It is located in the San Joaquin Valley in Central California, near the junction of State Route 152 and Interstate 5.

Its population was 45,532 at the 2020 census,[5] up from 35,972 at the 2010 census.The city is served by Los Banos Municipal Airport for air transport access.

Los Banos is located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, 26 miles (42 km) southwest of Merced,[9] at about 118 ft (36 m) elevation.

Los Banos sits on the southwestern edge of extensive national and state game refuges; these wetlands support waterfowl and other wildlife habitat along a stretch of the San Joaquin River that still carries water and the Grassland Ecological Area, home to rare California grasslands habitat.

The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex includes San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, which includes the Kesterson Unit, East Bear Creek, West Bear Creek, and Blue Goose Unit.

Fishers, hunters, birdwatchers, and other recreational users come to Los Banos year round.

Gusty winds are common in the late afternoon, especially in the vicinity of nearby Pacheco Pass.

[2] The Los Banos area was initially settled, according to Mexican land-grant records, in the 1840s.

Sometimes, those rights depended on fleet footedness, as it did in the "race" between Los Banos residents Uriah Wood and Henry Miller.

After crossing the San Joaquin River, Wood paid the ferryman $5 to hold the boat on the east side of the river to insure he would gain sufficient distance from Miller to ensure he would reach the land office first.

The 10-acre (4.0 ha) half-oval public plaza features a monumental scale bronze arrangement of Miller with cattle.

At one time in the late 19th century, Miller was the largest land owner in the United States.

The success of his business monopolized the California agricultural industry, funneling resources and supplies to create his prosperous company.

[22] His company, the Miller & Lux Corporation, was headquartered in Los Banos on a site currently housing the Mexican restaurant España's and the Canal Farm Inn.

Los Banos has a long history of Portuguese and Spanish immigrants, as do many of the nearby towns on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

Since the 1980s, the city's population has changed with a continuing influx of people who work in the San Jose/Silicon Valley area but seek more affordable housing and slower pace of semi-rural life, a pattern seen in many other small towns within commuting distance of Silicon Valley.

[citation needed] The California Historical Landmark reads: K–12 education is provided by the Los Banos Unified School District.