Located in California’s Central Valley, (Madera Population year 2000: 43,207. Estimated population in July 2006: 54,959) offers affordable small-town living on the periphery of a large metropolitan area (Fresno is 18 miles south). It’s a place where families can afford spacious houses and their kids can join 4-H or play sports a few blocks from home. Madera is the home of Valley Children’s Hospital, one of the largest children’s hospitals in the U.S. Educational needs are served by the Madera Unified School District, featuring 20 schools; among them is a California Distinguished Elementary School. College courses and training are available through State Center Community College and CSU, Fresno.

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California Trivia:  What's the story behind the Palm Tree and the Redwood?

The word "Madera" means, "wood" in Spanish. The City was originally named for its timber-based economy. Drive six miles north of the San Joaquin River on Highway 99 and you’ll notice an odd couple in the center divider: a palm tree paired up with an evergreen. Legend has it that this marks the divide between Southern California (the palm tree) and Northern California (the evergreen). While no one has been able to verify the origin of the trees, a public outcry went up in the late 1980s, when the trees were nearly bulldozed to make room for Highway 99. Cal-Trans relented, and the trees remain a symbolic reminder of Madera’s place in the exact center of the state.