California · United States
Stockton travel guide
Stockton is a city in California, United States, home to about 321,000 people.
- Best months
- March to May, October and November
- Nearest airport
- SCK9 km · Stockton Metropolitan Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Los Angeles
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Stockton
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, United States. It is the most populous city in the county, the 11th-most populous city in California and the 60th-most populous city in the U.S., with 320,804 residents at the 2020 census.
The poem "Casey at the Bat," about the losing baseball team, "the Mudville Nine" may be a reference to Stockton, which was referred to as Mudville in its earlier years. Stockton has cool, wet winters, and very hot and arid summers. Summers see average temperatures of around 94°F during the day and 61°F at night.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Stockton
See
Downtown Stockton has a ball park (Stockton Ports), Stockton arena, Bob Hope Theater and other attractions. Stockton may not be a destination but it's not a bad place to stay on your way somewhere else.
- Port of Stockton
- Haggin Museum
Do
Stockton has some recreational opportunities available. Stockton is within a few hours' drive of the California Coast, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park and can serve as a rest or rendezvous point on the way to these locations. The community offers many local recreational opportunities such as professional and college sports teams, an ice rink, and the Delta, which provides thousands of miles of waterways for water skiing, sailing and other water activities. There are also many opportunities to enjoy local music, theater, dance troupes and other cultural activities throughout the year.
- Stockton Ports
- Stockton Kings
- Pacific Tigers
- Children's Museum of Stockton
- Pixie Woods
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Stockton
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Stockton | 0.5 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Stockton
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Stockton are March to May, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; January is the wettest, with about 72 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Stockton: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK), about 8.6 km from the city centre in a straight line; Buchanan Field (CCR, 67 km) and Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK, 86 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Stockton is in central California between Interstate 5 and State Highway 99. Stockton is just north of Interstate 205. State Routes 26, 4 and 88 also intersect with Stockton.
Getting around
Stockton offers regional transit throughout Stockton via the San Joaquin RTD Express buses and the Downtown Trolleys. The best option, however, is to travel by car.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SCK · Stockton Metropolitan Airport
CCR · Buchanan Field
OAK · Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Stockton
Drink
There aren't many nightspots in Stockton. If you're going to a movie at the downtown movie center, immediately next door is a Japanese restaurant "Misaki" with a small but fun bar.
Stay safe
Stockton is known to have a very high crime rate and often makes the "most dangerous" list in rankings for cities of its size. Common sense is helpful in determining whether an area is safe to explore on foot or not and the transition between relatively safe areas and relatively dangerous ones are often quite abrupt. It is strongly recommended to avoid most areas at night if you are on foot, with an exception for some large, well lit and heavily trafficked shopping centers. The area also has very high rates of car theft and has at times been called "the car theft capital of the world," so always lock your car and keep valuables out of sight.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Stockton: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Stockton?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Stockton are March to May, October and November. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; January is the wettest, with about 72 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Stockton?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK), about 8.6 km from the city centre in a straight line; Buchanan Field (CCR, 67 km) and Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK, 86 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Stockton?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Stockton
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.