Planada (Spanish for "Plain") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Merced County, California, United States.

Planada is 9 miles (14 km) east of Merced, the county seat,[4] at an elevation of 226 feet (69 m).

[4] The area's first white settlers were a group of Swiss dairy farmers, who renamed the settlement Geneva.

In 1911, it held a contest to select a new name for the town, and Planada was the winning entry.

Since many of Planada's residents - as many as 41 percent - are undocumented, they were ineligible for most federal aid.

In July, the state legislature passed a bill to provide assistance to Planada residents.

[5] Planada is located in eastern Merced County at 37°17′N 120°19′W / 37.283°N 120.317°W / 37.283; -120.317,[2] in California's Central Valley.

California State Route 140 passes through the community, leading west 9 miles (14 km) to Merced and northeast 28 miles (45 km) to Mariposa in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Planada CDP has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2), all of it land.

In the California State Legislature, Planada is located in the 12th Senate District, represented by Republican Anthony Cannella, and in the 21st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Diane Papan.