Statistics & Facts

The population of Fremont is approximately 173,339 (1990).

The approximate number of families is 62,400 (1990).

The amount of land area in Fremont is 199.513 sq. kilometers.

The amount of surface water is 27.005 sq kilometers.

The distance from Fremont to Washington DC is 2553 miles. The distance to the California state capital is 74 miles. (as the crow flies)

Fremont is positioned 37.52 degrees north of the equator and 121.99 degrees west of the prime meridian.

Fremont elevation is 53 feet above sea level

Fremont History:

Fremont’s history and culture can be traced back to the establishment of Mission San Jose, built in 1797 and located strategically on the routes that connected Los Angeles with the Bay Area, San Francisco and the Mission Pass to the gold fields. The mission thrived because of this location, fertile land and abundant water. In 1996 the Bicentennial of the establishment of Mission San Jose was celebrated.

Such famous pioneer personalities as Jedidiah Smith, Kit Carson and John C. Fremont were visitors to the mission. According to legend, John C. Fremont was so taken with the mission area that he attempted to purchase it for his home after mission secularization by the Mexican government. Although the mission fell into disuse in the late 1840s, the Mission San Jose district became a hub for travelers heading in all directions. Today, Mission San Jose continues to draw visitors from around the world, charming tourists and local citizens alike.

Eight towns sprang up around the mission just prior to California’s admission to statehood in 1850, and in 1853 the eight communities created Washington Township. Five of the original eight Washington Township communities eventually became present-day Fremont: Centerville, Irvington, Niles, Mission San Jose and Warm Springs.

Niles made history in 1869 when the last of the tracks connecting the transcontinental railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific were laid. Present-day history buffs can relive this momentous occasion by visiting the railroad museum located in Niles. Niles again achieved brief fame during World War I when Essanay Studios selected it as the location to film their motion pictures. Bronco Billy Anderson, Wallace Beery and Ben Turpin were famous visitors, but none compared in popularity to Charlie Chaplin, who filmed his renowned "The Tramp" at Essanay Studios. Chaplin is memorialized each June in Niles during "Charlie Chaplin Days."

The region continued to beckon industry and business throughout the first half of the 20th century. In the early 1950s, facing the specter of unplanned and uncontrolled growth, local citizens moved to protect the rustic charm and atmosphere in which they lived, and the five districts voted to incorporate as a city. In 1956 Fremont became what was then California’s third largest city in geographical area. Fremont incorporated as a general law city, having a council/city manager form of government, with four elected council members and one elected mayor. The city was named in honor of John C. Fremont, soldier and explorer. Within a very few months following incorporation, citizens approved a master plan for development, laying the groundwork for today’s well-planned city, a city that preserves the distinctive character of its original five districts, yet creates a unified plan for the future.