Located in the central part of the city of California and the seat of Merced County, the city is located on the Bear Creek that is in San Joaquin Valley, which is northwest of the city of Fresno. The area was founded by the Central Pacific Railroad and was named Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Spanish: “Our Lady of Mercy”) River. It was then developed as a shipping and processing point for the agricultural produce of the valley that is being irritated by the Tri-Dam Project. The city has developed a light manufacturing that is chiefly concentrated on metal fabrication and fiberglass-boat construction. Merced is the site campus of the University of California and a community college.