Mariposa County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,131. The county seat is Mariposa. It is located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, north of Fresno, east of Merced, and southeast of Stockton. The county's eastern section is the central portion of Yosemite National Park. Mariposa County is one of only three counties in California that does not include any incorporated cities.