Mendota is a city in Fresno County, California, United States.

[9][7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total land area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2), over 99%.

It is located next to the San Joaquin River, near where the Delta-Mendota Canal intercepts it to bring extra water to the dry riverbed.

[10] Beginning in 1891, Mendota thrived as a Southern Pacific Railroad storage and switching facility site.

Southern Pacific management borrowed the name from Mendota, Illinois.

State water projects brought irrigation to the region, setting the stage for the tremendous growth of agriculture.

[12] In 2019, USA Today named Mendota the "worst city in America" due to poverty, violent crime rate and high unemployment.

[14] In response, Mayor Robert Silva noted "the unemployment of 15 percent is distorted because of the seasonal nature of agricultural work".

There were 2,556 housing units at an average density of 778.9 per square mile (300.7/km2),of which 2,424 were occupied, 1,056 (43.6%) by the owners and 1,368 (56.4%) by renters.

In 2021, climate change-related drought and high temperatures slowed both cantaloupe production and local population growth.

The facility is built on 960 acres (390 ha) of land at a cost of over US$110 million.

[21][22] In 1956, the State of California purchased 6,100 acres of waterfowl wintering habitat along the San Joaquin River and established the Mendota Wildlife Area.

[23] The wildlife preserve is about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of downtown Mendota, with the entrance on the south side of CA Route 180.