Livingston is a city in Merced County, California, United States. Take a look below for 10 interesting and amazing facts about Livingston, California, United States.
1. Livingston is located 7 miles (11 km) west-northwest of Atwater,[5] at an elevation of 131 feet (40 m).
2. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 13,058, up from 10,473 in 2000.
3. Livingston’s total area is 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2), including undeveloped farmland annexed in anticipation of future growth.
4. Livingston is located at 37°23′13″N 120°43′25″W. It lies slightly uphill from where the Southern Pacific Railroad crosses the Merced River. Highway 99 follows the Southern Pacific through the town.
5. The Livingston post office opened in 1873, closed in 1882, and re-opened in 1883.
6. The town was named for Dr. David Livingstone, a British explorer of Africa who was an international celebrity in the late 1800s. An error on the town’s Post Office application resulted in the difference in spelling between his name and the town’s.
7. Livingston lies in the fertile San Joaquin Valley. Like the rest of the valley, it has long, dry summers and depends on irrigation water. The winters are mild, alternating between fog, rain, and sun, with occasional frost.
8. The growing season is long, and there is a low risk of mold, drought, or bad weather interfering with crops. Due to deposits from the Merced River, Livingston’s soil is unusually sandy, distinguishing it from the clay-based soils predominant in most of the valley. Sweet potatoes and grapes are one of the most fertile crop in Livingston, CA, as well as almonds are a fertile crop in the spring.
9. Livingston and Merced County are a center of the agriculture industry. Livingston’s largest businesses are agriculture-related. Among these are the largest poultry producer in the western United States, Foster Farms, and a dairy, Joseph Gallo Farms, which owns the largest dairy herd in the United States. Ninety percent of the sweet potatoes grown west of the Rockies are grown and packed in and around Livingston.
10. The sweet potatoes benefit from the sandy soil. Grapes are also widely farmed near Livingston for wine, raisins, and table grapes. E & J Gallo Winery operates a major grape-pressing facility just outside the city. Almond orchards are a common sight, and the Central Valley is a key part of California’s production of this crop (California produces 100% of the US domestic supply of almonds, and 80% of the world’s supply). Other crops are farmed in smaller quantities, including alfalfa, corn, soybeans, peaches, melons, berries, and turf.
