The young Don Juan Murrieta saw vast open spaces set in the midst of an expansive valley. Greened by the grasses that covered the area, the valley was dotted with oak trees, and sycamores lined the creeks. Such natural beauty, he thought, and such a practical choice. So, he bought 52,000 acres.
Don Juan was only 18 when he arrived in California from Spain in 1863, settling with two brothers in the San Joaquin Valley where they took up sheep ranching.

When Don Juan came looking here seven years later, he found an area that had changed little since it was first seen in 1797 by a party of Spaniards searching for a mission site. The perfect location, he found, for the 100,000 sheep he herded south from Merced to the new ranch he bought in 1873.

Entrepreneurs find a market growing larger by the day, above average household incomes, a skilled labor force and a business-friendly city hall.

Murrieta's special business corridors include hundreds of acres of prime business sites. With easy access and freeway visibility, these valuable sites have much of the developer's job already done.