In 1915, according to Dr. Huey Powell (Stockton) PDG of District 13 (1917-1918), officers and delegates of Rotary International felt the need to establish Rotary Clubs worldwide into districts. Rotary International felt this would make possible more efficient administration and future growth.

Recognizing a mandate from Rotary International, 15 men from 9 Rotary Clubs in California met in Fresno, California and organized District 13. 

District 13 included the clubs of San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Stockton, Fresno, San Jose, and Berkeley in California, Reno in Nevada, Phoenix in Arizona, Honolulu in Hawaii and Albuquerque in New Mexico. These clubs formed the nucleus to form the present District 5220.

In the 1915-1916 Rotary year the San Francisco club past President Henry J Brunner was chosen as the charter District Governor for the newly formed District 13. Henry J. Brunner later became Rotary International president in 1952.

In 1918 District 13 was superseded by District 23. C.E. Miller of Los Angeles became the District Governor. In the formative years between 1917 and 1922 growth in the Central Valley was slow because Rotary International felt that a club could not exist with a population of less than 30,000 in the service area. It was not until Rotary International removed the 30,000 population requirement that Rotary began to move forward in the Central Valley.

Between 1922-1923 District 2 became the successor to District 23. The number of clubs had increased in California beyond all expectations as the Central Valley added Rotary Club’s in Modesto, Lodi and Merced. During the balance of the District 2 life span Rotary Clubs were chartered in Madera, Turlock and Tracy.

With the continued growth of Rotary, the District number designation continued to change. In 1937 District 106 was split to form District 2 thus further reducing the geographical size of the area. During this time Rotary chartered clubs in Los Banos, Dos Palos, Patterson, Gustine, Livingston, Atwater, Chowchilla, Sonora and Newman.

In 1949 the district was realigned again by spinning District 158 from District 106, further shrinking the geographical area.  This included the area from Paso Robles North. The District operated in this configuration well into 1957. Rotary Clubs chartered in this period were Twain Hart, Oakdale and North Stockton, bringing the total operating clubs to 19.

District 522 was formed in 1957 covering an area from Sanger Avenal across to Carmel/Monterey on the coast over to Fresno and up to Lodi in the North. From 1957 to 1980 14 new Rotary Clubs were chartered. This growth was duplicated in the 1980’s. It was determined during the 1980-1981 Rotary year that 63 clubs were just to many for proper operation of the district and District 522 split off District 523.

 In 1992 due to the increase of new districts throughout the world Rotary International felt it necessary to increase the availability of new numbers and began adding zeroes to all current districts.

In 2002 chartered the Rotary Club of Salida followed by West Calveras in 2001and Oakdale Sunrise Club and Lathrop Sunrise Club in 2002

Currently District 5220 covers the area from Madera in the South to Galt in the North, Tracy in the West and Yosemite National Park in the East. District 5220 has 53 Rotary Clubs with 2200 members.