Turlock is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. Its population was 72,740 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the second-largest city in Stanislaus County after Modesto. Founded on December 22, 1871, by prominent grain farmer John William Mitchell, the town consisted of a post office, a depot, a grain warehouse and a few other buildings. Mitchell declined the honor of having the town named for himself. The name "Turlock" was then chosen instead. The name is believed to originate from the Irish village of Turlough. In October 1870, Harper's Weekly published an excerpt from English novelist James Payn's story Bred in the Bone, which includes the mention of a town named "Turlock". Local historians believe that the issue of Harper's Weekly was read by early resident H.W. Lander, who suggested the alternate name.
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