Thornton is a community in San Joaquin County, California, home to about 817 people across 2.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 95686, and parts of 95632 are in Thornton too.
Homes sold for a median of $391 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026.
Mostly Thornton
Mostly Galt; part is in Thornton
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Thornton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Thornton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Sacramento International Airport (SMF)33 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK)25 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Stockton, CA19 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA335 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Thornton; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Thornton had 1,004 residents in the 2020 census, down 11% since 2010.
It’s the 1117th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
San Joaquin County grew from 35,452 residents in 1900 to 779,233 in 2020.
San Joaquin County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 92°F in summer, and winter lows average 39°F. About 18.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lodi, CA weather station (11 miles away).
232,910 jobs at 13,638 businesses in San Joaquin County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
3 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Thornton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Mental health providers | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Libraries
Museums
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by New Hope Elementary. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hope ElementaryThornton | K–8 | 164 | Public | 2.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Galt, Collierville and Herald.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.