Sonoma

There’s more to Wine Country living than tastings, tours, and terroir. Less than an hour north of San Francisco, the wine country blankets Napa County, known for its award-winning wines and sunny Mediterranean climate and extends west to the vineyards and dairy lands of quieter, rustic Sonoma County.

With more than 45,000 acres devoted to vineyards, and over 400 wineries, Napa Valley is the heart of Napa County. Extending 30 miles along Highway 29, Napa Valley includes the namesake Napa, a town of approximately 75,000. Once the jumping-off point for the California Gold Rush, Napa is one of California’s oldest towns. Founded in 1847 and situated in an oxbow bend of the Napa River, Napa boasts some of California’s most well-preserved Victorian homes and its original, gold-rush-era Italianate opera house, which still functions as a performing arts center.

Today the town is a vibrant mix of shops, restaurants, tasting rooms, and a downtown farmer’s market that brings together organic farmers who offer their sustainably grown fresh produce to the best chefs of the Bay Area. Downtown Napa is increasingly known as a destination in its own right. Art galleries, boutiques, a river walk, free concerts in Veterans Memorial Park, and the Oxbow Public Market make Napa a highly walkable city.

Along Highway 29 you’ll find towns synonymous with living the good life in America. Hundred-year-old Calistoga still maintains its small-town charm while hosting spas, thermal springs, and mud baths. Oakville is a tiny hamlet with a reputation for making world-class cabernets including Opus One, Cakebread Cellars, and Silver Oak. Along with extraordinary wines, the Napa Valley boasts restaurants to match. Perhaps the best-known is Yountville’s destination restaurant, French Laundry. Outside of town, Mediterranean estates and farmhouses are tucked away in the vineyards, while showplace mansions perched atop the Silverado Trail offer commanding views.

Head north up Highway 101, the main commuter corridor from San Francisco, and in less than an hour you’ll find yourself in the vineyards and dairy farms of Sonoma County. Just 35 miles north of the city is Petaluma, a farming community that hasn’t lost sight of its roots. Downtown Petaluma is undergoing a renaissance, with galleries, nightclubs, bistros, and boutiques moving to the center of town. 

The largest city in the Sonoma County is Santa Rosa, home to a number of high-tech telecommunications firms, as well as a museum dedicated to the work of Charles Schultz, the creator of the beloved Peanuts comic strip. Some of the most desirable neighborhoods are within walking distance of downtown and include the old mansions and Victorians of Burbank Gardens, Railroad Square, West End, and Cherry Street.

Just a few miles north of Santa Rosa is Healdsburg, the epicenter of winemaking in Sonoma County. Along its town square are restaurants worthy of two Michelin stars, luxury hotels, trendy boutiques, and the funky bakery run by a former pastry chef at Chez Panisse. There’s even a vibrant nightlife thanks to the adventurous Barn Diva and the Raven Theater, which hosts jazz, rock, and musical productions.

Venture further east or west from the spine of Highway 101 and you’ll discover quintessential Sonoma County. The small quiet burgs of Sonoma and Glen Ellen with their sun-splashed oaks still retain their early California feel, despite the new wineries, spas and restaurants that line the town square. 

Western Sonoma is quintessential California dairy country, where rolling grasslands plunge into the Pacific. Outside of towns like the farming community Sebastopol, rush hour begins with the early morning milk truck trundling down a one-lane road, or a cluster of Spandex-clad bicyclists on their way to brunch in Occidental. 

The beauty of wine country inspires many to plant vines. We believe the wine, the land, the climate, and laid-back living will inspire you to put down roots. 

How Many People Live in Sonoma?

Population: 136,484 (Napa), 483,878 (Sonoma)

What Languages Are Spoken in Sonoma?

Language: English,

What is the Currency in Sonoma?

Currency: USD

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