Waterford, California
Waterford is a city of 9,204 people in Stanislaus County, California, founded in November 7, 1969.
Why visit Waterford
Townapedia lists 4 parks and trails and 1 place to eat in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 95°F; December lows average 39°F.
Weather in Waterford
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Waterford
Waterford is the eighth largest city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 9,120 at the 2020 census, up from 8,456 as of the 2010 census. Waterford is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Waterford, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes1
Schools, colleges and libraries13
1 more on the map.
History
The community which became Waterford began to form in the latter half of the 19th century, after surrounding regions became populated with 49ers. At this time the area was known as Bakersville, after one of the town's influential members. It soon became apparent that mail was being mistaken between Bakersville and Bakersfield, California, and the smaller of the two was forced to change its name. At that time, the Tuolumne River did not have a bridge, and instead was crossed by Roberts Ferry on the waterfront. Since the area was well known for this ford, the town adopted the name of Waterford. For several decades, a regular steam locomotive could traverse the Tuolumne in Waterford on a trestle bridge, which was demolished in the second half of the 20th century. There are now no longer railway lines running through or near Waterford, even though many maps will still show the tracks going through the post office building.
From the History section of Waterford, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Waterford
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 39°F | 2.6 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 42°F | 2.2 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 45°F | 1.8 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 48°F | 1.0 in |
| May | 82°F | 54°F | 0.7 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 59°F | 0.1 in |
| Jul | 95°F | 63°F | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 62°F | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 59°F | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 79°F | 52°F | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 43°F | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 56°F | 39°F | 2.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Modesto City Co Ap (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Stanislaus County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-08-22: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2020-08-21: Scu Ligtning Complex Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Oakdale Municipal Airport (ODC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Hughson 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Denair 8 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Empire 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Oakdale 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Keyes 10 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- East Oakdale 10 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Turlock 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Ceres 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
- Riverbank 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Modesto 14 mi west, about 22 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.