Modesto is located in California's San Joaquin Valley, near pristine Yosemite National Park and in the midst of the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas.

Modesto's industries are mainly food processors and related industries. Gallo, Del Monte Foods, Frito Lay, Blue Diamond Growers, Hershey and Con-Agra are nationally recognized food companies with large operations in the area.

The quiet city of Modesto boasts many recreational opportunities. Within a short distance, you can find yourself enjoying the splendors of the aforementioned Yosemite and the Sierra Nevadas. Other attractions include the beloved Modesto A's which draws the whole community to historic John Thurman Field for peanuts, popcorn and all-you-can-eat barbecue, and has launched such major league stars as Jose Canseco and Reggie Jackson. Modesto is also the home of professional regional opera company, the Townsend Opera Players, and the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, who present classical concerts at the Modesto Junior College.

Modesto's location, an hour and half from both the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, has turned the once agriculturally based region into a bedroom community where over twenty percent of the workforce travels outside of the county to their place of employment.