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From Wikivoyage

Stockton is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in northern California.

Understand

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 (California)
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See Stockton's 7 day forecast    Data from NOAA (1981-2010)
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Get in

Map
Map of Stockton (California)

By car

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.

By plane

By train

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 2 Robert J. Cabral Station, located at 949 East Channel Street. The second station 3 San Joaquin Street station is at 735 S San Joaquin St and is used by Amtrak trains to and from Oakland.

By bus

Greyhound has a station here

Get around

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.

See

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.

  • 1 Port of Stockton. California's largest inland seaport just south of the crosstown highway. Be careful around the port area as the police are known to accost anyone looking around or taking photos. Port of Stockton (Q7231271) on Wikidata Port of Stockton on Wikipedia

Do

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.

  • Stockton Ports, 404 West Fremont St, +1 209 644-1900. Minor League Baseball team that is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, playing at 1 . $10–$15.
  • Stockton Kings, 248 W. Fremont St, +1 209-373-1400. Basketball team in the NBA G League serving as the farm team for the Sacramento Kings. The team plays and has its home office at 2 Stockton Arena.
  • Pacific Tigers, Long Theatre, 1042 Dave Brubeck Way (box office), +1 209 946-2474. M–F, 9–4. University of the Pacific sports, competing in seven men's and 12 women's NCAA Division I sports, mostly as members of the West Coast Conference. Since the Tigers haven't had a football team for nearly 25 years, the most popular sports are men's basketball and baseball. Prices vary by sport.

If travelling to Stockton with children, be sure to visit:

  • Children's Museum of Stockton, 402 W. Weber (near the downtown waterfront, two blocks west of Center Street), +1 209 465-4386. $4.50 per person, under two years free.
  • 3 Pixie Woods, in Louis Park (take Monte Diablo exit and go west to Occidental, turn left at Shimizu, parking lot is on the right look for the rainbow gates), +1 209 937-8206. Stockton's own fairyland for the "young in age and the young at heart". In the movie This is Spinal Tap, Pixie Woods was the venue for a performance whose billboard proclaimed "Puppet Show and Spinal Tap.". Pixie Woods (Q49331662) on Wikidata

Learn

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.

Buy

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.

Eat

  • 1 Bellavista Cucina Italiana, 110 N El Dorado St (next to the Stockton Hotel), +1 209-949-2104. Upscale Italian restaurant. The third floor terrace offers great views.
  • 2 Manny's California Fresh, 1612 Pacific Ave, +1 209 463-6415.
  • 3 DaVinci's Deli, 7925 Thornton Rd., +1 (209) 474-1156, fax: +1 209 474-2696, .
  • 4 Shirasoni Japanese Sushi, 3249 W Hammer Ln, +1 209 473-2525.
  • Sho Mi.
  • El Senor Frog's.
  • Tio Pepe's.
  • Xochimilco.
  • Misaki.
  • Raw Sushi.
  • Papapavlos.
  • Dave Wong's.
  • Gian's Deli.
  • Cocoro Japanese Bistro & Sushi.
  • Garlic Brothers.
  • Bob's At The Marina.
  • Cancun.
  • Valley Brew.
  • Duck Nook.
  • Chuck's Hamburgers, 6034 Pacific Ave, +1 209 473-9977. Fine breakfast, inexpensive prices.
  • Podesto's Market & Deli.
  • Dynasty.
  • Peking, 7555 Pacific Ave # 115, +1 209 957-0617.
  • Yen Du, 702 Porter Ave # E, +1 209 951-3748.
  • New Yen Ching, 6511 Pacific Ave, +1 209 957-0913.
  • Matsuyama, 4755 Quail Lakes Dr #C, +1 209 952-0688. Good sushi and other Japanese food.
  • Maria's Cafe, 120 E. Market St, +1 209 464-4135. Authentic Mexican food, in business since the early 90s.

Drink

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.

Sleep

Stay safe

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.

Go next

  • Yosemite National Park - take Route 99 to Exit #242 and turn left. Take Route 120 all the way to Yosemite.
  • San Francisco - take Interstate 5 South to Interstate 205 & 580 all the way to San Francisco.
  • Sacramento - take Interstate 5 or Route 99 north.
  • Fresno - take Route 99 south.
Routes through Stockton
Sacramento Lodi  N  S  Lathrop Los Angeles
Hercules Discovery Bay  W  E  Angels Camp Markleeville
Sacramento Lodi  N  S  Manteca Modesto
San Jose Lathrop/Manteca  SW  NE  END
Sacramento / Emeryville Lodi / Antioch  N  S  Modesto Bakersfield


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