San_Joaquin_Valley

The San Joaquin Valley ( SAN whah-KEEN; Spanish: Valle de San Joaquín) is the southern half of California's Central Valley, an area drained by the San Joaquin River. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an important source of food, producing a significant part of California's agricultural output.
San Joaquin Valley draws from eight counties of Northern and one of Southern California, including all of San Joaquin and Kings counties, most of Stanislaus, Merced, and Fresno counties, and parts of Madera and Tulare counties, along with a majority of Kern County in Southern California. Although the valley is predominantly rural, it has three densely populated urban centers: Stockton/Modesto, Fresno/Visalia, and Bakersfield.