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Stockton is a city in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the fifth largest agricultural county in the United States). According to 2008 estimates by the California Department of Finance, Stockton has a population of 290,000 and is the 13th largest city in California.^[1] Stockton is also the fifth largest inland city in California, behind Fresno, Sacramento, Bakersfield, and Riverside.

Encompassing Interstate 5, State Route 99 and State Route 4, Stockton is located about 80 miles (130 km) east of San Francisco and 40 miles (64 km) south of Sacramento, the capital of California. Stockton is surrounded by the rich and fertile lands of the California Central Valley and is home to the largest inland seaport in California. In and around Stockton are thousands of miles of waterways, canals, and rivers that make up the California Delta.^[2]

Over the past decade, Stockton and the nearby communities of Tracy, Manteca and Lodi have experienced a population boom. This is largely due to thousands of people settling in the area to escape the relatively high cost of living of the San Francisco Bay Area. This influx of new residents, however, resulted in a sharp increase in the cost of living of Stockton, although it is still significantly lower than any Bay Area city of comparable size.

The first human beings to settle along the streams and riverbanks in and around what is now Stockton were countless generations of Native Americans, including members of the Yokuts and Valley and Sierra Miwok tribes, who lived in the delta's waterways, using them for food and transportation. The northern San Joaquin Valley was also the southern end of the Siskiyou Trail, a centuries-old footpath leading through the Sacramento Valley, over the Cascades, and onward to Oregon.

When Captain Charles Maria Weber, a German immigrant, decided to try his hand at gold mining in late 1848, he soon discovered that serving the needs of gold-seekers was a more profitable opportunity.^[3] It was for this reason that he founded Stockton in 1849 when he purchased over 49,000 acres (200 km²) of land through a Spanish land grant. The area now known as Weber Point is the same spot where Captain Weber built the first permanent residence in the San Joaquin Valley.^[4]

During its early years, Stockton was known by several names, including "Tuleburg," "Gas City" and "Mudville." Captain Weber decided on "Stockton" in honor of Commodore Robert F. Stockton. Stockton was the first community in California to have an English name; every other community up until that point was Spanish or Native American in origin.

The city was officially incorporated on July 23, 1850, by the County Court, and the first city election was held on July 31, 1850. In 1851, the City of Stockton received its charter from the State of California. Early settlers included gold seekers from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, the Pacific Islands, Mexico and Canada. The historical population diversity is reflected in Stockton street names, architecture, numerous ethnic festivals, and in the faces and heritage of a majority of its citizens.