose on weekdays, with a schedule mainly geared towards commuters. Additionally, Amtrak runs its San Joaqin train between Bakersfield and Oakland/Sacramento via Stockton.

It's important to notice that there are two railway stations. ACE and Amtrak trains to and from Sacramento use the 2 Robert J. Cabral Station, located at 949 East Channel Street. The second station 3 San Joaquin Street station is at 735 S San Joaquin St and is used by Amtrak trains to and from Oakland.

By bus

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Greyhound has a station here

Get around

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Stockton offers regional transit throughout Stockton via the San Joaquin RTD Express buses and the Downtown Trolleys. The best option, however, is to travel by car.

See

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Downtown Stockton has had many new additions including a new ball park (Stockton Ports), Stockton arena, Bob Hope Theater and other attractions. Stockton may not be a destination but it's not a bad place to stay at on your way somewhere else.

  • 1 Port of Stockton. California's largest inland seaport just south of the crosstown highway. Be careful around the port area as the police are known to accost anyone looking around or taking photos.
  • 2 Haggin Museum, 1201 N Pershing Ave (in Victory Park), +1 209-940-6300. closed M-Tu, open afternoons other days. Art and local history museum put on by the San Joaquin Pioneer and Historical Society that relates important points in Stockton's past and changing art exhibits. $8 or $7 for seniors and $5 for youth.

Do

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Stockton has some recreational opportunities available. Stockton is within a few hours' drive of the California Coast, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park and can serve as a rest or rendezvous point on the way to these locations. The community offers many local recreational opportunities such as professional and college sports teams, an ice rink, and the Delta, which provides thousands of miles of waterways for water skiing, sailing and other water activities. There are also many opportunities to enjoy local music, theater, dance troupes and other cultural activities throughout the year. Stockton has its own symphony and opera company and hosts the Asparagus Festival annually, celebrating the town's agricultural history. The San Joaquin Film Society also hosts a 10-day International Film Festival each year.

  • Stockton Ports, 404 West Fremont St, +1 209 644-1900. Minor League Baseball team that is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, playing at 1 Banner Island Ballpark. $10–$15.
  • Stockton Kings, 248 W. Fremont St, +1 209-373-1400. Basketball team in the NBA G League serving as the farm team for the Sacramento Kings. The team plays and has its home office at 2 Stockton Arena.
  • Pacific Tigers, Long Theatre, 1042 Dave Brubeck Way (box office), +1 209 946-2474. M–F, 9–4. University of the Pacific sports, competing in seven men's and 12 women's NCAA Division I sports, mostly as members of the West Coast Conference. Since the Tigers haven't had a football team for nearly 25 years, the most popular sports are men's basketball and baseball. Prices vary by sport.

If travelling to Stockton with children, be sure to visit:

  • Children's Museum of Stockton, 402 W. Weber (near the downtown waterfront, two blocks west of Center Street), +1 209 465-4386. $7 per person, under one free.
  • 3 Pixie Woods, in Louis Park (take Monte Diablo exit and go west to Occidental, turn left at Shimizu, parking lot is on the right look for the rainbow gates), +1 209 937-8206. Stockton's own fairyland for the "young in age and the young at heart". In the movie This is Spinal Tap, Pixie Woods was the venue for a performance whose billboard proclaimed "Puppet Show and Spinal Tap.".

Learn

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Stockton is home to University of the Pacific and Delta College, a part of the California Community College system as well as an extension branch of CSU Stanislaus.

Buy

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Sherwood and Weberstown mall have the best shopping in Stockton. Pacific Avenue's section south of Country Club Blvd., an urban revival area dubbed "Miracle Mile," has specialty shops and hair styling businesses.

  • 1 Sherwood Mall, 5308 Pacific Ave, +1 209-952-6277. (updated Nov 2020)
  • 2 Weberstown Mall, 4950 Pacific Ave, +1 209-477-0245. (updated Nov 2020)

Eat

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  • 1 Bellavista Cucina Italiana, 110 N El Dorado St (next to the Stockton Hotel), +1 209-949-2104. Upscale Italian restaurant. The third floor terrace offers great views. (updated Dec 2018)
  • 2 Manny's California Fresh, 1612 Pacific Ave, +1 209 463-6415.
  • 3 DaVinci's Deli, 7925 Thornton Rd., +1 (209) 474-1156, fax: +1 209 474-2696, thornton@devincisdeli.com.
  • 4 Shirasoni Japanese Sushi, 3249 W Hammer Ln, +1 209 473-2525.
  • Sho Mi.
  • El Senor Frog's.
  • Tio Pepe's.
  • Xochimilco.
  • Misaki.
  • Raw Sushi.
  • Papapavlos.
  • Dave Wong's.
  • Gian's Deli.
  • Cocoro Japanese Bistro & Sushi.
  • Garlic Brothers.
  • Bob's At The Marina.
  • Cancun.
  • Valley Brew.
  • Duck Nook.
  • Podesto's Market & Deli.
  • Dynasty.
  • Peking, 7555 Pacific Ave # 115, +1 209 957-0617.
  • Yen Du, 702 Porter Ave # E, +1 209 951-3748.
  • New Yen Ching, 6511 Pacific Ave, +1 209 957-0913.
  • Matsuyama, 4755 Quail Lakes Dr #C, +1 209 952-0688. Good sushi and other Japanese food.
  • Maria's Cafe, 120 E. Market St, +1 209 464-4135. Authentic Mexican food, in business since the early 90s. (updated Sep 2021)

Drink

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There aren't many nightspots in Stockton. If you're going to a movie at the downtown movie center, immediately next door is a Japanese restaurant "Misaki" with a small but fun bar.

Sleep

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Stay safe

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Stockton is known to have a very high crime rate and often makes the "most dangerous" list in rankings for cities of its size. Common sense is helpful in determining whether an area is safe to explore on foot or not and the transition between relatively safe areas and relatively dangerous ones are often quite abrupt. It is strongly recommended to avoid most areas at night if you are on foot, with an exception for some large, well lit and heavily trafficked shopping centers. The area also has very high rates of car theft and has at times been called "the car theft capital of the world," so always lock your car and keep valuables out of sight. Its location on I-5 also means there is a substantial potential for drug trafficking through the city. Stockton has a bad reputation including gang violence and home to the nation's first school massacre. However, for the past few years, Stockton has worked very hard at improving its downtown area, as well as its reputation.

Go next

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  • Yosemite National Park - take Route 99 to Exit #242 and turn left. Take Route 120 all the way to Yosemite.
  • San Francisco - take Interstate 5 South to Interstate 205 & 580 all the way to San Francisco.
  • Sacramento - take Interstate 5 or Route 99 north.
  • Fresno - take Route 99 south.

Routes through Stockton

Sacramento Lodi NS Lathrop Los Angeles
Hercules Discovery Bay WStockton (California) – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (12)E Angels Camp Markleeville
Sacramento Lodi NStockton (California) – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (13)S Manteca Modesto
San Jose Lathrop/Manteca SWStockton (California) – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (14)NE END
Sacramento / Emeryville Lodi / Antioch NStockton (California) – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (15)S Modesto Bakersfield
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Stockton (California) – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (2024)

FAQs

What is the ethnicity of Stockton CA? ›

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Stockton, CA are Asian (Non-Hispanic) (20.3%), White (Non-Hispanic) (17.6%), Other (Hispanic) (15%), Two+ (Hispanic) (14.3%), and White (Hispanic) (13.7%). None of the households in Stockton, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language.

Why is Stockton called Mudville? ›

There's no doubt, however, that Stockton's "Mudville" moniker was well-earned. "Like so many cities, the streets weren't paved until relatively late," he said. "We also have unique properties. The mud in this area, it's an adobe mud so it's particularly sticky.

Why is Stockton famous? ›

It became the gateway, supply and transportation center to California's southern mines. Although the gold rush ended by 1855, Stockton businesses prospered from their ability to process and transport agricultural products to the markets of the world.

Is Stockton, CA a good place to live? ›

Stockton is known for being home to the oldest university in California, the University of The Pacific. With the low cost of living (compared to other areas in California) and being a family-friendly city, Stockton is a great place to live.

What is the crime rate in Stockton CA? ›

According to the latest FBI crime data, Stockton's overall crime rate remains significantly higher than both the state and national averages: Stockton Crime Rate: 4,259 crimes per 100,000 people. National Crime Rate: 2,346 crimes per 100,000 people. California Crime Rate: 2,581 crimes per 100,000 people.

What is the nickname for Stockton? ›

Nickname(s): "Tuleburg", "Mudville", "California's Sunrise Seaport", "Port City", "Asparagus Capital of America". Stockton was founded by Charles Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquired Rancho Campo de los Franceses.

What crop did Filipinos mostly harvest in Stockton? ›

Many of the organizers, like Itliong and Delvo, were veterans of the strikes of the previous forty years. By 1961, Itliong had been appointed the AWOC's southern regional director and moved his family to the southern San Joaquin Valley to live in Delano, where he began organizing the mostly Filipino grape workers.

What makes Stockton different from other cities? ›

Stockton, California, is the most racially and ethnically diverse city in America. As American cities become increasingly diverse, the future may look a bit like Stockton, California. The northern California city tops the list of America's most diverse large cities, according to an analysis by US News and World Report.

Why is Stockton crime so high? ›

Gangs have been the largest contributors in violent crimes for the city of Stockton. A study based on a 1994 census showed that Stockton, with a population of 210,943 had 140 different gangs.

What famous person is from Stockton, California? ›

Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak was born on 26 June 1956 in Stockton, California, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Wild at Heart (1990) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

Who was the richest person in Stockton, CA? ›

Alexander Gus Spanos (September 28, 1923 – October 9, 2018) was an American billionaire real estate developer, founder of the A. G. Spanos Companies, and the majority owner of the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). Stockton, California, U.S.

Is it safe to travel to Stockton CA? ›

Stockton, CaliforniaCrime Rate & Safety

The metropolitan area's violent crime rate was higher than the national rate in 2022. Its rate of property crime was higher than the national rate.

Is Stockton safer than Sacramento? ›

Crime and high cost of living are two of the biggest drawbacks to living in Sacramento. Although not as high as Stockton's crime rates, the crime rate in Sacramento is 46 percent above the national average. Violent crime is 76 percent above the national average in Sacramento.

What is Stockton's reputation? ›

While Stockton's long had a reputation of being one of America's most miserable cities (thanks, Forbes), U.S. News & World Report is shining a positive light on Mudville. In its 2023-2024 report, Stockton ranked among the best places to live in California.

What ethnicity is the name Stockton? ›

Stockton is a masculine name of Old English origin and the name of several towns throughout England. Meaning “tree-stump settlement,” this woody place name inspires imagery of villages immersed in nature.

Is Stockton the most diverse city in America? ›

In January of 2020 U.S. News & World Report named Stockton, California the most racially and ethnically diverse big city in the United States. This is no surprise to those who are proud to call Stockton home.

What language do they speak in Stockton CA? ›

Stockton Language

54.44% of Stockton residents speak only English, while 45.56% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 28.95% of the population.

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