Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley in California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of 2007, its population was 1,002,284. The county seat is Fresno. The County was formed in 1856 and is named after Fresno Creek. Fresno in Spanish signifies "ash tree" and it was due to the abundance of mountain ash or ash trees in the county. The county has a total area of 6,017 miČ, 99% of it is land and 1% of it is water. Agriculture is the primary industry in Fresno County and it is the number one agricultural county in the nation.