Location
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SNAPSHOT:
Strategic Central California location:
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Silicon Valley and East Bay Area within 115 miles.
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Gateway to Yosemite National Park.
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1-day access to all 163,700 square miles of California and beyond.
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Major highway access plus rail-served industrial properties.
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72% of workforce commutes outside city for employment
Central Crossroads
Situated on highway 99 in Central California, Merced lies at the crossroads between the Pacific Coast and the foothills, Sacramento and Fresno. Merced is a gateway to Yosemite National Park, and high speed rail will soon bring Bay Area commuters within easy reach.
Industry Advantages
Transportation
State Route 99 is a major north-south corridor in California's Central Valley. Local leaders have invested in significant upgrades at the freeway intersections in Merced. California High Speed Rail, now under construction, will improve collaboration with Bay Area firms, where 10% of our residents currently commute.
Transportation>>
Surrounding Resources
Historically, agriculture drove the Central California economy, and food processing, packaging and distribution continue to play a large role in Merced, along with manufacturing industries that take advantage of access to the Bay Area, Sacramento, Central California and beyond.
UC Merced Influence
UC Merced is experiencing rapid expansion, and with that comes an increase in family visits, conferences, events, and collaborative opportunities in science and technology. Farther out, Merced is poised to become a healthcare hub when UC Merced adds a school of medicine.
Travel & Tourism Advantages
As a travel stop between the Bay Area and Yosemite, and Southern and Northern California, Merced presents several largely untapped markets for imaginative entrepreneurs. For example:
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Outdoor gear and provisions for camping and hiking.
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Outdoor experiences or training/conditioning related to Yosemite .
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STEM education associated with Yosemite & UC Merced.
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Visitor services for UC Merced families and events.
Gateway to Yosemite
Highway 140 leads from Merced to Yosemite’s Arch Rock entrance — the oldest entrance to the park, and one of only five gateways. Significantly, this entrance is the fastest route from San Francisco and San Jose (Silicon Valley). Yosemite draws over 4 million visitors per year, with a half million visitors entering through Arch Rock.
Travel and Visitor Facts & Figures
Traffic Counts
in City of Merced
Peak Month (2016)
Hwy 99 at Jct Hwy 140 East
(Yosemite)
50,000 / 44,000
Hwy 99 at Jct. Hwy 140 West
(to Interstate 5)
54,000 / 69,000
Hwy 99 at G St
(UC Merced)
53,000 / 54,000
Hwy 140 at Motel Dr & Glen
22,700 / 13,000
Yosemite Visitors
(2019*)
Recreation:
4,422,861
Non-Recreation:
163,602
Concession Lodging:
682,273
Tent Campers:
469,585
RV Campers:
211,948
Backcountry Campers:
155,578
Misc Campers:
30,411
Total Overnight Stays:
1,549,795
Visitor Spending
Merced County
(2011-2020)
Food Service:
$40.8M
Accommodations:
$40.2M
Retail Sales:
$18.9M
Local Tran. & Gas:
$20.5M
Arts, Ent. &Rec.:
$17.2M
Food Stores:
$7.3M
Traffic Counts are Annual Average Daily Traffic; south or west direction (back) / north or east direction (ahead)*Note: Figures are available for Yosemite Visitors in 2020 and 2021 but they misrepresent typical traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
RELATED INFORMATION:
External:
SOURCES USED ON THIS PAGE:
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U.S. Census Bureau, onthemap.ces.census.gov, 2019 data (Commuting data, March 2022).
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Yosemite Visitation by year, 2016
Caltrans, 2020-AADT (Feb. 2022). -
Type of Yosemite Visitor
National Park Service (Feb. 2022). -
Visitor Spending, Merced County
Dean Runyan Associates, Inc., Economic Impact of Travel in California 2011-2020 (March 2022).