Fresno Sanitary Landfill
United States historic place in Fresno, California. Added to the National Register in 2001, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill in Fresno, California, was the first modern landfill in the U.S., pioneering the use of trenching, compacting, and daily burial to combat rodent and debris problems. It became a model for other landfills around the country, and one of the longest-lived. The landfill was operated by the City of Fresno from 1937 until 1987, when it was closed. At that time, the landfill had reached the size of 145 acres (0.59 km2).
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Site |
| Address | West and Jensen Aves., Fresno, CA |
| County | Fresno County |
| Listed | Aug 7, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01001050 |
| Type of place | landfill |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | West and Jensen Aves., Fresno, CA |
| Coordinates | 36.6998° N, 119.8292° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Fresno | 33 listed places in Fresno → |
| Nearest national park unit | Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks · 69 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Pine Flat Campground 29 miles · Hidden View Campground 29 miles · Buck Ridge 29 miles |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Fresno County
Local history books for Fresno
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Guidebooks to historic places in California
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Fresno Sanitary Landfill listed on the National Register?
Aug 7, 2001. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Fresno Sanitary Landfill?
West and Jensen Aves., Fresno, Fresno County, California. The nearest national park unit is Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, 69 miles away.
Where is the nomination form for Fresno Sanitary Landfill?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Fresno Sanitary Landfill?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Pine Flat Campground, 29 miles away. Hidden View Campground is 29 miles away, and Buck Ridge is 29 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Fresno Sanitary Landfill?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Is there a wildfire near Fresno Sanitary Landfill right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-10-17, nearest Barnes North/South Rx, 39 miles away.
Source: Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 01001050. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.