Madera is a city in Madera County in California's San Joaquin Valley.
Madera is often considered the gateway to the Sierras. Boasting a vibrant Latino community, Madera is also home to many factory farms and almond groves.
Winters have cool weather, but summer temperatures are quite unbearable for most travelers.
Getting in via a car, Amtrak or Greyhound are your options for getting to Madera.
Take Highway 99 from either North or South until you are halfway between Fresno and Merced (both of which are in the State of California).
Take Amtrak to Madera, but do it in the daylight for your health. That way, you can enjoy a scenic trip through the Delta and beyond, and just when you think you can't go any farther, don't fall asleep, you will have reached Madera.
It's best not to get around the town on foot: the size of the town makes this impractical, and this is probably not safest, especially at night.
Most drivers in Madera don't have car insurance. This means that, if their car crashes into yours or your car crashes into theirs, they don't have an insurance company that will pay for the damage.
This issue reflects the problems with getting around by foot or car: safety, size of the town, and insurance.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division