Hopeton (formerly Forlorn Hope and, later, Hopetown) is an unincorporated community in Merced County, California. It is located 10.5 mi north-northeast of Atwater, at an elevation of 184 feet (56 m). Hopeton is located in the Merced River bottom west of Snelling. A church was present at the townsite as early as 1852, and by 1881 the town had a population of over 1000. The Hopeton School District survived until 1973. The first name of the place was Forlorn Hope, after a battle term. The Forlorn post office operated from 1854 to 1859, and from 1860 to 1861. The Hopeton post office operated from 1866 to 1894 and from 1911 to 1914.