Los Banos, California is located in central California on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. The closest large city is Modesto, located within about an hour’s drive north. This semi-rural city was mainly settled by Henry Miller, a man who would own most of the San Joaquin Valley, and create a vast agricultural empire in the area. The area had always been ripe for agriculture as it has natural flowing waters and wetlands in addition to the gorgeous weather. The nearest large city is Merced, less than an hour away to the southwest.