Visalia, California, is preparing for a shift in leadership on the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, as Amy Shuklian currently chairs the five-member body. The board also includes Vice Chair Dennis Townsend, and Supervisors Larry Micari, Peter Vander Poel, and Eddie Valero. Jason Britt serves as the county administrative officer.
Tulare County, established on July 10, 1852, encompasses a total area of 4,839 square miles, with 4,823 square miles of land and 14 square miles of water. The county’s highest elevation reaches 14,501 feet, situated within the Sierra Nevada mountain range. As of 2020, the population stood at 473,117, with an estimated population of 483,546 in 2024, resulting in a density of 98.10 people per square mile.
The county is named for Tulare Lake, a once-significant freshwater body west of the Great Lakes, which was drained for agricultural purposes. This drainage ultimately led to the creation of Kings County in 1893, carved from the western portion of the original, larger Tulare County. Today, Tulare County’s economy generates a GDP of $22.794 billion annually, as of 2022.
Tulare County operates under a Council-CAO form of government. The county falls within the 20th, 21st, and 22nd Congressional districts. Residents operate on Pacific Time (UTC-8), shifting to Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) during the summer months. Area codes serving the county are 559 and 661.
The county comprises part of the Visalia-Porterville Metropolitan Statistical Area, located south of Fresno. Fresno County, to the north, had a population of 1,008,654 as of the 2020 census, and includes the cities of Fresno, Kings Canyon, and Madera. Fresno County’s Board of Supervisors is currently chaired by Garry Bredefeld, with Luis Chavez serving as Vice Chair. Supervisors include Brian Pacheco, Buddy Mendes, and Nathan Magsig, and Paul Nerland is the County Administrative Officer.
A map detailing circulation across the Central Valley, including Kern, Kings, Fresno, Madera, and Tulare Counties, highlights the region’s interconnectedness. The county’s official website is tularecounty.ca.gov.
