Madera (Spanish for “Wood”) is a city and county seat of Madera County, California. Take a look below for 10 fun and obscure facts about Madera, California, United States.

1. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city’s population was 61,416. According to a July 1, 2019 estimate by the US Census Bureau, the city’s population is 65,860.

2. Located in the San Joaquin Valley, Madera is the principal city of the Madera Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the Fresno-Madera-Hanford Combined Statistical Area. The city is also home to the Madera Unified School District.

3. The town was named after the Spanish term for lumber.

4. The town was laid out by the California Lumber Company in 1876.

5. From 1876 to 1931, a 63-mile water flume carried lumber from the mountains to Madera where the lumber was shipped by train.

6. The first post office at Madera opened in 1877.

7. On May 16, 1893, Madera County officially became a County of the State of California and the town incorporated as a City of Madera on March 27, 1907.

8. One of the city’s first African Americans to hold an elected office was Rev. Naaman N. Haynes, who was voted in as a Madera Unified School District school board trustee in the 1960s.

9. Landmarks include the historic Madera County Courthouse, the notable Madera water tower, and a fully operational drive-in movie theater.

10. Madera, is governed by a mayor elected at large, and six city council members elected by the people in their districts. Madera is the County seat of the County of Madera. In the California State Legislature, Madera is in the 12th Senate District, represented by Democrat Anna Caballero, and in the 5th Assembly District, represented by Republican Frank Bigelow.