About Us

Welcome to the City of Riverbank, a progressive, growing community of 22,000 residents located in the heart of California's Stanislaus River Valley.  Blending the new with the old, Riverbank maintains a sense of harmony with the surrounding rural and agricultural heritage.  Located along the Stanislaus River and State Highway 108, Riverbank is conveniently located near San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, and Yosemite National Park. 

Over the past century, Riverbank has become a livable, amenable place, with walkable, tree-lined streets, neighborhood parks, accessible natural areas, and a historic downtown. Somewhat removed from major urban growth centers, Riverbank has the qualities of a friendly small town that is experiencing growth and offering bigger city amenities.

The City originally developed in on a series of gridded streets aligned on an east-west / north-south basis, framed by the Stanislaus River on the north, and agricultural lands on the south, east, and west.  Incorporated in 1922, the city consisted of 340 acres.  At the time of its first Census in 1930, the City had 803 residents. More recently, the population grew by 85 percent between 1990 and 2000 (8,547 to 15,826) and another 34 percent between 2000 and 2006 (15,826 to 21,215).  Riverbank is now approximately 2,500 acres and 4 square miles big.

Riverbank is currently undergoing a General Plan Update, and with that update has created the Riverbank 2025 Vision: 

In 2025, Riverbank has a small-town character where residents can live, work, and play locally. The City has a thriving downtown that offers a variety of retail opportunities and services and functions as the social and cultural heart of the community. Riverbank has a healthy and diversified industrial base served by its railroad, safe and walkable/bikable neighborhoods, and a wide range of employment and housing opportunities for its diverse population.

Although we welcome automobiles, Riverbank is a place for PEOPLE. Those who choose not to drive can easily and safely walk, bicycle, or use public transit to get to work, school, shopping, or a local park. The citizens of Riverbank have a strong sense of community identity that is reflected in its public gathering places and activities, architectural variety, and the ways in which the City's riverfront location, railroad-oriented history, agricultural heritage, and other unique qualities are celebrated in the built environment.

Riverbank in 2025 has succeeded in creating a BALANCE between housing and jobs for its residents, commerce and industries that support the local economy, and the protection of agriculture and natural resources.

For more information see the following:

• Statistics/Reports (Demographic statistics, market and feasibility reports, maps)
• Media (Marketing materials, video, brochure, press releases, awards)
• Staff (Contact info for your Riverbank economic development professionals)