According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 221,857 people in 43,649 households. It is located 67 kilometers north of Manila, 50 kilometers east of Subic Bay in the Zambales province, and 16 kilometers south of Clark Field in Angeles City. The city is positioned at the crossroads of Central Luzon. The city is named after Fernando VI of Spain and placed under the patronage of San Fernando, King of Castile and Leon, whose feast is celebrated every 30th of May.
In 1796, after serving as gobernadorcillo the previous year, Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda retired to Barrio Saguin, from where he started setting up his hacienda in Barrio Culiat. The barrio was separated from San Fernando on the December 8, 1829 as the new town of Angeles, with the Los Santos Angeles Custodios as titular patrons.
An expediente requesting the transfer of the provincial capital of Pampanga to San Fernando was signed on the August 6, 1852. Real Cedula 745, approving the transfer of the provincial capital of Pampanga from Bacolor to San Fernando, was signed on September 11, 1881. The said transfer would not materialize.
In 1878, moves were made to create the town of Calulut. This new town would be composed of Calulut and the neighboring barrios of Bulaun, Malpitic, Sindalan, La Paz, Lara, Saguin, Telabastagan, Balete, Malinao, Pulung Bulu, Panipuan, Macabacle and the caserio of Pau in San Fernando, and Panipuan, Acle, Suclaban and the sitio of Gandus in Mexico. This plan did not materialize due to strong opposition from the parish priest of San Fernando.
Governor-General Eulogio Despujol and Manila Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda inaugurated the San Fernando railroad station, together with the Bagbag-Mabalacat stretch of the Manila-Dagupan Railroad, on February 23, 1892. The station was second only to Manila in revenues that year, and was thus the most important provincial station of the Manila-Dagupan Railroad. On June 27 of the same year, National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal made a stop-over in the town as part of his mission to recruit members to the La Liga Filipina.
On September 1, 1896 the town was declared in a state of war despite the peaceful situation. Brigadier General Diego de los Rios arrived on December 2 to calm the revolution that started in Manila on August 30. General Ruiz Serralde took over the post of General Rios on June 26, 1897 to maintain the peace in San Fernando. The revolution was not yet at its height with occasional exchanges of fire in some places in Pampanga.
On June 26, 1898, representatives from all Pampanga towns, except Macabebe, gathered in San Fernando to swear allegiance to Gen. Maximino Hizon who was the provincial military governor and representative of General Emilio Aguinaldo. On October 9, General Emilio Aguinaldo together with his cabinet visited the town and was welcomed with so much applause and enthusiastic cheering from the public. He proceeded to the convento which was served as the military headquarters at that time.
On May 4, 1899, Philippine revolutionary troops led by General Antonio Luna burned the casa municipal, the town church and several houses to render them useless to the approaching American forces. On June 16, due to the strategic location of the town, President Aguinaldo himself led Filipino forces in the Battle for San Fernando. The plan to retake the town proved unsuccessful. Calulut fell to American forces on August 9.
On August 15, 1904, the Pampanga provincial government was finally transferred to San Fernando from Bacolor, by virtue of Act No. 1204 signed on July 22, 1904. This was during the term of Governor Macario Arnedo and Municipal President Juan Sengson. The town of Minalin became part of San Fernando that same year. It will later regain its political independence in 1909.
On January 2, 1905, the town of Santo Tomas was consolidated with San Fernando by virtue of Act 1208.
On August 12, 1904, US Secretary of War William H. Taft visited the town to get first hand information and gather ideas for the governance of Pampanga. Due to the short notice, a bamboo pavilion was hastily constructed for his visit where he was welcomed with a banquet for 200 people. Taft would later be elected President of the United States.
In 1921, the Pampanga Sugar Development Company (PASUDECO) sugar central began its operations. The company was formed in 1918 by large-scale planters such as Jose de Leon, Augusto Gonzalez, Francisco Liongson, Tomas Lazatin, Tomas Consunji, Francisco Hizon, Jose Henson, and Manuel Urquico in the San Fernando residence of Governor Honorio Ventura as part of a plan to construct a locally financed central.
In 1932, the Socialist Party of the Philippines was founded by Pedro Abad Santos. Two years later, he created and headed the Aguman Ding Madlang Talapagobra (AMT). The Abad Santos compound in Barangay San Jose became the focal point of the peasant movement.
On February 14, 1939, Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon proclaimed his social justice program before a gathering of farmers in front of the Municipal Government building.
In 1941, forces of the Japanese Imperial Army occupied the town and placed the municipal government under its supervision. The next year, thousands of Filipino and American POWs walked from Bataan to the San Fernando Train Station in what will be know as the Bataan Death March.
In 1952, the town of Santo Tomas was separated from San Fernando.
In 1986, Mayor Paterno Guevarra was sworn in as officer-in-charge of the town after the successful People Power Revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship that same year. He was later elected municipal mayor.
In 1990, Philippine president Corazon C. Aquino inaugurated the Paskuhan Village, the first Christmas village in Asia and the third of its kind in the world. The next year, Mount Pinatubo erupted after over 600 years of dormancy hurling a layer of ash and volcanic debris on the town.
On October 1, 1995, Typhoon Sibyl (Mameng) struck the town. It unleashed floodwaters and mudflows from Mount Pinatubo into the town. The Barangays of Sto. Nino, San Juan, San Pedro Cutud and Magliman were severely damaged by lahar. The citizens of San Fernando rallied to save the town by raising funds to build the St. Ferdinand People's Dike. The Pampanga Megadike was constructed the next year, thus preventing further damage to the town.
| Capitanes Municipales | Term | Alcaldes Municipales | Term | Presidentes Municipales | Term | ||||
| Vidal de Arrozal | 1755 | Vicente Dizon | 1821 | Antonio E. Consunji | 1891-1892 | ||||
| Tiburcio Cunanan | 1756 | Pablo de Ocampo | 1822 | Juan Sengson | 1893-1894 | ||||
| Vidal de Arrozal | 1757 | Maximo Dizon | 1823 | Teodoro Limjuco | 1895 | ||||
| Luis Catacutan | 1758 | Ciriaco Dizon | 1824 | Saturnino Henson | 1896 | ||||
| Juan David | 1759 | Celso Dayrit (accidental) | 1897 | ||||||
| Juan Yutuc | 1760 | Gobernadorcillos | Term | ||||||
| Domingo de Vera | 1761 | Vicente Dizon | 1825 | Republika Filipina | |||||
| Nicolas Capati | 1762 | Manuel Pasion Henson | 1826 | Presidente Municipal | Term | ||||
| Tomas Aquino | 1763 | Anacleto del Rosario | 1827 | Antonio E. Consunji | 1898 | ||||
| Miguel de los Angeles | 1764 | Vicente David Lising | 1828 | ||||||
| Agustin Dizon | 1765 | Vicente Dizon | 1829 | Military Government | |||||
| Manuel Manaloto | 1766 | Pablo Ocampo | 1830 | Alcaldes | Term | ||||
| Francisco Bautista | 1767 | Doroteo Dizon | 1831 | Enrique Kerr | 1899 | ||||
| Miguel David | 1768 | Mariano Yutuc | 1832 | Carlos Kerr | 1900 | ||||
| Nicolas Dizon | 1769 | Manuel Pasion Henson | 1833 | Teodoro Limjuco | 1900 | ||||
| Mariano Singian de Miranda | 1770 | Gregorio Tuason | 1834 | Francisco S. Hizon | 1900-1901 | ||||
| Mateo David | 1771 | Blas Borja | 1835 | ||||||
| Bernardo de Anunciacion | 1772 | Doroteo Dizon | 1836 | Civil Government | |||||
| Francisco David | 1773 | Agustin Pamintuan | 1837 | Municipal Presidents | Term | ||||
| Agapito Singian | 1774 | Agustin Cuyugan | 1838 | Francisco S. Hizon | 1901 | ||||
| Vicente Concepcion | 1775 | Juan Dayrit | 1839 | Mariano J. Leon Santos | 1902-1903 | ||||
| Eugenio Yutuc | 1776 | Raymundo David | 1840 | Juan Sengson | 1904 | ||||
| Juan Lingat | 1777 | Macario Yutuc | 1841 | Eulalio Castro | 1905-1906 | ||||
| Juan Lacson | 1778 | Matias Quiason | 1842 | Vicente Tiomico | 1906-1907 | ||||
| Vicente Concepcion | 1779 | Pedro Lacsamana | 1843 | Pedro Teopaco | 1908-1909 | ||||
| Jose de Arrozal | 1780 | Bernardino Singian de Miranda | 1844 | Clemente Ocampo | 1910-1912 | ||||
| Nicolas Tuason | 1781 | Serapio Singian de Miranda | 1845 | Unknown | 1913-1915 | ||||
| Carlos Catacutan | 1782 | Mariano Arceo | 1846 | Antonio B. Abad Santos | 1916-1921 | ||||
| Vicente David | 1783 | Agustin Cuyugan | 1847 | Jose M. Valencia | 1922-1927 | ||||
| Lucas David | 1784 | Guillermo Henson | 1848 | Antonio B. Abad Santos | 1928-1931 | ||||
| Antonio Alonso del Rosario | 1785 | Bernardino Singian de Miranda | 1849 | Jose M. Valencia | 1932-1934 | ||||
| Regino de Castro | 1786 | Agustin Pamintuan | 1850 | ||||||
| Sebastian Manarang | 1787 | Gregorio David | 1851 | Philippine Commonwealth | |||||
| Bernabe Pamintuan | 1788 | Maximo Feliciano | 1852 | Municipal Mayors | Term | ||||
| Juan Dizon | 1789 | Paulino Paras | 1853-1854 | Urbano D. Dizon | 1934-1937 | ||||
| Manuel Miranda | 1790 | Agustin Lacson | 1854-1855 | Vivencio B. Cuyugan | 1938-1942 | ||||
| Vicente Dayrit | 1791 | Simon Henson | 1855-1856 | Vivencio B. Cuyugan | 1945 | ||||
| Nicolas Tuason | 1792 | Cosme Lacson | 1856-1857 | ||||||
| Jose de los Angeles | 1793 | Candido Froilan Dizon | 1857-1858 | Japanese Occupation | |||||
| Vicente Quizon | 1794 | Florentino Dayrit | 1858-1859 | Municipal Mayor | Term | ||||
| Angel Pantaleon de Miranda | 1795 | Manuel Pasion Henson | 1859 | Rodolfo P. Hizon | 1942-1945 | ||||
| Vicente Dayrit | 1796 | Jose Navarro (accidental) | 1859 | ||||||
| Jose Cunanan | 1797 | Victor David | 1860 | Republic of the Philippines | |||||
| Juan Lacson | 1798 | Manuel de Ocampo | 1860-1861 | Municipal Mayors | Term | ||||
| Carlos Catacutan | 1799 | Bernardino Singian de Miranda | 1861-1862 | Rodolfo P. Hizon | 1946-1955 | ||||
| Vicente Dizon | 1800 | Guillermo Henson | 1862-1863 | Mariano P. Castro, Sr. | 1955 | ||||
| Jose Ocson | 1801 | Aniceto Yusi | 1863-1864 | Dr. Miguel G. Baluyut | 1956-1959 | ||||
| Agustin David Lising | 1802 | Simon Henson | 1864-1865 | Dr. Jose C. Quiwa | 1960-1967 | ||||
| Jose Concepcion | 1803 | Juan Quiason | 1865-1866 | Levi Panlilio | 1967-1969 | ||||
| Raymundo David | 1804 | Julian Buison | 1867-1868 | Atty. Virgilio L. Sanchez | 1969-1971 | ||||
| Ignacio David de Miranda | 1805 | Benigno de Ocampo | 1868-1869 | Luis Gopiao | 1971 | ||||
| Severino Henson | 1806 | Isidro Teopaco | 1869-1870 | Armando P. Biliwang | 1972-1980 | ||||
| Juan Crisostomo Paras | 1807 | Domiciano Tison | 1870-1871 | Col. Amante S. Bueno (OIC) | 1980-1982 | ||||
| Domingo Henson | 1808 | Florentino Dayrit | 1871-1872 | Atty. Vicente A. Macalino (OIC) | 1982-1983 | ||||
| Leon de Vera | 1809 | Eustaquio Ricafort | 1872-1873 | Atty. Virgilio L. Sanchez | 1983-1986 | ||||
| Vicente de Castro | 1810 | Pedro Paras y Castro | 1873-1874 | Atty. Paterno S. Guevara(Appointed) | 1986-1987 | ||||
| Gregorio Singian | 1811 | Bernardino Singian de Miranda | 1874-1875 | Dr. Rodolfo P. Canlas (Appointed) | 1987-1988 | ||||
| Ignacio de Miranda | 1812 | Julian Buison | 1875-1876 | Atty. Paterno S. Guevara | 1988-1995 | ||||
| Miguel Catacutan | 1813 | Anacleto Hizon | 1877-1879 | Dr. Jesus Reynaldo B. Aquino | 1995-2001 | ||||
| Francisco Pamintuan | 1814 | Catalino Henson | 1879-1880 | ||||||
| Severino Henson | 1815 | Mariano Custodio | 1880-1881 | City Mayors | Term | ||||
| Agustin David Lising | 1816 | Saturnino Henson | 1881-1882 | Dr. Jesus Reynaldo B. Aquino | 2001-2004 | ||||
| Bernardo David | 1817 | Florentino Dayrit | 1882-1883 | Atty. Oscar S. Rodriguez | 2004-Present | ||||
| Bernardo Tinio | 1818 | Pedro Paras | 1883 | ||||||
| Eriberto Yutuc | 1819 | Domiciano Tison | 1884-1885 | ||||||
| Vicente de Castro | 1820 | Francisco X. Panlilio | 1885 | ||||||
| Anacleto Hizon | 1886-1887 | ||||||||
| Teodoro Limjuco | 1887-1889 | ||||||||
| Gregorio Tioleco | 1889-1890 | ||||||||
In 2000, House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella and Senate President Aquilino Q. Pimintel signed the approved city charter of San Fernando on December 4 and 13 respectively.
The town officially became a component city on February 4, 2001 following the ratification of Republic Act 8990 authored by Rep. Oscar Rodriguez in a plebiscite from the previous day. Dr. Rey B. Aquino was the city's first mayor. The ratification of Republic Act 8990 made the City of San Fernando the 99th city of the Republic of the Philippines.
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Strategically located at the heart of the province, the City of San Fernando is home to two public markets, thirty nine banks, forty eight lending institutions (investors), thirty eight pawnshops, seventeen gasoline stations, three movie houses, thirty nine public and private schools, seven hospitals, thirteen dental offices, nine hotels, twenty eight drug stores, seven disco clubs, six foreign exchange firms, fifteen garment factories, twenty four groceries, seven supermarkets, forty two insurance companies, sixteen security agencies and seventy restaurants and fast food chains such as Jollibee, McDonald's, Mr. Donut, Greenwich, Shakey’s, and Chowking. In addition to being the Provincial Capital of Pampanga, almost all Philippine banking institutions, military and governmental agencies have regional offices in City of San Fernando.
Every year during the Christmas season, the city becomes the hub of a thriving industry centered on handcrafted lanterns called parols. What distinguish the San Fernando lantern from the ordinary parol are the intricate designs and the illusion of dancing lights, which focuses on the vibrant colors of the lantern.
, a cardiologist, virgin coconut oil proponent and President of the National Academy of Science and Technology (1992-1999)