View source for Tulare, California

{{Short description|City in California, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->| official_name      = Tulare, California
| other_name         = 
| native_name        = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
| nickname           = 
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities in California|City]]
| motto              = <!-- images and maps  ----------->
| image_skyline      = Tulare View Sierra Nevadas.jpg
| image_caption      = View of Sierra Nevada mountains
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-zoom      = 10
| mapframe-point     = none
| pushpin_map        = USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
| pushpin_relief     = 1
<!-- Location ------------------>| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag | California}}
| subdivision_type2  = Region
| subdivision_name2  = [[San Joaquin Valley]] 
| subdivision_type3  = [[List of counties in California|County]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Tulare County, California|Tulare]]
<!-- Politics ----------------->
| government_type    = Council/Manager
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Patrick Isherwood<ref name="tulareca_citycouncil"/>
| leader_title1      = [[City Council]]
| leader_name1       = Vice Mayor Stephen C. Harrell, Jose Sigala, Terry A. Sayre, and Dennis A. Mederos<ref name="tulareca_citycouncil"/>
| leader_title2      = City Manager
| leader_name2       = Marc Mondell<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tulare.ca.gov/government/departments/administration
 | title = Departments – City Manager
 | publisher = City of Tulare
 | access-date = February 9, 2015}}</ref>
| leader_title3      = 
| leader_name3       = 
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = April 5, 1888<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc
 | title = California Cities by Incorporation Date
 | format = Word
 | publisher = California Association of [[Local Agency Formation Commission]]s
 | access-date = August 25, 2014
| url-status=dead
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141103002921/http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc
 | archive-date = November 3, 2014
| df = mdy-all
 }}</ref>
<!-- Area------------------>| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 30, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 20.46
| area_land_sq_mi    = 20.39
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.08
| area_total_km2     = 53.00
| area_land_km2      = 52.80
| area_water_km2     = 0.20
| area_water_percent = 0.37
| area_note          = 
| area_metro_km2     = 
| area_metro_sq_mi   = 
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite GNIS|1652803|Tulare|access-date=January 13, 2015}}</ref>
| elevation_ft       = 289
| elevation_m        = 88
<!-- Population ----------->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name=quif>{{Cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0680644.html|title=Tulare (city) QuickFacts|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 12, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417205509/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0680644.html|archive-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref>
| population_total   = 68875
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2019.html|date=May 24, 2020|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>
| population_est     = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 3212.95
| population_metro   = 
| population_density_metro_sq_mi = <!-- General information  --------------->
| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
| utc_offset         = -8
| timezone_DST       = PDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -7
| coordinates        = {{coord|36|12|24|N|119|20|33|W|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 93274, 93275
| area_code          = [[Area code 559|559]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
| blank_info         = {{FIPS|06|80644}}
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
| blank1_info        = {{GNIS 4|1652803}}, {{GNIS 4|2412107}}
| website            = {{URL|tulare.ca.gov}}
| footnotes          = 
| population_density_km2 = 1240.50
| name               = 
}}

'''Tulare''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-tulare.ogg|t|ʊ|ˈ|l|ɛər|i}} {{respell|tuu|LAIR|ee}}) is a city in [[Tulare County, California]], United States. The population was 68,875 per the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. It is located in the heart of the [[San Joaquin Valley]], {{cvt|8|mi|km}} south of [[Visalia, California|Visalia]] and {{cvt|60|mi|km}} north of [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]]. The city is named after the [[Tulare Lake]], once the largest freshwater lake west of the [[Great Lakes]].

==Etymology==
{{Main|wiktionary:tule|l1=tule}}

The English name ''Tulare'' derives ultimately from [[Classical Nahuatl]] [[Tollan|tōllin]], "sedge" or "reeds", by way of Spanish ''[[wiktionary:tule|tule]]'',<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.counties.org/pod/how-did-our-58-counties-get-their-names | title = How Did Our 58 Counties Get Their Names? | website = California State Association of Counties | publisher = [[California State Association of Counties]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
 | last = Clifford Dale
 | first = Harrison
 | author-link = 1918
 | title = The Ashley-Smith Explorations and the Discovery of a Central Route to the Pacific, 1822–1829
 | url = https://archive.org/details/ashleysmithexplo0000dale
 | publisher = Arthur H. Clark Company
 | date = 1918
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/ashleysmithexplo0000dale/page/210 210]–211
 }}</ref> which also exists in English as a loanword. The name is cognate with [[Tula (Mesoamerican site)|Tula]], [[Tultepec]], and [[Tultitlán de Mariano Escobedo]].

==History==
[[Image:Schoenoplectus acutus FWS-1.jpg|thumb|left|Tule rush]]
The [[Yokuts people]]<ref>[http://visalia.k12.ca.us/teachers/lherring/vistas/resources.htm Resources<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> built [[reed boat]]s and fished in what was later to be called [[Tulare Lake]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=847942&site_id=1|title=Google Groups|work=keyhole.com|access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref> in their homeland for centuries, until the invasion and settlement by the Spanish and American pioneers. When California became a state in 1850, Tulare did not yet exist as a town. Tulare was founded in 1872, by the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]].<ref name="profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.tulare.ca.us/welcome/profile.htm|title=City of Tulare, CA : About Tulare|work=tulare.ca.us|access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref> The town was named for Lake Tulare. The lake had been named for the tule rush plant ''([[Schoenoplectus acutus]])'' (pictured left), a species of [[bulrush]] that predominantly lined the marshes and sloughs of its shore.

Transportation was the first impetus behind the establishment of the town. Tulare flourished as the headquarters of the railroad in the area. The town suffered through many difficult challenges, but despite burning down and being rebuilt three times in its first fourteen years of existence, it was eventually incorporated in 1888.<ref name="profile"/>

In 1891, the railroad moved its headquarters to [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]], decimating the community. Although the railroad was gone, the community of Tulare struggled to become an agricultural center for California, which it is today. Due to the inadequate {{convert|10|in}} of rainfall per year, water resources had to be found. In order to bring water to Tulare, citizens established the Tulare Irrigation District and issued $500,000 in bonds to build an extensive canal system carrying water from the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]].<ref name="profile" /> In 1903, when the bonds were paid off early, they celebrated by having a bond-burning celebration. Once the water system was established, Tulare burgeoned, becoming a center for farming and agriculture because of its central location.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usacitiesonline.com/cacountytulare.htm#history|title=Tulare|work=usacitiesonline.com|access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref>

In 1912, Hulett C. Merritt founded [[Tagus Ranch]], which at {{convert|7000|acre}} was the largest fruit ranch in the world. Until its close, Tagus Ranch produce was known the world over, and was served in the finest restaurants throughout America. At the end of World War II, a portion of Tagus Ranch served as a German POW camp.

The [[California agricultural strikes of 1933|cotton strike]] of 1933 was planned in Tulare by a group of seventy-eight men and women. As recorded by [[Chicano]] historian [[Rodolfo Acuña]], "they concluded that it took the average picker 10 hours to harvest 300 pounds. Planters offered 40 cents a [[hundredweight]] – that was not enough to buy enough food and gas to get to the next job."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Acuña|first=Rodolfo|title=Corridors of Migration: The Odyssey of Mexican Laborers, 1600--1933|publisher=University of Arizona Press|year=2007|isbn=9780816526369|pages=239}}</ref>

In 1940, famed aerobatic stunt pilot J.G. "Tex" Rankin secured a U.S. War Department contract to open and operate a civilian flying school to train [[United States Army Air Corps]] flight cadets. Rankin opened the Rankin Aeronautical Academy in Tulare in February 1941, where it operated throughout the duration of World War II. During its heyday [[Rankin Field]], as it was otherwise known, trained 10,000 pilots in primary flight training, including twelve future Army Air Corps Aces and two Medal of Honor recipients.
 
During [[World War II]], in response to the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]] and the West Coast wartime hysteria, the U.S. Army temporarily assumed control of the Tulare County Fairgrounds, converting it to the Tulare Assembly Center, a temporary detention center for [[Japanese American]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://anchoreditions.com/blog/dorothea-lange-censored-photographs|title=Dorothea Lange's Censored Photographs of FDR's Japanese Concentration Camps|date=December 7, 2016|website=Anchor Editions}}</ref> The [[Internment of Japanese Americans#WCCA Civilian Assembly Centers|Assembly Center]] was administered by the Wartime Civil Control Administration, under the [[Western Defense Command]] and the [[Fourth United States Army|U.S. 4th Army]]. The first internee was inducted on April 27, 1942, and the last internee departed on September 4, 1942. The top population numbered 4,978 residents, many of whom were citizens born in the United States. In the latter part of 1942, internees began being moved to the ten more permanent "War Relocation Camps". The majority of internees from the Tulare Assembly Center were sent to the [[Gila River War Relocation Center]] in Arizona. These temporary sites were largely located on fairgrounds or race tracks in completely public and visible locations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.momomedia.com/CLPEF/camps.html|title=List of Internment and Detention Camps|work=momomedia.com|access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>Linke, Konrad. [http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Tulare%20%28detention%20facility%29/ "Tulare (detention facility)"] ''Densho Encyclopedia''. Retrieved June 20, 2014.</ref>

Tulare was the site of the National Championships for the [[Decathlon]] in [[Track and Field]] in 1949, 1950, 1952, and 1962, as well as the Olympic Trials for the Decathlon in 1952.

==Geography==
Tulare is located at {{coord|36|12|24|N|119|20|33|W|type:city}} (36.206601, −119.342404).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>
Located directly between Fresno and Bakersfield, Tulare is in the heart of the Central Valley. Although the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are only about 20 miles east of town, they are seldom visible due to the chronically poor air quality and very high levels of airborne particulate matter, soot, and other pollution.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|20.5|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|20.4|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.08|sqmi|km2}} (0.37%) is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020"/>

===Climate===
The climate of this agricultural community is varied, with cool and damp winters with a mean temperature of 45 degrees, but very hot dry summers, with a mean temperatures of 95 to 110 degrees for about ten months out of the year. The mean average rainfall was 10&nbsp;inches prior to the drought that began in 2012 and remains ongoing as of September 2018. Tulare consistently suffers from year round air pollution and air quality that is among the worst in the United States because of both geographic conditions (hemmed in valley, weak winds) and the prevalence of diesel fuel exhaust from farming and truck traffic on Highway 99. Farming also exacerbates this because it kicks up tremendous amounts of dust, especially in the late summer and autumn months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ci.tulare.ca.us/economic_development/climate.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421181521/http://www.ci.tulare.ca.us/economic_development/climate.htm|url-status=dead|title=City of Tulare – Economic Development<!-- Bot generated title -->|archivedate=April 21, 2015}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1880 = 447
| 1890 = 2697
| 1900 = 2216
| 1910 = 2758
| 1920 = 3539
| 1930 = 6207
| 1940 = 8259
| 1950 = 12445
| 1960 = 13824
| 1970 = 16235
| 1980 = 22530
| 1990 = 33249
| 2000 = 43994
| 2010 = 59278
| 2020 = 68875
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 72601
| estref =<ref name="USCensusEst2024">{{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=June 1, 2025 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> {{increase}}
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
| align = right
| align-fn = center
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], Tulare had a population of 68,875. The population density was {{convert|3,378.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The median age was 31.1 years. 30.7% of residents were under the age of 18, 10.4% were aged 18 to 24, 27.4% were aged 25 to 44, 20.8% were aged 45 to 64, and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME%2CDP1_0021P%2CDP1_0024P%2CDP1_0025C%2CDP1_0049C%2CDP1_0045C%2CDP1_0069C%2CDP1_0073C%2CDP1_0125P%2CDP1_0126P%2CDP1_0129P%2CDP1_0133P%2CDP1_0137P%2CDP1_0138P%2CDP1_0139P%2CDP1_0141P%2CDP1_0142P%2CDP1_0143P%2CDP1_0145P%2CDP1_0146P%2CDP1_0147C%2CDP1_0148C%2CDP1_0149C%2CDP1_0156C%2CDP1_0157C%2CDP1_0158C%2CDP1_0159P%2CDP1_0160P&for=place%3A80644&in=state%3A06|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 19, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A80644&in=state%3A06|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 19, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census2020PL"/>
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| [[White Americans|White]] || 28,211 || 41.0%
|-
| [[African Americans|Black or African American]] || 2,084 || 3.0%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]] || 1,301 || 1.9%
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] || 1,715 || 2.5%
|-
| [[Native Hawaiians|Native Hawaiian]] and [[Pacific Islander|Other Pacific Islander]] || 96 || 0.1%
|-
| Some other race || 21,913 || 31.8%
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] || 13,555 || 19.7%
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race)'' || 43,617 || 63.3%
|}

The census reported that 98.4% of the population lived in households, 1.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized. 99.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.5% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DP"/><ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME%2CP2_002N%2CP2_003N&for=place%3A80644&in=state%3A06|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=April 19, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 20,406 households, of which 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.6% were married-couple households, 9.1% were [[cohabitation|cohabiting]]-couple households, 15.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.6% of households were one person, and 7.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.32. There were 16,193 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (79.4% of all households).<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 21,153 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,037.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 3.5% were vacant. Of the occupied units, 58.8% were owner-occupied and 41.2% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/><ref name="Census2020PL"/>

===2023 ACS estimates===
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 18.5% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 53.6% spoke only English at home, 40.1% spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 3.3% spoke other [[Indo-European languages]], 2.1% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.0% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 76.5% were high school graduates and 10.7% had a bachelor's degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tulare city, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSCP5Y2023.CP02?g=1600000US0680644 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 1, 2025}}</ref>

The median household income in 2023 was $69,517, and the [[per capita income]] was $26,459. About 15.8% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tulare city, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=1600000US0680644 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 1, 2025}}</ref>

===2010 census===
At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] Tulare had a population of 59,278. The population density was {{convert|2,820.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Tulare was 36,347 (61.3%) White, 2,328 (3.9%) African American, 694 (1.2%) Native American, 1,276 (2.2%) Asian, 80 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 15,713 (26.5%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2,840 (4.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 34,062 persons (57.5%).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0680644|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715040523/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0680644|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA – Tulare city|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref>

The census reported that 59,000 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 62 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 216 (0.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 17,720 households, 8,991 (50.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,373 (52.9%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 3,190 (18.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,507 (8.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,543 (8.7%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 120 (0.7%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 2,862 households (16.2%) were one person and 1,249 (7.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.33. There were 14,070 families (79.4% of households); the average family size was 3.68.

The age distribution was 19,757 people (33.3%) under the age of 18, 6,229 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 16,247 people (27.4%) aged 25 to 44, 11,707 people (19.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,338 people (9.0%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

There were 18,863 housing units at an average density of 897.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 10,389 (58.6%) were owner-occupied and 7,331 (41.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. 33,367 people (56.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 25,633 people (43.2%) lived in rental housing units.

===Culture===
There is a large population of Portuguese residents in Tulare, many of whom immigrated from the Azores Islands to start farms and dairies in the Central Valley, becoming part of the now famous Central Valley agricultural boom of the 20th century.
==Economy==
===Largest employers===
According to the city's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tulare.ca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/22289/638618417551230000|title=City of Tulare ACFR pg. 141|access-date=October 24, 2024}}</ref> the top employers in the city are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! Employees
|-
|1
|Saputo Cheese USA, Inc.
|1,125
|-
|2
|Tulare City School District
|1,100
|-
|3
|Tulare Joint Union High School District
|667
|-
|4
|[[Land O'Lakes]]
|486
|-
|5
|City of Tulare
|381
|-
|6
|Adventist Health Hospital
|355
|-
|7
|[[Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream]]
|350
|-
|8
|Lactalis Heritage Dairy
|250
|-
|9
|[[Walmart]]
|212
|-
|10
|Twin Oaks Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
|189
|}
The backbone of Tulare's economy continues to be its agricultural and dairy industry. Tulare is responsible for a significant part of Tulare County's 342,600 dairy cows, which produce more than 8.9&nbsp;billion pounds of milk each year. The nation's largest single-site dairy complex, operated by [[Land O'Lakes]], is located in Tulare.

Tulare is the home of the Tulare County Fair, held since 1915. Tulare is also home to the internationally known [[World Ag Expo]], held annually each February since 1968 at the International Agri-Center.<ref>{{cite news |title=2025 World Ag Expo continues to expand event's reach |url=https://abc30.com/post/2025-world-ag-expo-continues-expand-events-reach/15960359/ |access-date=16 August 2025 |work=ABC30 Fresno |publisher=KFSN-TV |date=27 February 2025 |location=Tulare, California |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Pastis">{{cite news |last1=Pastis |first1=Steve |title=1,200 exhibitors ready to greet you at 2025 World Ag Expo |url=https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2025/02/11/world-ag-expo-map-hours-tulare-ag-show-tickets-technology-exhibitors/78417329007/ |access-date=16 August 2025 |work=Visalia Times-Delta |date=February 11, 2025}}</ref> The three-day event is the largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition in the United States and considered one of the largest of its kind in the world, with over 100,000 visitors and over 1,200 exhibitors.<ref name="Pastis"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Thaddeus |title=World Ag Expo putting hemp in spotlight for first time with exhibits, seminars |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/business/agriculture/article235676132.html |access-date=16 August 2025 |work=The Fresno Bee |date=October 2, 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Klein |first1=Kerry |title=Tech, tractors and cows: A look back at the world’s biggest farm trade show in California |url=https://www.kvpr.org/community/2025-02-25/tech-tractors-and-cows-a-look-back-at-the-worlds-biggest-farm-trade-show-in-california |access-date=16 August 2025 |work=KVPR |date=25 February 2025 |location=Tulare, California |language=en}}</ref>

==Government==
===Local government===
The Mayor and Vice-Mayor are selected by the council for two-year terms.<ref name="tulareca_citycouncil">{{cite web |url=https://www.tulare.ca.gov/government/city-council |title=City Councilmembers |website=www.tulare.ca.gov |access-date=October 19, 2025}}</ref>
* Mayor: Patrick Isherwood<ref name="tulareca_citycouncil"/>
* Vice-mayor: Stephen C. Harrell<ref name="tulareca_citycouncil"/>

===List of mayors===
This is a list of Tulare mayors by year.

{| class = "wikitable"
|-
! Term !! Mayor !! Note(s)/Reference(s)
|-
| 1888-1891 || Charles F. Hall|| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tularehistoricalmuseum.org/tulare.html |title=History of Tulare, California |website=tularehistoricalmuseum.org |first=Derryl |last=Dumermuth |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| 1891-1893 || R. N. Hough || rowspan="20" |
|-
| 1893-1897 || W. L. Blythe 
|-
| 1897-1899 || D. J. F. Reed 
|-
| 1899-1903 || A. E. Miot 
|-
| 1903-1905 || John Tuohy 
|-
| 1905-1907 || W. F. Ingwerson 
|-
| 1907-1915 || H. C. Heitzeg 
|-
| 1915-1918 || G. W. Jones 
|-
| 1918-1919 || H. W. Wheeler 
|- 
| 1919-1923 || W. H. Jones 
|-
| 1923-1927 || W. M. Brown 
|-
| 1927-1931 || T. C. Hampson 
|-
| 1931-1935 || William M. Hahesy 
|-
| 1935-1939 || W. Monte Williams 
|-
| 1939-1943 || G. Gail Bash 
|-
| 1943-1947 || George W. Peterson 
|-
| 1947-1950 || Elmo R. Zumwalt 
|-
| 1950 || Arthur E. Morter 
|-
| 1950-1951 || Anthony S. Martin 
|-
| 1951-1953 || Thomas E. Drilling 
|-
| 1953-1955 || Jim Ingle|| <ref name="politicalgraceyard_mayor">{{cite web |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/CA/ofc/tulare.html |title=Mayors of Tulare, 1952-98 |website=politicalgraveyard.com |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/c8th8k06/ |title=Image / Jim Ingle, Mayor… |website=calisphere.org |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref>
|- 
| 1955-1957 || Carl Miller || rowspan="9" |
|- 
| 1957-1963 || Raymond Joncoaltz 
|-
| 1963-1967 || Melvin Houck 
|-
| 1967-1973 || Willard R. Glass 
|-
| 1973-1979 || Norman F. Griesbach 
|-
| 1979-1983 || Philip E. Vandegrift 
|-
| 1983-1987 || C. Duane Miller 
|-
| 1987-1992 || Maurice M. Green 
|-
| 1992-1998 || Claude Retherford 
|-
| 1998 || Diane E. Mathis || First female mayor of Tulare
|-
| 1998-2002 || William R. Cooke || rowspan="2" |
|-
| 2002-2004 || David Macedo 
|-
| 2004-2006 || Richard Ortega || First Latino mayor of Tulare
|-
| 2006-2010 || Craig Vejvoda || rowspan="2" |
|-
| 2010-2012 || Wayne Ross 
|-
| 2012–2016, 2018 || David Macedo ||<ref name="fresnobee_macedo2018">{{cite web |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/political-notebook/article213528379.html |title=Tulare council names new mayor after Facebook snark of city's sacred cow |website=fresnobee.com |date=June 20, 2018 |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref>
|- 
| 2016-2018 || Carlton Jones || First African American<br />mayor of Tulare<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2016/11/21/carlton-jones-new-tulare-mayor/94258312/ |title=Carlton Jones new Tulare mayor |website=visaliatimesdelta.com |date=November 21, 2016 |access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name="fresnobee_macedo2018" />
|-
| 2018-2020 || Jose Sigala || rowspan="2" |
|-
| 2020-2023 || Dennis A. Mederos 
|-
|2023–2024
|Terry A. Sayre
|-
|2024–Present
|Patrick Isherwood
|
|}

===State and federal===
In the [[California State Legislature]], Tulare is in {{Representative|casd|12|fmt=sdistrict}}, {{Representative|casd|16|fmt=sdistrict}}, and in {{Representative|caad|33|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Final Maps |url=https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/final_maps |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=May 9, 2023 |website=We Draw The Lines CA |publisher=2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission}}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Tulare is in {{Representative|cacd|20|fmt=district}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=California's 20th Congressional District - CA-20 Representatives & District Map |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/CA/20 |access-date=May 10, 2023 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> and {{Representative|cacd|22|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|22|access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>

==Education==
===K-12 schools===
The majority of Tulare is in the [[Tulare City Elementary School District]].<!--ELM 39870--> Pieces of the city limits extend into these elementary school districts: [[Palo Verde Union Elementary School District]]<!--ELM 29670-->, [[Liberty Elementary School District (California)|Liberty Elementary School District]]<!--ELM 21570-->, [[Buena Vista Elementary School District]]<!--ELM 06420-->, and [[Oak Valley Union Elementary School District]]<!--ELM 27900-->. All areas of Tulare are in the [[Tulare Joint Union High School District]]<!--SEC 39930-->.<ref name=SDMap2020Census>{{cite map|author=Geography Division|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st06_ca/schooldistrict_maps/c06107_tulare/DC20SD_C06107.pdf|title=2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Tulare County, CA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|place=[[Suitland, Maryland]]|date=December 18, 2020|access-date=2026-02-09}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st06_ca/schooldistrict_maps/c06107_tulare/DC20SD_C06107_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

The Tulare City School District operates 10 elementary schools, five middle schools, and two k-8 schools in Tulare. The ten elementary schools are Cypress, Heritage, Garden, Kohn, Lincoln, Maple, Mission Valley, Pleasant, Roosevelt, and Wilson. Lincoln, Maple, and Kohn Elementary also have [[Elementary and Secondary Education Act#Title_I|Title I]] preschools. The five middle schools are Cherry Avenue, Live Oak, Los Tules, Mulcahy, and Community Day School. The K-8 school is Alpine Vista, opened in the 2013–14 school year. There is also a private K-8 school called St. Aloysius. There are also five K-8 country schools: Buena Vista, Oak Valley, Palo Verde, Waukena and Sundale.

Secondary education in Tulare is provided by the Tulare Joint Union High School District. The district operates five high schools in the city: [[Tulare Union High School|Tulare Union]], [[Tulare Western High School|Tulare Western]], [[Mission Oak High School|Mission Oak]], Tech Prep, and Sierra Vista.

===Higher education===
Tulare students have two local area community colleges from which to choose: College of the Sequoias in Tulare, and [[College of the Sequoias]] in nearby Visalia. College of the Sequoias new Tulare Center for Agriculture and Technology campus, located on East Bardsley Ave in Tulare, opened in 2013. The Tulare Center is forecast to be a full 10,000 student college by 2040.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ci.tulare.ca.us/welcome/mayor.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429185904/http://www.ci.tulare.ca.us/welcome/mayor.htm|url-status=dead|title=City of Tulare – Welcome<!-- Bot generated title -->|archivedate=April 29, 2015}}</ref>

==Transportation==
Tulare is located on California's central corridor, [[California State Route 99|State Route 99]]. State Routes [[California State Route 63|63]] and [[California State Route 137|137]] also serve the city.

===Air===
The City of Tulare owns and operates their own municipal airport, [[Mefford Field]], which has an asphalt runway of 3,914 feet. 60 private planes are currently based there.

National/international commercial air service is available from: [[Fresno]] (1 hr), [[Bakersfield]] (1 hr. 15 min.), as well as limited commercial service available from [[Visalia, California|Visalia]] (15 min) and [[Porterville, California|Porterville]] (40 min).

===Rail===
Tulare is located on the main line of the [[Union Pacific]] Railroad.

Tulare was formerly a station stop on the [[Visalia District]] of the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]. The rail line has since been removed and converted into a [[Rail trail]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Santa Fe Trail (Tulare) {{!}} California Trails {{!}} TrailLink |url=https://www.traillink.com/trail/santa-fe-trail-(tulare)/ |access-date=January 25, 2024 |website=www.traillink.com}}</ref>

===Bus===
Tulare's [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]] bus depot offers frequent packages and personnel service to all points in the west. [[RIDE Tulare County]] offers a "fixed route" schedule in the city, as well as a [[Dial-A-Ride]] service and micro-transit. The service also provides fixed county routes out of town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Routes & Schedules – Ride Tulare County |url=https://tcrta.wpenginepowered.com/services-and-schedules/ |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=tcrta.wpenginepowered.com}}</ref> 

==Honors==
In December 2010 the City of Tulare was recognized with an honorable mention by the California Sustainability Alliance's Sustainability Showcase Awards.<ref>[http://sustainca.org/showcase/ California Sustainability Alliance, Sustainability Showcase Awards] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304024015/http://sustainca.org/showcase |date=March 4, 2016 }}, Received January 31, 2011</ref> The honor commends the city for its commitment to sustainability through extensive building retrofits, residential solar programs and forthcoming citywide Climate Action Plan.<ref>[http://generalplan.co.tulare.ca.us/documents/GeneralPlan2010/ClimateActionPlan.pdf City of Tulare, Climate Action Plan], Received January 31, 2011</ref>

In April 2011 the City of Tulare received the Climate Change Award for the city's Energy Efficient Strategy at the 2011 Green California Summit and Exposition.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Tulare to accept award for green energy policy |agency=The Business Journal |date=19 April 2011 |url=http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/9253-tulare-to-accept-award-for-green-energy-policy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512221353/http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/environment/9253-tulare-to-accept-award-for-green-energy-policy |archive-date=May 12, 2011}}</ref>

In September 2011, the city of Tulare's Redevelopment Agency received a total of two awards for a single redevelopment project. The Tule Vista Housing Development received the first place [[American Planning Association]] 2011 Central Section Outstanding Planning Project award, as well as the 2011 Award of Excellence from the California State Chapter of the American Planning Association. The two awards also went to Pacific West Communities and Tulare County Housing Authority, who worked in conjunction with the Tulare Redevelopment Agency on the project.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.ci.tulare.ca.us/public_documents/minutes.asp?ID=3306 | title=Agendas, Staff Reports, Minutes & Audio &#124; City of Tulare, CA}}</ref>

===Twin towns – sister cities===
Tulare's [[Town twinning|sister cities]] are:
*[[Angra do Heroísmo]], [[Azores]]
*[[Inverell]], Australia

==Notable people==
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2023}}
*[[Jack Aker]] – [[Major League Baseball]] player, born in Tulare<ref name="The Baseball Encyclopedia">{{cite book |editor= Reichler, Joseph L. |title= The Baseball Encyclopedia |orig-year= 1969 |edition= 4th |year= 1979 |publisher= Macmillan Publishing |location= New York |isbn= 978-0-02-578970-8 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/baseballencyclop00reic }}</ref>
*[[Bryan Allen (cyclist)|Bryan Allen]] – pedal-powered aircraft pilot
*[[Albert Greenwood Brown]] - on death row for rape and murder
*[[Bonnie Bryant (golfer)|Bonnie Bryant]] – [[LPGA]] golfer; born in Tulare
*[[The Charades]] – popular R&B/doo-wop musical group of the 1960s
*[[Max Choboian]] – professional football player for [[Denver Broncos]]
*[[Matt Crafton]] – [[NASCAR]] driver
*[[Zac Diles]] – professional football player for [[Kansas City Chiefs]]
*[[Dominique Dorsey]] – professional football player, the running back for [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] of [[Canadian Football League]]
*[[Jim Ellis (baseball)|Jim Ellis]] – professional baseball player; born in Tulare.
*[[Fred Ford (American football)|Fred Ford]] – professional football player for [[Buffalo Bills]] and [[Los Angeles Chargers]]
*[[Hal Fowler]] - American poker player, world championship winner in 1979, at the [[1979 World Series of Poker]]; long-time resident of Tulare
*[[Jeremiah Green]] – professional football player, for [[Jacksonville Jaguars]]
*[[Virgil Green]] – professional football player, member of [[Super Bowl 50]] champion [[Denver Broncos]]; born in Tulare
*[[Bryce Harris]] – professional football player for [[New Orleans Saints]]
*[[Sim Iness]] – Olympic discus gold medalist in [[1952 Summer Olympics]]
*[[Odell Jones]] – professional baseball player for five [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] teams; born in Tulare
*[[Bob Mathias]] – two-time Olympic decathlon gold medalist and U.S. Congressman; born in Tulare
*[[Mike Morgan (baseball)|Mike Morgan]] – professional baseball player, member of [[2001 World Series]] champion [[Arizona Diamondbacks]]; born in Tulare
*[[Rance Mulliniks]] – professional baseball player and broadcaster; born in Tulare
*[[Lois Neilson]] – silent movie actress: first wife of actor and comedian [[Stan Laurel]]; born in Tulare
*[[Devin Nunes]] – U.S. Congressmen from CA; born in Tulare
* General [[Maurice A. Preston]] – Air Force four-star general, Commander of USAFE 1966–1968
*[[Tex Rankin]] – international aerobatic champion, air racer, barnstormer, and stunt pilot
*[[Shirley Shahan]] – pioneering drag racer; first female driver to win an NHRA title
*[[James Stallworth (athlete)|James Stallworth]] – world high school record holder for the long jump
*[[Bob Veith]] – auto racer; born in Tulare
*[[Marquess Wilson]] – professional football player, wide receiver for [[New York Jets]]; born in Tulare
*Admiral [[Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.]] – Chief of Naval Operations 1970–1974
*[[Richard Torrez|Richard Torez]] – Super Heavyweight boxer, [[Boxing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's super heavyweight|silver medalist]] in Tokyo

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
*{{Official website}}
*[http://www.tularehistoricalmuseum.org/ Tulare Historical Museum website]

{{Tulare County, California}}
{{Japanese American internment camps}}
{{Sequoia National Park}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1888 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Cities in Tulare County, California]]
[[Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California]]
[[Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1888]]
[[Category:Tulare, California]]