Corcoran

Whitley at Otis
Corcoran, CA 93212
Location: Amtrak Station
Phone: 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245)
Route: San Joaquin
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The Amtrak Corcoran station is an unstaffed stop located at the junction of Otis and Whitley Avenues in central Corcoran. Nearby grain elevators make the station easy to find, even for people new to the area.

There is a ticket vending machine in Corcoran, but no checked baggage or package express at Corcoran. The nearest station offering these services is Hanford.

Corcoran is in the heart of a large farming area well known for cotton, alfalfa, and -- further south near Wasco -- roses. The largest employer in the area now is the State Prison, located about two miles south of the station.

In October 1999, the City of Corcoran opened a new station building, reminiscent of the previous station which stood on this site until about 1998. While the station is not staffed by Amtrak, it houses the Corcoran Area Transit office, the Pacfic Gas and Electric office, and the Chamber of Commerce and tourist information office.

Corcoran has operated a City Transit service since 1989 to residents of the City and nearby Kings County. Corcoran Area Transit is an on-demand service; residents must call (559) 992-2177 for a ride anywhere within the Corcoran Area Transit service area. As of this writing, May 11, 2005, the base fare $1.00, with Seniors and Children under six riding for free. CATS also offers 30 ride tickets for $25.00

In addition to the bus service, the City of Corcoran offers a subsidized AMTRAK ticket program for service between the City of Corcoran and Hanford. Under this program, residents may purchase round trip tickets at the Corcoran Depot or City Hall for a discounted price.

If you are in town for a few days, you might take in some of these events:

Spring Fest - Beer tasting at its finest! The Saturday before St. Patrick's Day or on St. Patrick's Day. Includes a souvenir glass at tasting, live entertainment and a beer garden for sales after the tasting. We sometimes have food vendors (2005 was our 3rd year to host this).

Outdoor Movies in the Courthouse Parking Lot - bring your lawn chairs for a family night out. FREE movies (Rated G) shown at 9:00 PM. Usually held on Wednesday evenings from mid-June thru mid-August (while school is not in session). Corcoran P.A.L. brings out their hot dog cart and we raffle the movie at the end of the evening.

Cotton Festival - last Saturday in September. Parade begins at 10:00 AM and we always have a large Shrine Clown attendance from throughout the Central Valley. Carnival runs four (4) days (Thursday - Sunday). Arts/Crafts Booths, Food Booths, Live Entertainment, Beer Garden, Health Fair.

Christmas Parade - first Thursday in December. Parade begins at 6:30 PM. Santa Claus rides in on the fire engine and then distributes candy bags to the children from the gazebo at Christmas Tree Park. Several organizations have hot chocolate, cookies, etc. for sale.



UNSTAFFED

PHONE

1-800-USA-RAIL
(1-800-872-7245)

DIRECTIONS

From Hwy 43: Follow signs for Corcoran Business District. Station is at the center of town.

PARKING

Unattended parking at lighted lot adjacent to station.

LOCAL REGIONAL TRANSIT

Corcoran Area Transit (CAT)
Advance arrangements required
1-559-992-2177

KART for fares and frequencies, phone 1-800-675-8881

Friends Outside - for Corcoran 2, call 1-559-992-9756

TAXI COMPANIES

Central Valley Cab 1-559-992-4460

HOTELS

Corcoran Country Inn 1-559-992-5724
Budget Inn 1-559-992-3171 (5 blocks)