Visit Los Banos – City of Los Banos (2023)

We’re very proud of our family-oriented community, which has maintained a small-town atmosphere while accommodating thriving residential and economic growth.

Centrally located at the “Crossroads of California”, Los Banos is much more than meets the eye. From bird watching to water skiing, fishing to elk watching, Los Banos offers thousands of acres of recreational fun and enjoyment opportunities for the young and young at heart.

The City of Los Banos, population 46,639, is situated on the west side of Merced County and is the county’s second largest city. The City is conveniently located in the center of California and is about two hours from the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento, as well as Yosemite National Park. California’s Monterey Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean are accessible in one and a half hours, as well as the Valley’s major cities of Stockton and Fresno. The Silicon Valley is just more than an hour’s drive away.

A combination of new enterprise, local government, and agriculture-based operations all contribute to the City’s economy, which continues to provide residents with a variety of amenities to enjoy. In addition to public services, including water, sewer, parks and recreation, and a strong public safety departments, the City of Los Banos also offers a variety of retail and entertainment venues for its residents. With its rich culture, prosperous business community, and thriving agricultural industry, you’ll find a family-friendly environment ideal for work or play.

Check out the menu to the left to learn more about our local history, recreation, parks, trails, wetlands, wildlife refuges, reservoirs, and more!

Before its founding, the land on which Los Banos is now located was part of the Yukut Native American hunting grounds. The wetlands in and around the area provided everything the native people needed, including salmon, sturgeon, and game such as elk and deer. For many years the confluence of Beer Creek, Los Banos Creek, and the San Joaquin River with its large watershed, protected the region from early Spanish exploration. As such, the Yokuts were able to live in relative seclusion until the 18th century.

In 1805 Gabriel Moraga, with his troop of Spanish Calvary from the Presidio of San Francisco came riding through the Pacheco Pass under orders from the Spanish Governor of California to explore the San Joaquin Valley. This jaunty leader and his party reached the valley floor and cantered right across the area where the City of Los Banos now stands.

From 1808 to 1833, Spanish missionaries discovered the area when they traveled over the mountains from Mission San Juan Bautista on missionary visits with the Yokut Tribes in the region. Padre Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta on such visits discovered pools of water in the rocks of the summit of the mountains in a little creek bed that flowed down into the San Joaquin Valley. On account of these pools he named the area “Los banos”, which meant “The Baths”. Reports of these baths led to the local ranchers naming the creek “El Arroyo de Los Banos del Padre Arroyo”. In time that lengthy moniker was reduced to “Los Banos Crick”

In 1873 a pioneer to the area named Gus Kreyenhagen ran a trading post near Los Banos Creek. The Post Office Department decided to establish a Post Office at the trading post and named it after the creek, hence the name “Los Banos.”

Henry Miller arrived in San Francisco in 1850 with $6.00 in his pocket. After working as a butcher he became aware of the need for a better grade of cattle than that which was available at that time in California.

He came to the San Joaquin Valley and began his land acquisitions and cattle empire. He acquired land on both sides of the San Joaquin River ultimately owning that land for a distance of 120 miles. In 1871 he formed the San Joaquin and Kings River Canal and Irrigation Company. He is credited with being the first to introduce the crops of cotton, rice and alfalfa to the valley.

Miller made a great effort to get the railroad to extend through the West Side and that eventually decided the present day location of Los Banos. Agriculture remains the number one industry in and around Los Banos and this is due mainly to the early success of Henry Miller.

Los Banos’ population began to grow more quickly after World War II owing to returning veterans and highway construction. A series of irrigation and dam projects in the 1960s brought farmers in search of arable land. From 1970 to 1985, population growth began to stagnate. The City had reached a point where agriculture was no longer a growth factor. Fortunately, Los Banos is close to major employment centers in the Bay Area. Regional dynamism from 1990 onwards fueled a population boom. Even today, many residents have moved to Los Banos because of low home prices and close proximity to the Bay Area.

There is one description of Henry Miller, California’s cattle king, which sums up his contributions to this community: Henry Miller – Founding Father of Los Banos.

Born 1827 in Brackenheim, Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, Miller left the family farm at age 14 to make his way in the world. He arrived in New York City in 1847, just as California’s Gold Rush was getting underway. Lured by the promise of treasure, Miller joined a myriad of others heading West, arriving in San Francisco in 1850 with less than $6 in his pocket.

Relying on his boyhood farming experiences, Miller worked as a butcher and owned his own shop just one year later. Miller’s reputation for hard work, opening early and closing late became the foundation of his business.

Miller’s meticulous attention to detail helped his business prosper. Miller personally selected Valley cattle for his business and established better stock breeds, feeding regimens and feed crops. In 1857 Miller secured options for all the cattle north of the Tehachapi Mountains, and partnered with fellow German butcher, Charles Lux to create the Miller & Lux Corporation. By 1900 Miller & Lux was the largest integrated cattle-raising and meat packing enterprise in the United States, which secured Miller’s position as California’s cattle king.

Being a hands-on businessman, Miller established his headquarters at Canal Farm in Los Banos, where he could oversee his 1.4 million acres of cattle pasture and farmland extending from California to Oregon and Nevada. From Los Banos, Miller traveled the length and width of his company’s California operation.

The Los Banos headquarters also is where Miller created one of the West’s largest water irrigation systems. A series of gravity-fed canals, thus the name “Canal Farm,” were dug to transport water from the San Joaquin River to the fertile farm fields. The system is still used today to irrigate more than 244,000 acres of prime farmland on which is grown more than 40 food and fiber crops.

In Los Banos, Miller brought the railroad to town, constructed a bank, company store and many other building improvements. In addition, he planned and developed housing areas for local citizens and enhanced the quality of life in many ways. Miller created the May Day celebration, which still is observed in Los Banos, as a way of thanking his employees for their hard work and dedication.

By the age of 89, when Henry Miller died in 1916, he had given millions of dollars to numerous worthy causes. Today the City of Los Banos is proud to honor his vision and legacy.

Downtown is the geographical, historical, and cultural heart of Los Banos. Located in the area surrounding Sixth (Main) Street, Downtown is compact, highly walkable, and boasts a charming mix of new and old buildings integral to the city’s small-town identity. Downtown Los Banos features a pedestrian-oriented environment; mixed-use development with a backbone of retail uses; a traditional, well-connected street grid; and direct pedestrian and bicycle connections to nearby neighborhoods.

Downtown Los Banos is a vibrant, welcoming neighborhood where residents and visitors come together to share in food, shopping, and culture. Downtown’s well-kept historic fabric and high-quality new buildings host a healthy mix of local retail, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Old and new housing in Downtown Los Banos meets a high standard of quality and supports its thriving business climate. Downtown Los Banos is home to several eclectic shops and eating places and attracts young people, families with children, and tourists during the day and in the evenings.

To view historical photographs of Downtown Los Banos, check out the Historic Los Banos Photo Gallery tab on the menu to the left!

The City offers over 50 neighborhood parks and playgrounds for recreational use, including the Los Banos Skate Park at Colorado Park and the Los Banos Dog Park! We want all our residents, including our furry residents, to be safe so don’t forget to check out the do’s and don’ts for visiting the dog park.

Want to know which parks offer restrooms, playgrounds, basketball courts, or picnic benches for public use? Check out the park list at the button below for park amenity details.

The Rail Trail system is a former rail line that was converted to a City walking trail that runs from the northwest to the southeast of Los Banos.

• Rail Trail Corridor runs from Second Street to Place Road and is an off-road trail with shade trees, bench seating, and restaurant access!
• Lindemann Family Trail runs from Place Road to Ward Road and is an off-road trail with shade trees, and rural views!
• Page Extensions Trail runs from Page Avenue to Mercey Springs Road and is an off-road trail with shade trees, access to Los Banos High School, Mercey Springs Elementary School, and State Highway 165!

Wildlife viewing, hunting and fishing enthusiasts will be interested in the Los Banos Wildlife Area where one can hunt, fish, participate in training of water dogs, camp, ride bicycles, or just relax and enjoy the wide variety of wildlife living in the area living in the more than 6,200 acres of wetland habitat which includes lakes, sloughs and managed marsh. Los Banos Wildlife Area was the first of a series of waterfowl refuges established throughout the state to manage habitat for wintering waterfowl. Western pond turtles, raccoons, striped skunks, beaver and muskrats, as well as over 200 species of birds are among the many animals found here.

For more information, reach out to them by phone at (209) 826-0463 or check out their website at the button below.

The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge offers quite a treat for those not only interested in small and winged wildlife, but the Tule Elk. This refuge, located on Highway 165 just north of Los Banos, allows for viewing daily year round on an automobile tour route to observe bull and cow elks with their young living in the open grasslands.

For more information, visit their website at the button below.

Henry Miller 1904

Butchering meat for May Day festivities

Bank of Italy (Located at the southwest corner of Sixth/I Streets)

Present day location of San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority

Miller & Lux Canal Farm Headquarters

The building to the left was the Superintendent’s sleeping quarters (present day Espana’s Restaurant). The dining room was located in the center building. The building to the right was the sleeping quarters for the store clerks, surveyors, etc.

First National Bank 1930s

Located at 830 Sixth Street and built in the early 1900s, this building later became known as the Bank of Italy or Bank of Los Banos and was one of the very few buildings to survive the 1919 fire. (present day Miller & Lux building)

May Day Parade 1915 (At the intersection of Sixth/I streets, looking west down I Street)

Buggies and surreys were on the sidelines as the new invention of the automobile took the spotlight.

Miller & Lux Department Store 1895 (Located at the southwest corner of Sixth/I Streets)

Built in 1889, this was the first significant building in Los Banos. (present day location of Los Banos Enterprise)

L.P. Raven Shop 1902

Located east of City Hall on J Street

Los Banos Hotel 1889/90 (Located at the northwest corner of Sixth/I Streets)

This building burned down in the 1919 fire (present day location of Bank of America)

Los Banos Opera House (Located at the northeast corner of Sixth/I Streets)

Built in 1903 and burned down in the 1919 fire, the Opera House was located on the second floor and the U.S. Post Office along with retail stores were located on the first floor. (present day location of San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority)

Los Banos Train Depot early 1900s (Located at Sixth/H Streets)

Built in 1889, the “Owl Train” operated between San Francisco and Los Angeles. (present day location of the Henry Miller Plaza)

Bank of Los Banos pre-1900s (Located at the southeast corner of Sixth/I Streets)

The tower was later removed. (former location of The Peppermill)

Henry Miller 1904

Butchering meat for May Day festivities

Fairgrounds Dance Pavilion early 1900s

Present day location of the Los Banos Fairgrounds

Merced The Bus

Merced The Bus operates 15 fixed routes and two deviated fixed routes throughout the region and provides paratransit service for qualifying individuals who cannot access the fixed-route service. Check out their services at Merced The Bus.

The Micro Bus

What exactly is The Micro Bus? Imagine a cross between an Uber/Lyft and a public transit system, now give it a defined service area with virtual stops every 1/4 mile, and there you have it! A more customized service than your average fixed-route, and an on-demand service using an app on your smart phone, website or by calling customer service. Check them out at The Micro Bus.