A rapidly growing commuter town in the Central Valley
The Central Valley city of Lathrop is a small but growing bedroom community 10 miles south of Stockton. A report published by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2024 revealed that Lathrop was one of California’s fastest-growing cities; in 2023 alone, the city saw a nearly 14% population increase. Mike Samawi, a local Realtor with Team Samawi at Compass, notes that many of the city’s newer residents were drawn to Lathrop’s relative affordability. “After crossing the Altamont Pass, there are a handful of small cities along the highway heading eastward that offer affordable housing outside the Bay Area,” Samawi says. “In Lathrop, you get more for your money.” Lathrop shares its eastern border with neighboring Manteca, a slightly larger city.
In the late 2010s, several master planned subdivisions sprang up across town, helping to facilitate urban expansion. Despite this flurry of brand-new developments, Lathrop has a long history, dating back more than 150 years. “The city has actually been around since the late 1800s – the oldest section of the city is in Lathrop proper,” Samawi says. Lathrop began as a small railway town and depot along the transcontinental railroad in the 1870s; more than a century later, the city’s residential growth started to take off, and Lathrop was officially incorporated in 1989. Many residents today are long-distance commuters who work in the Bay Area or other nearby cities like Stockton and Sacramento; the largest employer within Lathrop is a sprawling Tesla warehouse and manufacturing complex that opened in 2014.
Brand new builds can be found west of highway 5 in the City of Lathrop.
Residents of the City of Lathrop commute to the bay area by taking the Altamont Pass.
The City of Lathrop has several mater plan communities.
One of the Largest employers in the City of Lathrop is Tesla.
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Planned subdivisions foster a sense of community
Most residents refer to sections of Lathrop as five geographic areas: North, South, East, West and Central Lathrop. River Islands, Mossdale Landing and Stanford Crossing are three of the city’s largest master-planned communities, all located west of Interstate 5. “River Islands, in particular, is a very popular place to live; one of its biggest draws is its community life,” Samawi says. “It’s also very nautical-themed and has unique features like a lighthouse-themed roundabout.” Most residential properties built before 1990 are located in a central Lathrop neighborhood bordered by I-5 to the west and the city’s railroad tracks to the east. The median single-family home price in Lathrop is around $650,000; homes throughout the city can range anywhere from approximately $400,000 to $1 million. Samawi says that some of the city’s most expensive homes are waterfront properties in the River Islands community, which start at about $1.1 million.
Plenty of master planned communities can be found in the City of Lathrop.
Savor the soothing landscapes and peaceful streets in the City of Lathrop.
The City of Lathrop has an abundance of beautiful one and two story homes.
The City of Lathrop maintains a flourishing environment for their residents.
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River Islands Academies opened new high school in 2024
All kindergarten through 12th grade students in Lathrop are zoned for the Manteca Unified School District, which receives an overall B rating from Niche. Lathrop students can attend one of three elementary schools serving kindergarten through eighth grade and the A-minus-rated Lathrop High School for grades nine through 12. Lathrop students can also apply to one of the River Island Academies’ charter schools, including River Islands Technology Academy, the STEAM Academy, the EPIC Academy and River Islands High School, a state-of-the-art secondary institution that opened in August 2024. Samawi says that charter schools are particularly popular among families with children.
River Island Academy of Technology offers higher academic learning.
Lathrop High School serves students in the City of Lathrop.
Lathrop Elementary is shaping successful and diverse future leaders in the City of Lathrop.
Next generation Steam Academy serves students in the City of Lathrop.
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Lathrop has 25 parks and community facilities
The city of Lathrop maintains over 120 acres of outdoor space across 25 public parks, which residents can enjoy year-round thanks to the region’s temperate climate. Most parks have playgrounds, picnic areas with barbecue grills and athletic facilities; splash pads are located at Manuel Valverde Park, Apolinar Sangalang Park and Mossdale Landing Community Park. The city also oversees two skate parks, a senior center, a library and a community center where locals can find youth development programs, sports clubs and fitness classes. Locals can find plenty of waterfront activities at places like Thousand Trails Turtle Beach along the San Joaquin River, which runs through the western and southern parts of Lathrop. For day-long and weekend trips, residents and families make the two-hour drive east to Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Take a run through Apolinar Sangalang Park in the City of Lathrop.
Mossdale Landing Community Park is the perfect place to take the kids on a day off in the City of Lathrop.
Families take a two hour trip to Yosemite National Park out side the City of Lathrop.
Enjoy the Sierra Nevada Mountains just a few hours outside the City of Lathrop.
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Dining options and shopping centers along Interstate 5
Samawi says that while Lathrop may not have an established downtown area, residents can find plenty of shopping and dining options scattered throughout the city. “There are a couple of restaurants in the city, but more options would be found in Manteca or Tracy,” Samawi says. After opening in 2022, Lathrop Food Plaza is now a wildly popular dining destination where dozens of food trucks line the perimeter of a large lot with a seating area in the middle. At the plaza, diners can sample a wide range of cuisines and traditional meals. “Near Mossdale Landing is a shopping center with a Target and a Sprouts grocery store where you can get all the daily essentials,” Samawi says. At the Interstate 5 and Lathrop Road intersection is another shopping center with a Save Mart grocery store and numerous eateries. Department stores and national retailers can be found at the Stadium Center shopping mall or the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley, located less than a mile away in Manteca. People can find sporting events, concerts, culinary festivals and farmers markets in the nearby cities of Stockton and Tracy.
The City of Lathrop Del Osso Family Farm Annual Pumpkin Maze is one of the largest events in the area
Get healthy food choices at Sprouts in the City of Lathrop.
Have a brew at Starbucks in The City of Lathrop.
The City of Lathrop offer a array of food choices for its residents.
Save Mart is where the locals go for grocery shopping in the City of Lathrop
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Taking Interstate 5 or the Altamont Corridor Express to the Bay Area
Interstate 5 is a major West Coast thoroughfare that runs north-south through the middle of Lathrop and connects to Stockton 10 miles north. State Route 120 sits near the southern edge of town, traveling east-west and merging with I-5. “Most commuters are only on the 5 for a short stretch, and then it turns into Interstates 205 and 580, which take you to the Bay Area,” Samawi says. “For the most part, people are going to need a car, but there are a lot of people who carpool for long commutes. I think distance from the Bay Area can be a drawback, but it’s easier for people who can work remotely or hybrid.” Lathrop also has two train stations – Lathrop/Manteca and North Lathrop – where residents can hop on the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) commuter rail and take it north into Stockton or west all the way to San Jose. Bus services throughout the city are operated by the San Joaquin Regional Transit District. Samawi says that the nearest airports are Sacramento International and Oakland Airport, but also notes that Stockton also has a very small airport that offers direct weekly flights to Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas.
Lathrop Police Department established in 2022
It wasn’t until 2022 that the city completed the development of the Lathrop Police Department and start operations with more than 40 officers and full-time personnel. The plan to develop a police department in Lathrop was authorized in 2021 because of the city’s drastic surge in population. In the LPD’s first annual report, which started in June 2022 and ended in June 2023, the city had a total of 2,111 reported crimes. When compared to data collected by the FBI, both Lathrop’s violent crime and property-related crimes were lower than state-level and national crime rates.
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