California welcomes its newest city

A community of nearly 30,000 residents is set to become California’s newest city. 

Mountain House in San Joaquin County will incorporate on July 1, several months after voters showed overwhelming support for cityhood. 
•Video Above: Coverage of Mountain House cityhood vote (from March 2024)

Mountain House is in the southwestern part of the county, about 30 miles southwest of Stockton and 50 miles east of Oakland.

To celebrate cityhood, Mountain House announced officials are holding a commemoration ceremony as part of a Fourth of July celebration. 

Mountain House is San Joaquin County’s eighth city and California’s 483rd city, as well as the state’s newest since 2011. 

It has about 10,000 registered voters and is a growing community with about 28,000 residents. 

On the same March ballot where voters opted for cityhood, they also decided on a proposed mayor and city council and determined how future elections would work. 

A majority of voters decided on an “at-large” process to determine how city council members will be elected.

An “at-large” election means anyone who lives in the city could run for a city council seat, instead of using a system of districts with one member from each. In Mountain House, the candidates with the most votes will become city council members. 

Prior to the cityhood vote, Mountain House was governed by an elected, five-member community services district board.