Vernalis, California
Unincorporated community
The former Newman station in Vernalis in 2022
The former Newman station in Vernalis in 2022
Vernalis is located in California
Vernalis
Vernalis
Vernalis is located in the United States
Vernalis
Vernalis
Coordinates: 37°37′51″N 121°17′14″W / 37.63083°N 121.28722°W / 37.63083; -121.28722
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountySan Joaquin
Elevation
105 ft (32 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
95385
Area code209
GNIS feature ID252823[1]

Vernalis is an unincorporated community in San Joaquin County, California, United States. Vernalis is located on California State Route 33 10.5 miles (16.9 km) southeast of Tracy. It was named after two daughters of local ranchers: Verna Carpenter and Alice Hamilton.[2] Vernalis has a post office with ZIP code 95385.[3] The first post office in the area opened in San Joaquin City in 1851; that post office closed in 1852, reopened in 1874, and was moved 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest in 1888, after which its name was changed to Vernalis (Latin for springlike, related to the spring).[4]

During World War 2 Vernalis was home to the Naval Auxiliary Air Station Vernalis, Vernalis Reconditioning Center and Vernalis Prisoner of War Branch Camp.

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Vernalis, California
  2. ^ Earle E. Williams (October 1973). "Tales of Old San Joaquin City" (PDF). San Joaquin Historian. Vol. IX, no. 4. San Joaquin County Historical Society. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  3. ^ ZIP Code Lookup
  4. ^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 842. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.


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