Stockton is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in northern California.
Located on the San Joaquin Delta, Stockton is the world's most inland natural port and was previously a major port city. One of the larger cities along I-5 through the Central Valley, it is a convenient stop and offers a variety of restaurants and accommodations for road-trippers. There are several shopping centers and movie theaters and one art museum but few major attractions.
The poem "Casey at the Bat," about the losing baseball team, "the Mudville Nine" may be a reference to Stockton, which was referred to as Mudville in its earlier years.
Stockton is in central California between Interstate 5 and State Highway 99. Stockton is just north of Interstate 205. State Routes 26, 4 and 88 also intersect with Stockton.
Stockton is relatively well served by rail, by both commuter and intercity trains. The Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) makes four round trips between Stockton and San Jose on weekdays, with a schedule mainly geared towards commuters. Additionally, Amtrak runs its San Joaqin train between Bakersfield and Oakland/Sacramento via Stockton.
It's important to notice that there are two railway stations. ACE and Amtrak trains to and from Sacramento use the Robert J. Cabral Station 📍, located at 949 East Channel Street. The second station San Joaquin Street station 📍 is at 735 S San Joaquin St and is used by Amtrak trains to and from Oakland.
Greyhound has a station here
Stockton offers regional transit throughout Stockton via the San Joaquin RTD Express buses and the Downtown Trolleys. The best option, however, is to travel by car.
Downtown Stockton has had many new additions including a new ball park (Stockton Ports), Stockton arena, Bob Hope Theater and other attractions. Stockton may not be a destination but it's not a bad place to stay at on your way somewhere else.
Stockton has some recreational opportunities available. Stockton is within a few hours' drive of the California Coast, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park and can serve as a rest or rendezvous point on the way to these locations. The community offers many local recreational opportunities such as professional and college sports teams, an ice rink, and the Delta, which provides thousands of miles of waterways for water skiing, sailing and other water activities. There are also many opportunities to enjoy local music, theater, dance troupes and other cultural activities throughout the year. Stockton has its own symphony and opera company and hosts the Asparagus Festival annually, celebrating the town's agricultural history. The San Joaquin Film Society also hosts a 10-day International Film Festival each year.
If travelling to Stockton with children, be sure to visit:
Stockton is home to University of the Pacific and Delta College, a part of the California Community College system as well as an extension branch of CSU Stanislaus.
Sherwood and Weberstown mall have the best shopping in Stockton. Pacific Avenue's section south of Country Club Blvd., an urban revival area dubbed "Miracle Mile," has specialty shops and hair styling businesses.
There aren't many nightspots in Stockton. If you're going to a movie at the downtown movie center, immediately next door is a Japanese restaurant "Misaki" with a small but fun bar.
Stockton is known to have a very high crime rate and often makes the "most dangerous" list in rankings for cities of its size. Common sense is helpful in determining whether an area is safe to explore on foot or not and the transition between relatively safe areas and relatively dangerous ones are often quite abrupt. It is strongly recommended to avoid most areas at night if you are on foot, with an exception for some large, well lit and heavily trafficked shopping centers. The area also has very high rates of car theft and has at times been called "the car theft capital of the world," so always lock your car and keep valuables out of sight. Its location on I-5 also means there is a substantial potential for drug trafficking through the city. Stockton has a bad reputation including gang violence and home to the nation's first school massacre. However, for the past few years, Stockton has worked very hard at improving its downtown area, as well as its reputation.
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