Best Web Design in Ceres, CA (2026)

Web Design for Ceres, California

Ceres is a fast-growing city of about 49,000 in Stanislaus County, sitting just south of Modesto along Highway 99 in the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley. Named in 1871 for the Roman goddess of the harvest, it remains an agricultural hub, and it is the home of the Bronco Wine Company, maker of the famous 'Two-Buck Chuck' Charles Shaw wine.

AppWT works with Ceres, CA businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Ceres

Also known as. Hub of the Valley (from its central location in the San Joaquin Valley).

History. First settlers John Service, Cassius Warner and Daniel Whitmore arrived in 1867, with Whitmore, regarded as the town's founding patriarch, building his home in 1870. The name 'Ceres' was chosen in 1871 by Elma J. Carter for her father's granary and warehouses near the railroad depot, invoking the Roman goddess who presided over harvest and fertility. In the 1890s outlaws Chris Evans and John Sontag robbed Southern Pacific trains in the area. Ceres incorporated as a general-law city on February 26, 1918, with about 1,000 residents. The Ceres Courier newspaper was founded in 1910 and still publishes today. During the 1930s a federal Migratory Labor Camp was established in the city amid Dust Bowl migration into the Valley.

Local economy. Agribusiness dominates, with significant output in dairy, almonds and other nuts, feeding food-processing operations that employ thousands. The Bronco Wine Company, headquartered just south of Ceres, is one of the town's largest employers and makes the Charles Shaw 'Two-Buck Chuck' brand, which has sold more than a billion bottles since 2002. The city's economy blends agriculture, manufacturing and logistics, helped by its position on State Route 99 in the Central Valley. An ACE (Altamont Corridor Express) commuter-rail station has been planned for Ceres as part of the service's expansion.

Culture and community. The Ceres Street Faire, held the first weekend of May, is the city's signature spring event. Summer brings the 'Skies the Limit' Hot Air Balloon Festival and a Concert in the Park series. The fall Halloween Fun Festival and the winter Christmas Tree Lane opening ceremony round out the community calendar. Ceres is about 64% Hispanic or Latino, and the community is served by both the long-running Ceres Courier and a Spanish-language newspaper. Notable Ceres figures include Cliff Barrows (Billy Graham crusade announcer), Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist Gary Duncan, and congressman Gary Condit.

What makes Ceres distinct. Ceres is named after a Roman goddess of agriculture, an unusually literal fit for a town at the center of one of the world's most productive farm regions. The wildly popular 'Two-Buck Chuck' wine sold at Trader Joe's is produced by a company based in little Ceres; Bronco bought the Charles Shaw name out of bankruptcy for about $27,000. Gary Condit was elected to the Ceres City Council in 1972 and became the city's youngest-ever mayor at age 25 before going to Congress. In the 1890s the area around Ceres was a hunting ground for the notorious train robbers Evans and Sontag.

A San Joaquin Valley city just south of Modesto along State Route 99, with agricultural roots reflected in its name and membership in the Modesto metropolitan area.

Ceres Landmarks and Local Life

• Daniel Whitmore House - An 1870 home built by city founding patriarch Daniel C. Whitmore, owned by the city
• Clinton Whitmore Mansion - A 1903 mansion owned by the city and tied to the Whitmore family
• Ceres River Bluff Regional Park - The city's largest park, a regional park along the Tuolumne River
• Smyrna Park - An established city park within Ceres

Ceres at a Glance

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023.

• Median household income: About $76,862
• Adults with a bachelor degree or higher: About 13%
• Housing: About 64% of housing units are owner-occupied
• Housing: About 77% of housing is single-family homes