Portal:San Francisco Bay Area/Cities/Section 2
Appearance
Berkeley was the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement and site of People's Park. A city of 100,000, it traverses the Hayward Fault in Alameda County and is home to the University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. | ![]() |
Santa Rosa lies in the heart of the Sonoma Valley agricultural region. With 156,000 residents, it is the largest city in the North Bay and is the county seat of Sonoma County. | |
San Rafael developed around the Mission San Rafael Arcángel, founded in 1817. Today it is the county seat of Marin County and has 55,000 residents and the site of George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch. | ![]() |
Richmond developed around heavy industry and the Kaiser Shipyards were a hub of activity during World War II. Port Richmond remains a major seaport and Chevron has a refinery in the city. The city is located in western Contra Costa County adjacent to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and has a population of around 102,000. | ![]() |
Sonoma is the site of the Mission San Francisco Solano, the last of the Spanish missions of California. The Bear Flag Revolt took place in its town plaza in June, 1846, leading to the American takeover of California. The Sonoma County town has 9000 residents. | ![]() |
Fairfield is the county seat of Solano County. The city of 101,000 people is the home of Travis Air Force Base and the Jelly Belly factory and headquarters. | |
Vallejo in Solano County was the site of Mare Island Naval Shipyard, one of the premier shipbuilding centers for the Navy until it was decommissioned in 1993. The heightened activity during World War II spurred rapid growth in Vallejo. Today, it is a city of 116,000. | ![]() |
Napa is the county seat of Napa County and is the primary business and economic center for the Napa Valley. It has a population of 72,000. | ![]() |
Concord is a bedroom community of 120,000 residents in Contra Costa County. It is home of De La Salle High School, a prep school reknowned nationally for its football team. | ![]() |
Petaluma in Sonoma County has 55,000 residents. It once proclaimed itself the "Egg Capital of the World" and today boasts a telecom industry and a well restored historic town center. | ![]() |
Walnut Creek serves as the commercial and entertainment hub for central Contra Costa County. The city of 64,000 is situated in the shadow of Mount Diablo. | |
Sausalito in Marin County lies at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge and a short ferry ride away from San Francisco. Though a town of only 7,000 residents, it receives a steady stream of tourists. | ![]() |
Calistoga in northern Napa County has a population of 5,000. It is known for its hot springs resorts and spas, a local specialty being immersion in hot volcanic ash known as a mud bath. | ![]() |