Riverbank, CA

Riverbank's name is literal: the city grew beside a ferry crossing on the Stanislaus River. In the 1850s, the area was known as Burneyville after Major James Burney, who operated a ferry at the site of the modern bridge. A town followed the arrival of the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad, and a BNSF mainline still passes through Riverbank. The city incorporated on August 23, 1922. Downtown, the Carnegie library completed after a 1917 grant now houses the Riverbank Historical Museum, while the operating county library branch stands a few blocks away on Santa Fe Street. The river remains part of public recreation rather than only a historical reference. Jacob Myers Park, the city's largest park, provides boating and fishing access, a mile-long paved trail, a dog park, a playground, picnic areas, and a group campsite.

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Downtown's Community Pool runs seasonal swim lessons, recreational swimming, Aquafit, rentals, and the Barracuda Swim Team; its 2026 season opened June 1. The Santa Fe Street library branch supplies books and media, public computers, and other county library services. As of July 2026, StanRTA Route 60 ran seven days a week between the Modesto Transit Center and Oakdale through Riverbank, with city stops at Stanislaus and Third streets and at West F and South Oak streets. The agency also provides general-public Dial-A-Ride trips within Riverbank.