Friant
Unincorporated Community
Census Designated Place
StateCalifornia
CountyFresno
State Senator[1]
State Assembly[2]
U. S. Congress[3]
Unit prefUS
Area total1.301 sq mi
Area land1.251 sq mi
Area water0.050 sq mi
Area total3.370 km²
Area land3.240 km²
Area water0.131 km²
Area water percent3.88
Elevation344 ft
Elevation105 m
Population as of2020
Population total446
Time zonePST (UTC-8)
Coordinates36°59′16″N 119°42′43″W
Time zone (DST)PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code93626
Area code559
FIPS code06-27014
GNIS feature IDs,

Friant (formerly, Converse Ferry, Jones Ferry, Hamptonville, and Pollasky)[4] is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 446 at the 2020 census, down from 549 at the 2010 census. Friant is located 11.5 miles (19 km) north of Clovis,[4] at an elevation of 344 feet (105 m).[5]

Geography

The CDP is located along the banks of the San Joaquin River and at the base of Friant Dam and Millerton Lake.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), of which 96.1% is land and 3.9% is water.[6]

Climate

Friant has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) typical of California's Central Valley with hot, dry summers and cool, rainier winters.

History

The place was first called Converse Ferry for Charles Converse, who established a ferry across the San Joaquin River in 1852.[4] It was renamed Jones Ferry for J.R. Jones, a local merchant.[4] The post office came in 1881 and named the place Hamptonville, after William R. Hampton, its first postmaster.[4] The Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in 1891 and named the place Pollasky for Marcus Pollasky, a railroad official.[4] In the 1920s the place was renamed for Thomas Friant, a lumber company executive.[4]

  • Unknown Date: Mugginsville[7][8]
  • 1852-≤1863: Converse Ferry or Converse[9]
  • ≤1863-1881: Jones Ferry or Jonesville
  • 1881-1891: Hamptonville
  • 1891-1907: Pollasky
  • 1907–present: Friant

Demographics

Friant first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. census.[10]

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Friant had a population of 446. The population density was 356.5 inhabitants per square mile (137.6 /km2). The racial makeup of Friant was 319 (71.5%) White, 5 (1.1%) African American, 14 (3.1%) Native American, 9 (2.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 19 (4.3%) from other races, and 80 (17.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 82 persons (18.4%).[11]

The whole population lived in households. There were 216 households, out of which 32 (14.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 117 (54.2%) were married-couple households, 8 (3.7%) were cohabiting couple households, 42 (19.4%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 49 (22.7%) had a male householder with no partner present. 57 households (26.4%) were one person, and 31 (14.4%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.06.[11] There were 151 families (69.9% of all households).[12]

The age distribution was 45 people (10.1%) under the age of 18, 22 people (4.9%) aged 18 to 24, 88 people (19.7%) aged 25 to 44, 129 people (28.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 162 people (36.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males.[11]

There were 249 housing units at an average density of 199.0 /mi2, of which 216 (86.7%) were occupied. Of these, 170 (78.7%) were owner-occupied, and 46 (21.3%) were occupied by renters.[11]

2010

At the 2010 census Friant had a population of 509. The population density was 383.9 inhabitants per square mile (148.2 /km2). The racial makeup of Friant was 433 (85.1%) White, 4 (0.8%) African American, 14 (2.8%) Native American, 7 (1.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 11 (2.2%) from other races, and 40 (7.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 63 people (12.4%).[13]

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

There were 224 households, 47 (21.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 111 (49.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 21 (9.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 9 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12 (5.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 5 (2.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 61 households (27.2%) were one person and 33 (14.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 141 families (62.9% of households); the average family size was 2.75.

The age distribution was 83 people (16.3%) under the age of 18, 35 people (6.9%) aged 18 to 24, 82 people (16.1%) aged 25 to 44, 169 people (33.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 140 people (27.5%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 51.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.9 males.

There were 252 housing units at an average density of 190.1 inhabitants per square mile (73.4 /km2), of which 224 were occupied, 171 (76.3%) by the owners and 53 (23.7%) by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.6%. 381 people (74.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 128 people (25.1%) lived in rental housing units.

Education

It is in the Clovis Unified School District.[14]

Friant is zoned to Kastner Intermediate Elementary School and Clovis West High School.[15]

As of 2016 it was zoned to Liberty Elementary School, which at the time fed into Kastner and Clovis West.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  2. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  3. ^ Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  4. ^
  5. ^
  6. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  7. ^ "Madera Tribune 8 July 1949 — California Digital Newspaper Collection"
  8. ^ "Clipped from the Fresno Bee". The Fresno Bee. 6 January 1952. p. 21.
  9. ^ "Lost Lake Recreation Area | County of Fresno"
  10. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California". United States Census Bureau
  11. ^ "Friant CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  12. ^ "Friant CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  13. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Friant CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  14. ^ Geography Division (December 18, 2020). 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Fresno County, CA. Suitland, Maryland: U.S. Census Bureau. p. 2 (PDF p. 3/4). Retrieved 2026-02-14.
  15. ^ 2021-2022 School Boundaries. Clovis Unified School District. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  16. ^ 2016-17 School Boundaries. Clovis Unified School District. Retrieved 2026-02-16. – via Fresno State University