Patterson is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States, located off Interstate 5. It is 27 miles (43 km) southeast of Tracy and is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. Patterson is known as the "Apricot Capital of the World"; and holds an annual Apricot Fiesta to celebrate with many drinks, food, desserts and games. The population was 23,781 at the 2020 Census.