Established in 1850, it is one of California’s 27 original counties. The county seat is in Stockton. San Joaquin County is one of the wealthiest agricultural counties
in the nation. Approximately 84 percent of the total land area of the county is occupied by farms and ranches.
The county is one of the state’s leading producers of milk, grapes, almonds, cherries and tomatoes, and a national leader in the production of asparagus. In addition to being the "Asparagus Capital," San Joaquin County boasts more than 20 wineries and is among the larger wine producing regions in the country.
While agriculture is the dominant economic sector in gross value and strongly influences the types of manufacturing in the county, the government sector is the principal employer, accounting for 20 percent of all jobs.
San Joaquin County is home to the rapidly growing communities of Tracy, Lathrop and Manteca, with a combined population of over 116,000, whose residents are among the commuters to the East Bay and Silicon Valley daily, via Interstate 580 or the increasingly popular Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) train.
Seventeen school districts provide the educational program for more than 95,000 elementary and secondary public school children. At the college level, San Joaquin Delta Community College offers degrees for numerous two year programs and extensive vocational training. University of the Pacific, the oldest chartered university in the state, has about 5,800 students at its Stockton campus. In addition, California State University, Stanislaus, has several hundred part-time students at its center in Stockton.
The Port of Stockton is a deepwater port that provides inland access to shipping lines serving the West Coast and world markets.