View source for Merced, California

{{Short description|City in California, United States}}
{{redirect|Merced}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Merced
| official_name            = City of Merced
| settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in California|City]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = 
| image_skyline            = {{multiple image
| total_width            = 280
| border                 = infobox
| perrow                 = 2/2
| caption_align          = center
| image1                 = Merced Theatre (cropped).JPG
| alt1                   = Merced Theatre
| caption1               = [[Merced Theatre (Merced, California)|Merced Theatre]]
| image2                 = Tioga Hotel - Merced California (cropped).jpg
| alt2                   = Tioga Hotel
| caption2               = Tioga Hotel
| image3                 = Merced Court House - panoramio (cropped).jpg
| alt3                   = Merced County Courthouse
| caption3               = [[Merced County Courthouse]]
| image4                 = Merced County High School (cropped).jpg
| alt4                   = Merced County High School
| caption4               = [[Merced County High School]]
}}
|image_flag               = Flag of Merced, California.svg
|image_seal               = Seal of Merced City, California.jpg
|image_map                = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=280|frame-height=280|frame-coord=SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q499189}}###{{coord|qid=Q109690}}###{{coord|qid=Q99}}###{{coord|39|49|41|N|101|0|0|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:11;8;5;3|type=SWITCH:shape;shape;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#5f5f5f|id2=SWITCH:Q499189;Q109690;Q99;Q30|type2=shape|fill2=#ffffff|fill-opacity2=SWITCH:0;0.1;0.1;0.1|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#5f5f5f|stroke-opacity2=SWITCH:0;1;1;1|switch=Merced;Merced County;California;the United States}}
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[California]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Merced County, California|Merced]]
|government_type          = [[Council–manager government|Council–manager]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.municode.com/library/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=THCH_ARTIIIFOGO_S300FOGO|title=Merced, CA Code of Ordinances [codes] - Sec. 300. - Form of government|publisher=Municode|access-date=February 4, 2015|archive-date=February 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205035116/https://www.municode.com/library/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=THCH_ARTIIIFOGO_S300FOGO|url-status=live}}</ref>
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Matthew Serratto<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.cityofmerced.gov/government/city-council
| access-date = October 9, 2025
| title = Merced City Council
| publisher = City of Merced, CA
}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[California's 14th State Senate district|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = {{Representative|casd|14|fmt=sleader}}<ref name=ccrc>{{Cite web |title=Final Maps {{!}} California Citizens Redistricting Commission |url=https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/final-maps/ |access-date=October 9, 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
|leader_title2            = [[California's 27th State Assembly district|Assemblymember]]
|leader_name2             = {{Representative|caad|27|fmt=sleader}}<ref name=ccrc/>
|leader_title3            = [[California's 13th congressional district|U.S. rep.]]
|leader_name3             = {{Representative|cacd|13|fmt=usleader}}<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|13}}</ref>
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = April 1, 1889<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/20131017052413/http://www.calafco.org/docs/Cities_by_incorp_date.doc 
|archive-date=October 17, 2013 }}</ref>
<!-- Area------------------>
| unit_pref               = Imperial
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021">{{cite web |title=2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files: California |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2021_Gazetteer/2021_gaz_place_06.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=August 25, 2022 |archive-date=September 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907202441/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2021_Gazetteer/2021_gaz_place_06.txt |url-status=live }}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 23.25
| area_land_sq_mi         = 23.25
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.00
| area_total_km2          = 
| area_land_km2           = 
| area_water_km2          = 
| area_water_percent      = 0
| area_note               = 
|area_urban_sq_mi         = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|area_metro_km2           = 
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis>{{Cite GNIS|1659751|Merced|access-date=February 24, 2015}}</ref>
|elevation_ft             = 171
|elevation_m              = 52
<!-- Population ----------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=1600000US0646898&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Merced city, California: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref>
|population_total         = 86333
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
| population_rank         = [[List of largest California cities by population|80th]] in California

|population_density_sq_mi = 3712.61
|population_density_km2   = 
|population_metro         = 
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]]
|utc_offset               = −8
|timezone_DST             = [[Pacific Daylight Time|PDT]]
|utc_offset_DST           = −7
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|18|N|120|29|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 95340–95341, 95344, 95348
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|area_code                = [[Area code 209|209]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
|blank_info               = {{FIPS|06|46898}}
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1659751}}, {{GNIS 4|2411080}}
|website                  = {{URL|www.cityofmerced.gov/}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Merced''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-merced.ogg|m|ɜːr|ˈ|s|ɛ|d}} {{respell|mur|SED}}; from {{langnf|es||Mercy}}, {{IPA|es-419|meɾˈseð|pron}}) is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Merced County, California]], United States, in the [[San Joaquin Valley]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city had a population of 86,333,<ref name="Census 2020"/> up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1, 1889, Merced is a [[charter city]] that operates under a [[council–manager government]]. It is named after the [[Merced River]], which flows nearby.

Merced, known as the "Gateway to [[Yosemite Valley|Yosemite]]", is less than two hours by automobile from [[Yosemite National Park]] to the east and [[Monterey Bay]], the Pacific Ocean, and multiple beaches to the west. The community is served by the passenger rail service [[Merced station (Amtrak)|Amtrak]], a minor, heavily subsidized airline through [[Merced Regional Airport]], and three bus lines. It is approximately {{convert|110|mi|km}} from [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], {{convert|130|mi|km}} from [[San Francisco]], {{convert|55|mi|km}} from [[Fresno, California|Fresno]], and {{convert|270|mi|km}} from [[Los Angeles]].

In 2005, the city became home to the 10th [[University of California]] campus, [[University of California, Merced]] (UC Merced), the first research university built in the U.S. in the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ucmerced.edu/about_ucmerced/mission.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523060140/http://www.ucmerced.edu/about_ucmerced/mission.asp|url-status=dead|title=UC Merced – Mission Statement|archive-date=May 23, 2007|access-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Merced CA Historic Courthouse1.jpg|thumb|left|The historic [[Merced County Courthouse]], built in 1875.]]
[[File:Merced Union High (original Spanish Colonial Revival campus) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The original [[Spanish Colonial Revival|Spanish Revival]] style [[Merced High School]], demolished 1974]]
[[File:US Post Office Merced (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[United States Post Office (Merced, California)|Merced Post Office]] was built in 1933 in a [[Spanish Colonial Revival style]] by architects [[Allison & Allison]].]]
The first Merced post office opened in 1870.<ref name="CGN">{{California's Geographic Names|801}}</ref> Merced incorporated in 1889<ref name="CGN" /> and now operates under the [[Council–manager government|council-manager]] form of government.

During [[World War II]], the [[Merced County fairgrounds]] were the site of a temporary "[[Internment of Japanese Americans#WCCA Civilian Assembly Centers|assembly center]]" where Japanese Americans were detained after being [[Internment of Japanese Americans|removed]] from their West Coast homes under [[Executive Order 9066]]. 4,669 men, women and children from central [[California]] (with most coming from Merced County) were confined in the Merced Assembly Center from May 6 to September 15, 1942, when they were transferred to the more permanent [[Granada War Relocation Center|Granada]] internment camp in Colorado.<ref>Iwata, Adrienne. [http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Merced%20%28detention%20facility%29/ "Merced (detention facility)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104073605/http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Merced%20(detention%20facility)/ |date=November 4, 2014 }} ''Densho Encyclopedia'' (accessed June 17, 2014).</ref>

Since 2005, Merced has been home to the University of California, Merced. Historic cultural attractions in the city include [[The Mainzer]] Theater which is known for its historic and architectural value, the [[Merced County Courthouse|County Courthouse Museum]] {{circa|1889}}, the Merced Multicultural Arts Center and the [[:Commons:Category:Merced, CA, County Library|County Library]].

Also within a short distance from the city limits are the [[Castle Air Museum]], [[Lake Yosemite]], and Merced Falls. The city of Merced along with its surrounding cities are serviced by the ''[[Merced Sun-Star]]'' and the ''[[Merced County Times]]''. The ''[[Merced Sun-Star]]'' daily newspaper has a circulation of 14,219 daily and 18,569 Saturday in the Merced area. The paper was sold to U.S. Media in 1985 and was acquired by The McClatchy Company in January 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Merced Sun Star|url=https://www.mercedsunstar.com/customer-service/about-us/|website=Mercedsunstar.com|access-date=January 20, 2022|archive-date=February 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215001323/https://www.mercedsunstar.com/customer-service/about-us/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Bob Hart Square clock3.jpg|thumb|left|Bob Hart Square]]
[[File:Main Street Merced.JPG|thumb|250px|Main Street in Merced, California]]
Homes at the median level in Merced had lost 62% of their value from the second quarter of 2006, when they peaked at $336,743, the biggest drop anywhere in the country. Home prices have since rebounded, with the median sale price in April 2018 at $247,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realtor.com/local/Merced_CA |title=Merced, CA Housing Market |publisher=Realtor.com |date=April 17, 2018 |access-date=May 31, 2018 |archive-date=October 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010141451/http://www.realtor.com/local/Merced_CA |url-status=live }}</ref> The current average being $358,000.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Merced current real estate prices|url=https://www.redfin.com/city/11970/CA/Merced/housing-market|access-date=January 20, 2022|archive-date=September 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905232453/https://www.redfin.com/city/11970/CA/Merced/housing-market|url-status=live}}</ref> Investors from outside of the Valley were helping to drive up home prices.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Yurong|first=Dale|date=October 7, 2021|title=Housing Watch: Merced home prices hit all-time high|url=https://abc30.com/merced-market-house-housing/11091538/|access-date=January 20, 2022|website=ABC30 Fresno|language=en|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120153341/https://abc30.com/merced-market-house-housing/11091538/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The metro area went to a 14.2% unemployment rate in December 2013. Having since recovered to a rate of 8.7% in April 2018. Some efforts have been directed towards diversifying its economy and are showing a lowering trend in the overall unemployment rate,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ca_merced_msa.htm |title=Merced, CA Economy at a Glance |publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics |date=April 15, 2018 |access-date= May 31, 2018}}</ref> according to the [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]].

[[File:Cinema, Merced, California LCCN2017707842.tif|thumb|Cinema, Merced, California; photographed by [[John Margolies]] in 2003]]
During the [[Great Recession]] Merced suffered one of the greatest property price collapses in the country and house prices at the end of 2009 had fallen to 1998 levels, according to [[Zillow]], making housing affordable compared to many other California locations.

The economy has traditionally relied upon [[agribusiness]] and upon the presence of [[Castle Air Force Base]]. Over the past twenty years, more diversified industry has entered the area, including printing, fiberglass boat building, warehousing and distribution, and packaging industries.

In September 1995, Castle Air Force Base closed after phasing down over the previous three years. This affected residential real estate and some sectors of the retail and service economies, but overall retail continued to increase. Industrial development is increasing in the area. It is now known as the [[Castle Airport|Castle Airport Aviation and Development Center]]. The Castle Air Museum remains at the site.

==Geography==
[[File:Merced, Ca, San Joaquin Valley.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Merced County countryside]]
[[File:Merced Atwater etc night aerial.jpg|thumb|Night aerial view of Merced, Atwater, etc. in 2019]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|23.3|sqmi|km2}}.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021"/>

Merced is approximately {{convert|110|mi|km}} southeast of San Francisco and {{convert|275|mi|km}} northwest of Los Angeles.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20060126222229/http://www.cityofmerced.gov/about/history.asp History of Merced]." City of Merced. Retrieved on September 18, 2010.</ref>

A major groundwater plume containing the contaminant [[Tetrachloroethylene|PCE]] was discovered in Merced in 1987.<ref>Paul M. Santi1, John E. McCray2 and Jamie L. Martens, ''Hydrogeology Journal'', Issue	Volume 14, Numbers 1–2, January 2006, Springer Berlin /Heidelberg</ref> Subsequently, drilling of new water wells was severely restricted.<ref>''Environmental Site Assessment for proposed development, Merced, California'', Earth Metrics Inc, October 17, 1989</ref>

===Climate===
Merced has a [[cold semi-arid climate]] (Köppen: BSk), with its annual precipitation falling just short of a [[mediterranean climate]]. The city features very hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=18427&cityname=Merced,+California,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Merced, California Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=February 14, 2019|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803212942/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=18427&cityname=Merced,+California,+United+States+of+America&units=|url-status=dead}}</ref> There are an average of 99.7 days with highs of {{convert|90|°F}} or higher and an average of 27.8 days with lows of {{convert|32|°F}} or lower. The record highest temperature of {{convert|116|F|C}} was recorded on September 6, 2022. The record lowest temperature of {{convert|15|°F}} was recorded on December 24, 1990.

The wettest year was 1998 with {{convert|21.98|in|mm}} and the driest year was 2013 with {{convert|3.79|in|mm}}. The most rainfall in one month was {{convert|8.00|in|mm}} in January 1909. The most rainfall in 24 hours was {{convert|2.20|in|mm}}, which occurred on January 30, 1911, and March 9, 1911.<ref name = NOWData/>

{{Weather box
|location = Merced, California ([[Merced Regional Airport]]), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 75
|Feb record high F = 84
|Mar record high F = 88
|Apr record high F = 98
|May record high F = 109
|Jun record high F = 111
|Jul record high F = 114
|Aug record high F = 114
|Sep record high F = 116
|Oct record high F = 106
|Nov record high F = 90
|Dec record high F = 76

|Jan avg record high F = 65.9
|Feb avg record high F = 71.8
|Mar avg record high F = 79.7
|Apr avg record high F = 89.4
|May avg record high F = 97.3
|Jun avg record high F = 103.9
|Jul avg record high F = 105.5
|Aug avg record high F = 104.9
|Sep avg record high F = 101.7
|Oct avg record high F = 92.5
|Nov avg record high F = 78.2
|Dec avg record high F = 66.1
|year avg record high F = 107.0

|Jan high F = 55.6
|Feb high F = 62.0
|Mar high F = 68.1
|Apr high F = 74.0
|May high F = 82.7
|Jun high F = 90.7
|Jul high F = 96.3
|Aug high F = 95.1
|Sep high F = 90.5
|Oct high F = 79.6
|Nov high F = 66.1
|Dec high F = 56.0
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 46.3
|Feb mean F = 50.5
|Mar mean F = 55.2
|Apr mean F = 59.7
|May mean F = 67.4
|Jun mean F = 74.2
|Jul mean F = 79.0
|Aug mean F = 77.9
|Sep mean F = 73.5
|Oct mean F = 64.3
|Nov mean F = 53.5
|Dec mean F = 46.0
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 37.0
|Feb low F = 39.1
|Mar low F = 42.3
|Apr low F = 45.4
|May low F = 52.1
|Jun low F = 57.6
|Jul low F = 61.7
|Aug low F = 60.6
|Sep low F = 56.5
|Oct low F = 49.0
|Nov low F = 40.8
|Dec low F = 36.0
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 27.1
|Feb avg record low F = 29.9
|Mar avg record low F = 33.4
|Apr avg record low F = 36.4
|May avg record low F = 42.8
|Jun avg record low F = 48.5
|Jul avg record low F = 54.8
|Aug avg record low F = 54.7
|Sep avg record low F = 48.4
|Oct avg record low F = 39.4
|Nov avg record low F = 31.0
|Dec avg record low F = 26.8
|year avg record low F = 25.0

|Jan record low F = 16
|Feb record low F = 20
|Mar record low F = 20
|Apr record low F = 25
|May record low F = 30
|Jun record low F = 37
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 36
|Sep record low F = 32
|Oct record low F = 28
|Nov record low F = 21
|Dec record low F = 15

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.37
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.20
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.82
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.12
|May precipitation inch = 0.55
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.12
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.00
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.00
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.05
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.64
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.02
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.91
|year precipitation inch = 11.80

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 9.6
|Feb precipitation days = 9.5
|Mar precipitation days = 8.2
|Apr precipitation days = 4.9
|May precipitation days = 2.7
|Jun precipitation days = 0.6
|Jul precipitation days = 0.1
|Aug precipitation days = 0.0
|Sep precipitation days = 0.6
|Oct precipitation days = 3.0
|Nov precipitation days = 7.3
|Dec precipitation days = 9.7

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name=NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00023257&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date = September 7, 2022
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=hnx
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data
|access-date = September 7, 2022
|archive-date = June 3, 2022
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220603185714/https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=hnx
|url-status = live
}}</ref>
}}

;Notes: 
{{notelist}}

==Economy==
[[File:Merced downtown storefront.jpg|thumb|right|Storefronts in Downtown Merced]]

===Top employers===
According to the city's Official Website the top employers in the city are:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Major Employers {{!}} Merced, CA|url=https://www.cityofmerced.gov/business-services/major-employers|access-date=January 20, 2022|website=www.cityofmerced.gov|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120103639/https://www.cityofmerced.gov/business-services/major-employers|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
| 1
|[[Merced County, California|County of Merced]]
|1980
|-
| 2
|[[University of California, Merced]]
|1,910<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts|title=Fast Facts 2020-2021 &#124; UC Merced|access-date=May 1, 2018|archive-date=June 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609114025/https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 3
|Merced City School District
|1300
|-
| <s>4</s>
|<s>AT&T Call Center</s> (Closed 2014)<ref>{{Cite web |title=AT&T call center near Atwater closes its doors |url=https://abc30.com/business/at-t-call-center-near-atwater-closes-its-doors/280957/ |access-date=October 1, 2022 |website=ABC30 Fresno |language=en}}</ref>
|<s>1,200</s>
|-
| 5
|Merced Union High School District
|890
|-
| 6
|[[Merced College]]
|800
|-
| 7
|Quad Graphics
|700
|-
| 8
|City of Merced
|480
|-
| 9
|Scholle Corporation
|370
|-
| 10
|WalMart
|290
|-
|}

In the summer of 2014, the Castle Commerce Center's call center closed, subtracting 400 jobs from AT&T's share of employment.<ref>{{cite web|date=27 June 2014|title=Atwater AT&T call centers to close, affecting 400 jobs|website=Merced Sun-Star|url=http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/article3291776.html|access-date=November 11, 2014|archive-date=November 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111185726/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/article3291776.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://costa.house.gov/index.php/2014-press-releases/1044-costa-outraged-at-at-t-call-center-closure |title=Costa Outraged at AT&T Call Center Closure |access-date=November 11, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206001403/http://costa.house.gov/index.php/2014-press-releases/1044-costa-outraged-at-at-t-call-center-closure |archive-date=December 6, 2014  }}</ref>

===Agriculture===
Merced is ranked as the sixth-top producing county in California. In 2019, Merced County generated $3.271 billion in total value of production. The top five commodities from 2019 in Merced are:<ref>{{Cite web|title=California Agriculture Statistics Review 2019-2020|url=https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Statistics/PDFs/2020_Ag_Stats_Review.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227084204/https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Statistics/PDFs/2020_Ag_Stats_Review.pdf |archive-date=February 27, 2021|url-status=live|access-date=|website=California Department of Food and Agriculture}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Crops
!$ Amount (1,000)
!Ranking in CA
!% of State Total
|-
|Milk
|905,116
|2nd
|15.5
|-
|Almonds
|421,254
|N/A
|9.3
|-
|Cattle
|297,451
|4th
|8.7
|-
|Chickens
|294,633
|2nd
|8.1
|-
|Sweet Potatoes
|234,964
|1st
|92.2
|}

==Education==
[[File:UCMSciEng.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Science and Engineering 1 building at [[University of California, Merced]]]]
Merced is home to a community college, Merced College&nbsp;and the University of California Merced.

UC Merced now enrolls 8,321 undergraduate and 772 graduate students for a total of 9,093 students, as reported in the university's fall 2021 census.&nbsp;Of the 2021-2022 undergraduate degrees awarded, the top degrees were: 19% Biological Sciences, 16% Psychology, 11% Management, and 10% Computer Science Engineering.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Degrees Awarded {{!}} Center of Institutional Effectiveness |url=https://cie.ucmerced.edu/degrees-awarded |access-date=March 17, 2022 |website=cie.ucmerced.edu |archive-date=March 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309031844/https://cie.ucmerced.edu/degrees-awarded |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[University of California, Merced]] campus opened in late 2005 northeast of the city limits. UC Merced spans a campus area of 1,026 [[University of California, Merced|acres]]. UC Merced enrolled about 7,967 students during the 2017–2018 academic year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts|title=Fast Facts 2018-19 &#124; UC Merced|website=www.ucmerced.edu|access-date=February 14, 2019|archive-date=June 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609114025/https://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Merced is served by the [[Merced City School District]], which has five main middle schools, Cruickshank Middle School, Herbert Hoover Middle School, Rivera Middle School, Weaver Middle School and Tenaya Middle School. There are also 14 elementary schools in this district.

[[Merced Union High School District]] has three major public high school campuses in Merced, [[Merced High School]], [[Golden Valley High School (Merced)|Golden Valley High School]], and El Capitan High School as well as a few smaller campuses offering alternative education.

Merced's community college, [[Merced College]], has an enrollment of 8,996 students as of January 2021.<ref name="MercedCollege">{{cite web|title=Enrollment Status Summary|url=https://www.mccd.edu/offices/institutional-effectiveness/research/images/fact_sheet/F20_QuickFacts.PNG|url-status=dead|access-date=|website=|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120153341/https://www.mccd.edu/offices/institutional-effectiveness/research/images/fact_sheet/F20_QuickFacts.PNG}}</ref> The main campus of Merced College covers an area of 267 acres.[https://www.mccd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FactSheet_F19.pdf]

==Health==
{{Expand section|date=May 2013}}
[[File:Merced, Mercy General.JPG|thumb|left|175px|[[Mercy Medical Center, Merced California]]]] [[Mercy Medical Center Merced]]. A 2016 Community Health Assessment [https://rdaconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Merced-CHIP-2016.pdf] prepared by the Merced County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), determined that top health topics that affect Merced and Merced county are heart disease and stroke; diabetes; access to health care; and drug and alcohol abuse. In 2017 the MCDPH published the Merced County Community Health Improvement Plan [https://www.countyofmerced.com/DocumentCenter/View/13414/Merced-County-Department-of-Public-Health-Strategic-Plan?bidId=] in an effort to "address health disparities and to promote health equity with the goal of health and wellness for all county residents."

[[File:Merced CA Historic Courthouse1.jpg|thumb|left|175x175px|Historic County Courthouse, now serving as a museum]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 1446
|1890= 2009
|1900= 1969
|1910= 3102
|1920= 3974
|1930= 7066
|1940= 10135
|1950= 15278
|1960= 20068
|1970= 22670
|1980= 36423
|1990= 56216
|2000= 63893
|2010= 78958
|2020= 86333
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|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|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321050514/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Merced city, California – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br /><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Merced city, California |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US0646898&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web |title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Merced city, California |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0646898&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= |archive-date=August 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809004346/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0646898&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Merced city, California |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0646898&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|24,121
|23,702
|style='background: #ffffe6; |20,386
|37.75%
|30.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |23.61%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|3,864
|4,483
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,191
|6.05%
|5.68%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.85%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|368
|399
|style='background: #ffffe6; |393
|0.58%
|0.51%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.46%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|7,182
|9,116
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9,234
|11.24%
|11.55%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.70%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|77
|131
|style='background: #ffffe6; |158
|0.12%
|0.17%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.18%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other Race]] alone (NH)
|124
|129
|style='background: #ffffe6; |444
|0.19%
|0.16%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.51%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|1,732
|1,858
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,910
|2.71%
|2.35%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.37%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|26,425
|39,140
|style='background: #ffffe6; |48,617
|41.36%
|49.57%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |56.32%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''63,893'''
|'''78,958'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''86,333'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2020===
The [[2020 United States census]] reported that Merced had a population of 86,333. The population density was {{convert|3,712.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Merced was 35.8% [[White Americans|White]], 5.4% [[African Americans|African American]], 2.5% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 11.1% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.3% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 27.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 17.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 56.3% of the population.<ref name=DP1>{{cite web |title=Merced city, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0646898 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 27, 2025 |archive-date=June 26, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250626031449/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1%3Fg%3D1600000US0646898 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The census reported that 98.9% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 27,462 households, out of which 42.1% included children under the age of 18, 40.7% were married-couple households, 8.9% were [[cohabitation|cohabiting]] couple households, 31.0% had a female householder with no partner present, and 19.5% had a male householder with no partner present. 21.1% of households were one person, and 8.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.11.<ref name=DP1/> There were 19,546 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (71.2% of all households).<ref>{{cite web |title=Merced city, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0646898 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 27, 2025 |archive-date=June 26, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250626031449/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16%3Fg%3D1600000US0646898 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The age distribution was 28.9% under the age of 18, 12.3% aged 18 to 24, 27.6% aged 25 to 44, 19.7% aged 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 30.5{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 29,083 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,250.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 27,462 (94.4%) were occupied. Of these, 43.3% were owner-occupied, and 56.7% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $59,938, and the [[per capita income]] was $26,140. About 18.6% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Merced city, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=1600000US0646898 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 27, 2025}}</ref>

===2010===
[[File:Merced Assembly Center.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Monument commemorating the site of the [[Merced Assembly Center]]]]
The [[2010 United States census]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0646898|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715040035/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0646898|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Merced city|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref> reported that Merced had a population of 78,959. The [[population density]] was 3,386.4 people per square mile. (1,307.5/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of Merced was 41,177 (52.2%) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 4,958 (6.3%) [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]], 1,153 (1.5%) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 9,342 (11.8%) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 174 (0.2%) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 17,804 (22.5%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4,350 (5.5%) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 39,140 persons (49.6%).

The Census reported that 77,878 people (98.6% of the population) lived in households, 492 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 588 (0.7%) were institutionalized.

There were 24,899 households, out of which 11,484 (46.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,958 (44.0%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 4,921 (19.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,941 (7.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,156 (8.7%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 167 (0.7%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 5,356 households (21.5%) were made up of individuals, and 1,823 (7.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13. There were 17,820 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (71.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.65.

The population was spread out, with 25,091 people (31.8%) under the age of 18, 10,475 people (13.3%) aged 18 to 24, 20,986 people (26.6%) aged 25 to 44, 15,484 people (19.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,922 people (8.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.

There were 27,446 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,177.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}, of which 10,637 (42.7%) were owner-occupied, and 14,262 (57.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.5%. 31,690 people (40.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 46,188 people (58.5%) lived in rental housing units.

===Hmong community===
{{main|History of the Hmong in Merced, California}}
Escaping persecution from Communist forces after the [[Laotian Civil War]], [[Hmong people|Hmong]] refugees from [[Laos]] moved to the United States in the 1970s and '80s, first settling in Merced and other areas in the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley of California]].<ref name="WarnerMochel1998">{{citation
|last1=Warner
|first1=Miriam E
|last2=Mochel
|first2=Marilyn
|year=1998
|title=The Hmong and Health Care in Merced, California
|url=http://www.hmongstudies.com/HSJ-v2n2_Warner.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050523170851/http://hmongstudies.com/HSJ-v2n2_Warner.pdf |archive-date=May 23, 2005 |url-status=live
|journal=[[Hmong Studies Journal]]
|volume=2
|issue=2
|pages=30
|access-date=November 28, 2010
}}</ref><ref name="Reiterseeking">Reiter, Carol. "{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110716063605/http://shrdo.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=149 Hmong seeking life in Merced, Ca]}}." ''[[Merced Sun-Star]]'' at ''Suab Hmong Radio''. January 29, 2008. Retrieved on September 20, 2010.</ref> The Hmong could not initially take part in farming like they had expected, as the land was owned by other people.<ref name="Reiterseeking"/> They could not get high end agricultural jobs because they did not speak sufficient English and [[Mexican people|Mexican]] migrants already held low end agricultural jobs. As such, a great many of Merced's Hmong collected social services and Hmong [[Gangs in the United States|gangs]] arose, prompting other residents to perceive them as being the cause of economic troubles.<ref name="Fadiman1997">{{citation
|last=Fadiman
|first=Anne
|author-link=Anne Fadiman
|year=1997
|title=The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux
|title-link=The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
}}</ref> As the Hmong settlement matured and the Hmong children gained English language skills, the town's overall attitude began to be more accepting of the Hmong community.<ref name="Reiterseeking"/>

This acceptance is reflected in various services provided to the Hmong community. This includes the Merced Lao Family Community Inc., a [[nonprofit organization]] that provides social services to Hmong people,<ref name="Withers2004">{{citation
|last=Withers
|first=Andrea C. 
|year=2004
|title=Hmong Language and Cultural Maintenance in Merced, California
|url=http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ724693
|journal=[[Bilingual Research Journal]]
|volume=28
|issue=3
|pages=299–318
|doi=10.1080/15235882.2004.10162624 
|s2cid=144971394 
|url-access=subscription
}}</ref> the Merced Department of Public Health's MATCH (Multidisciplinary Approach to Cross-Cultural Health) program, intending to draw Hmong patients into the health care system,<ref name="WarnerMochel1998"/><ref>Anderson, Barbara. "[http://www.modbee.com/2009/10/19/898549/merceds-mercy-medical-opens-its.html Merced's Mercy Medical opens its door to Hmong shamans] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306013950/http://www.modbee.com/2009/10/19/898549/merceds-mercy-medical-opens-its.html |date=March 6, 2012 }}." ''[[The Modesto Bee]]''. Monday October 19, 2009. Retrieved on November 29, 2010.</ref> a body of Hmong-speaking faculty and paraprofessionals (including college classes on Hmong culture and language),<ref name="Withers2004"/><ref>"[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=FB&p_theme=fb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAE8192CD20E3F0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM MERCED COLLEGE OFFERING HMONG LANGUAGE COURSE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024020101/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=FB&p_theme=fb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAE8192CD20E3F0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=October 24, 2012 }}." ''[[Fresno Bee]]''. December 10, 1987. Retrieved on November 29, 2010.</ref> and media outlets for the Hmong community—cable television channel Channel 11 broadcasts programming to the Hmong community twice per week and radio station [[KBIF]] 900 AM airs programming oriented towards Hmong people.<ref name="Withers2004"/>

While Merced has historically had a proportionally large portion of Hmong (in 1997, 12,000 of Merced's 61,000 residents were Hmong<ref name="Fadiman1997"/>), demographic shifts have reduced this. The [[Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act]] of 1996 prompted a move of some Hmong to [[Minnesota]], [[North Carolina]], and [[Wisconsin]]. More recently, many Hmong have gone to Alaska to work in crabbing and fishing industries that require little proficiency in English.<ref name="Reiterseeking"/>

===Black community===
Through the years, Merced County has recognized many historic milestones. Some of those essential moments include the rise of Merced's first Black mayor, Sam Pipes in 1983 and the visit by first lady [[Michelle Obama]] to UC Merced for the university's 2009 commencement.

There's also the story of the late [[Charles Ogletree]], a Merced native who rose from poverty to become a respected Harvard Law professor. Ogletree taught both [[Barack]] and [[Michelle Obama]] at Harvard; he remained close to [[Barack Obama]] throughout his apolitical career.[13]
Ogletree wrote opinion pieces on the state of race in the United States for major publications.[14] Ogletree also served as the moderator for a panel discussion on civil rights in baseball on March 28, 2008, that accompanied the second annual Major League Baseball civil rights exhibition game the following day between the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox.[15]

===Racial demographics===
In 2010, [[Latinos]] became a majority population in Merced and [[Merced County]] as the agricultural industry brought in migrant farm laborers. The area's affordable housing prices attracted both Latino and [[Asia]]n immigrants. Merced has large [[Asian-American]] (e.g. Hmong, followed by [[Chinese people|Chinese]], [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]], [[Lao people|Laotian]], [[Khmer people|Cambodian]], [[Filipino people|Filipino]], [[Thai people|Thai]], Korean<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://stat.pcanet.org/ac/directory/directory.cfm|title = Korean Presbyterian church in Merced|access-date = October 18, 2015|archive-date = October 2, 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231002115600/http://stat.pcanet.org/ac/directory/directory.cfm|url-status = live}}</ref> and [[Asian Indian]]) populations relative to the city and county's population size.

In Merced County, Black history goes back to before the Civil War. According to historian Sarah Lim, during the mid-1800s Blacks came to this region and California as enslaved persons, while others arrived as free settlers. The 2011 census reported that 9,837 Black or [[African Americans]] lived in Merced County

<ref name="quickfacts.census.gov">{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0646898.html |title=Merced (City) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |access-date=August 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712180928/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0646898.html |archive-date=July 12, 2012 }}</ref>

===Crime===
In 2021, Merced had approximately 4,000 violent crimes occur within the city. This means that with a population of just 89,303 people, in 2021, individuals had approximately a 4.5% chance of falling victim to a crime while living-in or visiting Merced.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2022 |title=Merced City, California |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/mercedcitycalifornia |website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 20, 2022 |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006134452/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/mercedcitycalifornia |url-status=live }}</ref> Of the crimes that occurred, roughly 1,200 were physical (such as assault, rape or homicide) and 2,500 were property-related (e.g. burglary and theft). However, these crimes occurring in 2021 resulted in 13 fatalities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2022 |title=Statistics |url=https://www.cityofmerced.gov/departments/police/statistics |website=City of Merced California }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> With its high crime rate, Merced is considered one of the "50 most dangerous" Californian cities to live in.[[File:Civic Center - Merced, California 1.jpg|thumb|right|Civic Center in Merced]]

==Government==
[[File:Commencement Final.jpg|thumb|right|[[Merced County]] Office of Education]]
In the [[California State Legislature]], Merced is in {{Representative|casd|14|fmt=sdistrict}}, and in {{Representative|caad|27|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref name=ccrc/>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Merced is in {{Representative|cacd|13|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|13|accessdate=April 18, 2023}}</ref>

==Sports==
[[UC Merced Golden Bobcats|UC Merced]] is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competes in the California Pacific (Cal Pac) Conference. It offers men's and women's basketball, volleyball, soccer, water polo, cross country and track. In July 2024, it was announced that in 2026-2027, UC Merced will begin NCAA Division II competition in the 2025-26 academic year and will be fully eligible for postseason in 2026-27.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-11 |title=It's Official: UC Merced to Compete in NCAA Division II Athletics |url=https://ucmercedbobcats.com/news/2024/7/11/all-sports-uc-merced-accepted-into-ncaa-division-ii.aspx |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=University of California, Merced |language=en |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214074712/https://ucmercedbobcats.com/news/2024/7/11/all-sports-uc-merced-accepted-into-ncaa-division-ii.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Merced High School]] and [[Golden Valley High School (Merced)|Golden Valley High School]] sponsor athletics as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.muhsd.k12.ca.us/Domain/48/ |title=Merced High School / Homepage |access-date=October 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007005215/http://www.muhsd.k12.ca.us/Domain/48 |archive-date=October 7, 2013  }}</ref>

Merced has a history of minor league [[baseball]] including the [[California League]] [[Merced Bears]] (1940s)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1941 Merced Bears Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=February 14, 2019|archive-date=April 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200403204323/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Atwater Angels]] (1970s) in nearby [[Atwater, California]]. There were the defunct [[Merced Black Bears]] of the [[Horizon Air Summer Series]] and the current [[Atwater Aviators]] of the [[Golden State Collegiate Baseball League]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pointstreaksites.com/view/goldenstatecollegiatebaseballleague/teams-397/atwater-aviators|title=Pointstreak Sites|access-date=December 15, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222135413/http://pointstreaksites.com/view/goldenstatecollegiatebaseballleague/teams-397/atwater-aviators|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Transportation==
[[Image:Merced-OpenStreetMap.png|thumb|right|200px|Major highways near Merced]]

===Major highways===
*[[Image:California 59.svg|25px]] [[California State Route 59|State Route 59]]
*[[Image:California 99.svg|25px]] [[California State Route 99|State Route 99]]
*[[Image:California 140.svg|25px]] [[California State Route 140|State Route 140]]

===Air===
*[[Merced Regional Airport]] offers passenger service provided by [[Advanced Air]], offering daily flights to [[Las Vegas International Airport]] (LAS) and [[Hawthorne Municipal Airport (California)|Hawthorne Municipal Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Merced Regional Airport |url=https://www.flymercedairport.com/ |access-date=March 17, 2022 |website=mercedairport |language=en |archive-date=March 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303170100/https://www.flymercedairport.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Castle Airport]] in nearby [[Atwater, California]].

===Bus===
[[File:YARTS Bus at Merced Amtrak.jpg|thumb|YARTS Bus at Merced Amtrak Station]]
*[[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]], [[List of California cities with Aeroméxico bus service from Tijuana airport|Intercalifornias]], [[TUFESA]] and Fronteras del Norte serve Merced.
*[[YARTS]] provides scheduled service into [[Yosemite National Park]].
*[[Merced County Transit]], "The Bus", operates both regularly scheduled fixed route bus service and Dial-A-Ride (demand response) transportation services throughout Merced County.
*CatTracks<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cattracks.ucmerced.edu/|title=Home {{!}} CatTracks|website=cattracks.ucmerced.edu|language=en|access-date=July 16, 2018|archive-date=July 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701113546/http://cattracks.ucmerced.edu/|url-status=live}}</ref> is [[University of California, Merced|UC Merced]]'s bus service, which connects students, staff and faculty at the university to off-campus apartments, the off-campus Castle facilities, local amenities, the Amtrak station, and the downtown area. CatTracks also has a live map.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Live Bus Map {{!}} Transportation and Parking Services |url=https://taps.ucmerced.edu/cattracks/map?_C1Blue_C1Gold_FastCat |access-date=March 10, 2022 |website=taps.ucmerced.edu |archive-date=July 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723212631/https://taps.ucmerced.edu/cattracks/map?_C1Blue_C1Gold_FastCat |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Rail===
''[[Gold Runner]]'' provides passenger service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=am2Station&pagename=am%2Fam2Station%2FStation_Page&p=1237405732508&cid=1229726269596|title=Merced's Amtrak station|access-date=February 14, 2019|archive-date=September 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926200144/http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=am2Station&pagename=am%2Fam2Station%2FStation_Page&p=1237405732508&cid=1229726269596|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Cahsr map.svg|thumb|right|200px|Map of proposed route, also including the proposed [[Brightline West]] to [[Las Vegas]]]]

The [[Yosemite Valley Railroad]] ran from Merced between 1907 and 1945.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tracing the YVRR Today {{!}} Yosemite Valley Railroad |url=https://www.yosemitevalleyrr.com/prototype/tracing/ |website=www.yosemitevalleyrr.com |access-date=October 15, 2024 |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211062141/https://www.yosemitevalleyrr.com/prototype/tracing/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====High-speed rail====
{{update section|date=January 2021}}
The [[California High-Speed Rail]] Authority February 2016 draft business plan, outlined the Merced station as not beginning service at the same time as the initial [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] to [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]] route in 2025, but would likely open in 2029 instead. This would make the leg between the Central Valley and [[Pacheco Pass]] the first to be constructed. The Merced City Council vigorously opposed the delay in their city's station opening, noting Merced's volume of commuters seeking high-speed rail to access jobs in Silicon Valley. In response, the April 2016 revisions to the business plan indeed included Merced in the initial construction segment, initially as a single-track spur connecting only to the westbound track to the Bay Area, with build out of the full Wye happening later.<ref>{{Cite web|title=California High-Speed Rail Officials Tinker With Plans|url=https://www.capradio.org/71501|access-date=January 20, 2022|website=www.capradio.org|archive-date=September 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928010354/https://www.capradio.org/71501|url-status=live}}</ref> The system will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin in under three hours at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour.<ref>{{Cite web|title=High-Speed Rail in California|url=https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-in-california/|access-date=January 20, 2022|website=California High Speed Rail|language=en}}</ref> In August 2022, the CAHSRA announced that it had received a $25,000,000 RAISE Grant to advance design work from Madera to Merced.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CAHSRA |title=News Release August 11, 2022 |url=https://hsr.ca.gov/2022/08/11/news-release-25-million-in-federal-funding-awarded-to-advance-high-speed-rail-in-california/ |access-date=August 11, 2022 |archive-date=August 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812012518/https://hsr.ca.gov/2022/08/11/news-release-25-million-in-federal-funding-awarded-to-advance-high-speed-rail-in-california/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Sample trips in the California High Speed rail would include:
*Merced to [[Fresno, California|Fresno]] - 30 minutes
*Merced to [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] – 43 minutes
*Merced to [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] – 45 minutes
*Merced to [[San Francisco]] – 1 hour and 15 minutes
*Merced to [[Los Angeles]] – 1 hour and 40 minutes
'''Altamont Corridor Express Extension'''

The [[Altamont Corridor Express|ACE]] regional rail system is pursuing an extension to Merced as a part of its broader Altamont Corridor Vision plan. The Final Environmental Impact Report for the Ceres-Merced extension was approved on December 3, 2021.

==Notable people==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Lloyd Allen]], MLB pitcher
*[[Ray Allen]], NBA player
*[[Jeff Ball (baseball)|Jeff Ball]], MLB player
*[[Summer Bartholomew]], Miss California USA 1975, Miss USA 1975
*[[Michael Basinger]], NFL player for the [[Green Bay Packers]]
*[[Bruce Bowen]], NBA player for the [[San Antonio Spurs]]
*[[Jim Brewer (baseball)|Jim Brewer]], MLB pitcher
*[[Tom Cable]], NFL player and coach, former head coach of [[Oakland Raiders]]
*[[Diana Serra Cary]], child actress known as "Baby Peggy", writer, silent film historian and advocate for child actors
*[[Alfonso Ocampo Chavez]], MLS player for [[Seattle Sounders FC]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundersfc.com/players/167/alfonso-ocampo-chavez|title=Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez &#124; Seattle Sounders}}</ref> 
*[[Katie Craig (artist)|Katie Craig]], American contemporary artist
*[[Margaret Dingeldein]], member of women's US Olympic water polo team at [[2004 Athens Olympics]]
*[[Tommy Duncan]], singer with Bob Wills and Texas Playboys, buried in Merced
*[[Marvin Eastman]], [[mixed martial arts]] fighter
*[[Doug Fister]], MLB player for the [[Washington Nationals]]
*[[John Flinn (baseball)|John Flinn]], MLB player for the [[Baltimore Orioles]] and [[Milwaukee Brewers]]
*[[Dylan Floro]], MLB player for the [[Washington Nationals]]
*[[Brian Fuentes]], MLB player for six teams
*[[Katie Gallagher (Survivor)|Katie Gallagher]], finalist on reality television show ''[[Survivor: Palau]]''
*[[Jerry Garvin]], MLB pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
*[[Adam Gray]], U.S. representative, former California state assemblyman<ref>{{cite web | last=Livinal | first=Rachel | title=How Democrat Adam Gray won his race, the last to be called for the U.S. House | website=KVPR | date=2024-12-05 | url=https://www.kvpr.org/government-politics/2024-12-05/how-democrat-adam-gray-won-his-race-the-last-to-be-called-for-the-u-s-house | access-date=2025-06-15 | archive-date=July 29, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729135228/https://www.kvpr.org/government-politics/2024-12-05/how-democrat-adam-gray-won-his-race-the-last-to-be-called-for-the-u-s-house | url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Jalen Green]], NBA player for the Houston Rockets, selected 2nd overall in the 2021 Draft
*[[Dave Henderson]], MLB player for five teams
*[[Salar Kamangar]], Former CEO of [[YouTube]], founding member of [[Google]]'s product team
*[[Philip H. Lathrop]], Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated cinematographer
*[[Janet Leigh]], actress, star of ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' (1960) by Alfred Hitchcock
*[[Gerald Madkins]], NBA player and executive
*[[Don Manoukian]], was an American football guard and professional wrestler of Armenian descent from Reno, Nevada.
*[[Blas Minor]], MLB pitcher
*[[Bill Mooneyham]], MLB player for the [[Oakland Athletics]]
*[[Demi Moore]], actress, lived briefly in Merced<ref>{{Citation|page=9|last=Moore|first=Demi|year=2019|title=Inside Out|publisher=Harper|isbn=978-0062049537}}</ref>
*[[Dwayne Murphy]], MLB player for the [[Oakland Athletics]]
*[[Charles Ogletree]], [[Harvard Law School]] professor, and public intellectual
*[[Curtis Partch]], MLB player for the [[Cincinnati Reds]]
*[[Mari-Lynn Poskin]], member of the [[Kansas House of Representatives]]
*[[Chris Pritchett]], MLB player
*[[Peter Rojas]], Founder of [[Engadget]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2006/05/25/engadget-reader-meetup-in-merced-ca-on-for-june-10th/|title=Engadget reader meetup in Merced, CA on for June 10th|website=Engadget|access-date=February 14, 2019|archive-date=June 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622084045/https://www.engadget.com/2006/05/25/engadget-reader-meetup-in-merced-ca-on-for-june-10th/|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Dusty Ryan]], MLB player for the [[New York Mets]]
*[[Daniel Silva (novelist)|Daniel Silva]], best-selling novelist<ref>[http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/20338/edition_id/415/format/html/displaystory.html Novelist takes on Vatican secrecy with new spy thriller] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217143821/http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/20338/edition_id/415/format/html/displaystory.html |date=February 17, 2009 }}</ref>
*[[Tony Slaton]], NFL player for the [[Los Angeles Rams]] and [[Dallas Cowboys]]
*[[Cary Stayner]], serial killer
*[[Steven Stayner]], kidnap victim<ref name="Kidnap victim reunites with 'mystery woman'">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19800321&id=YgMMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JFoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4706,5549981|title=Kidnap victim reunites with 'mystery woman'|first=David|last=Peterson|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|agency=[[United Press International]]|date=March 21, 1980|access-date=September 15, 2009|archive-date=February 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224043920/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19800321&id=YgMMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JFoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4706,5549981|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Rowena Granice Steele]] (1824–1901), American performer, editor, publisher
*[[Joyce Sumbi]] (1935-2010), African-American librarian
*[[Thad Tillotson]], MLB player for the [[New York Yankees]]
*[[Rick Williams (baseball b. 1952)|Rick Williams]], MLB pitcher for the [[Houston Astros]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/player/rick-williams-124334|title=Rick Williams Stats, Fantasy & News|website=MLB.com|access-date=February 14, 2019|archive-date=February 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215102749/https://www.mlb.com/player/rick-williams-124334|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|California}}
*[[Merced County, California]]
*[[California Historical Landmarks in Merced County]]

==References and notes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Merced}}
{{Commons category|Merced, California}}
*{{Official website}}
*[http://www.ucmerced.edu/ UC Merced] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911161547/http://www.ucmerced.edu/ |date=September 11, 2006 }}
*[http://www.mercedsunstar.com/ ''The Merced Sun-Star''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422142656/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/ |date=April 22, 2006 }}
*[http://www.mercedcountytimes.net/ ''The Merced County Times''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416155146/http://www.mercedcountytimes.net/ |date=April 16, 2009 }}

{{Merced, California}}
{{Merced County, California}}
{{California county seats}}
{{Japanese American internment camps}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Merced, California| ]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Cities in Merced County, California]]
[[Category:County seats in California]]
[[Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1889]]