Visalia Metropolitan Area

Visalia - Porterville

Common name: Sequoia Valley, Visalia Area
Largest city	Visalia
Other cities	- Tulare  - Porterville  - Dinuba  - Orosi  - Lindsay  - Exeter  - Cutler
Population	Ranked 112nd in the U.S.
- Total	426,276
- Density	/sq. mi.  /km²
Area	sq. mi. km²
State(s)	California
Elevation
- Highest point	feet ( m)
- Lowest point	feet ( m)

The Visalia Metropolitan Area, also know as the Greater Visalia Area, is the 9th largest metropolitan area in California and is the 112th largest in the United States. With a population estimated at 426,276^[1], it is the 6th largest metropolitan statistical area in California's expansive Central Valley, following Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Modesto.

Cities

Major Cities

The following is a list of cities in the Los Angeles Area with 2008 California Department of Finance estimates of their population:^[2]

Central City

• Visalia (123,670)

Other Major Cities

• Tulare (58,506)
• Porterville (52,056)

Suburbs

• Allensworth
• Alpaugh
• Badger
• Cutler
• Dinuba (21,237)
• Ducor
• Earlimart
• Exeter (10,665)
• Farmersville (10,771)
• Goshen
• Ivanhoe
• Lemon Cove
• Lindsay (11,684)
• London
• Orosi
• Pixley
• Poplar-Cotton Center
• Richgrove
• Springville
• Strathmore
• Terra Bella
• Three Rivers
• Tipton
• Traver
• Tule River Indian Reservation
• Woodlake (7,769)
• Woodville

Agriculture

Agriculture forms the backbone of the Visalia area. The cities are surrounded by fertile land that export an abundance of crops, most notably cotton and milk. Tulare County, which encompasses the metro area, is the most productive county in the United States in terms of agricultural revenues, making US$3.5 billion in 2001.

Air Pollution

The geographic location of the Visalia Metropolitan Area (between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Francisco bay), along with widespread agricultural burning, has led to the area being identified by the American Lung Association as one of the United States' metropolitan areas with the worst air pollution. [1]

"Sequoia Valley. As Big As It Gets."

Recently the area has become known as "Sequoia Valley" due to its close proximity to Sequoia National Park. Local officials have proposed this name in an effort to ignite business interest in the area and spark its lagging tourism industry.

"The list of superlatives in Tulare County is amazing," said Don McEachern, CEO of North Star Communication Strategies. "You've got the tallest mountain, the largest tree and the most milk production of any county in the nation. And no one knows about it." [2].

It is important to note that this name does not designate "Sequoia Valley" as separate from the San Joaquin Valley. It simply designates the area around Visalia-Porterville as a distinct community.

See also

• List of United States metropolitan areas by population

References

1. ^ USA: States & Metropolitan Statistical Areas
2. ^ "City/County population estimates with annual percentage change". California Department of Finance. 2008-01-01. http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1_2006-07/documents/E-1table.xls. Retrieved 2009-01-19.