Sonoma, California | |
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.jpg) .jpg) _(cropped).jpg)  .jpg) Top:Sonoma City Hall (left) and shops aroundSonoma Plaza (right); middle: shops on Spain St.; bottom:Mission San Francisco Solano (left) andBuena Vista Winery (right) | |
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  Sonoma, California Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:38°17′20″N122°27′32″W / 38.28889°N 122.45889°W /38.28889; -122.45889[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Sonoma |
| laid out | 1835 |
| Incorporated | September 3, 1883[2] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager[3] |
| • Mayor | Patricia Farrar-Rivas[4] |
| • City Manager | David Guhin[5] |
| Area | |
• City | 2.75 sq mi (7.11 km2) |
| • Land | 2.75 sq mi (7.11 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 10,739 |
| • Density | 3,914/sq mi (1,511.1/km2) |
| • Urban | 31,479 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 95476 |
| Area code | 707 |
| FIPS code | 06-72646 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277617,2411929 |
| Website | www |
Sonoma (/səˈnoʊmə/) is a city inSonoma County, California, United States, located in theNorth Bay region of theSan Francisco Bay Area. Sonoma is one of the principal cities of California'sWine Country and the center of theSonoma Valley AVA. Sonoma's population was 10,739 as of the 2020census,[9] while the Sonoma urban area had a population of 31,479.[10] Sonoma is a popular tourist destination, owing to itsCalifornian wineries, noted events like theSonoma International Film Festival, and its historic center.
Sonoma's origins date to 1823, when Padre José Altimira establishedMission San Francisco Solano, under the direction of GovernorLuis Antonio Argüello. Following theMexican secularization of the missions,Californio statesmanMariano G. Vallejo founded Sonoma on the former mission's lands in 1835. Sonoma served as the base of General Vallejo's operations until theBear Flag Revolt in 1846, when Americanfilibusters overthrew the local Mexican government and declared theCalifornia Republic, ushering in the AmericanConquest of California.
When the firstSpaniards arrived, the area was near the northeast corner of theNative Americans /Aboriginal peoples (Indians) of theCoast Miwok territory,[11] withSouthern Pomo to the northwest,Wappo to the northeast,Suisunes andPatwin peoples to the east.[12][13]
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Mission San Francisco Solano is the direct predecessor to the founding of the town of Sonoma. The mission, the only to be constructed not by the Spanish but by the laterMexican authorities seeking independence and succeeding to the Royal SpanishViceroyalty at that time, was built as part of a larger plan GovernorLuis Antonio Argüello had devised to fortify the Spanish presence north of theSan Francisco Bay and thus deterRussian Empire (Russia) encroachment southward from further north inRussian America (where they'd established a presence back in the1740s, a half-century before) into the Pacific Ocean coastal region.[14]Franciscan padre / priestJosé Altimira worked with Governor Argüello to plan the mission, against the desires ofJosé Francisco de Paula Señan, then the President-General of theSpanish missions in California, who disapproved of secular government intervention into religious matters.
A decade later in 1833 theCongress of the Union (Mexican Congress) passed theMexican secularization act of 1833, ending Roman Catholic Church mission stewardship and control of huge tracts of associated lands in California, one goal being to diminish the church's highly influential standing in California's economy and political system.[15] Then GovernorJosé Figueroa appointedMariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then the Commandant of thePresidio of San Francisco, as administrator (comisionado) to oversee the closing of Mission San Francisco Solano and its conversion into a civilian town.[16]
Governor Figueroa had received instructions from the Mexican Congress further south in thecapital city ofMexico City to establish a strong presence in the region north of theSan Francisco Bay to protect the area from encroachments of foreigners.[17] An immediate concern was the further south and eastward movement to the interior of theRussian America Company from their settlements atFort Ross andBodega Bay on theNorthern California coastline.[18]
Figueroa's next step in implementing his instructions was to name Lieutenant Vallejo as Military Commander of the Northern Frontier and to order the Army units of officers / soldiers, arms and materiel supplies at thePresidio of San Francisco moved to the site of the recently secularizedMission San Francisco Solano. TheSonoma Barracks were then built to house the troops. Until the building was habitable, the soldiers were housed in the buildings of the old Mission.[19] In 1834,George C. Yount, the firstEuropean American permanent settler in theNapa Valley, north ofSan Francisco Bay, was employed as a carpenter by Mexican Army General Vallejo.
The Governor granted Lieutenant Vallejo the initial lands (approximately 44,000 acres (178 km2)) ofRancho Petaluma immediately west of Sonoma. Vallejo was also named Director of Colonization which meant that he could initiate land grants for other colonists (subject to the approval of the governor) and thediputación (Alta California's nominal assembly /legislature).[20]
Vallejo had also been instructed by Governor Figueroa to establish a pueblo at the site of the old Mission. In 1835, with the assistance ofWilliam A. Richardson, he laid out a grid, in accordance with the SpanishLaws of the Indies, of the streets, building lots, central plaza and broad main avenue of the newly plannedPueblo de Sonoma.[21]
Although Sonoma had been founded as apueblo in 1835, it still remained under military control, lacking the political structures of civilian municipalself-government of otherAlta California pueblos. In 1843, now Lieutenant Colonel Vallejo wrote to the Governor recommending that a civil government be organized for Sonoma. A town council (ayuntamiento) was established in 1844 andJacobo Leese was named firstalcalde, andCayetano Juárez secondalcalde.[22]
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Before dawn on Sunday, June 14, 1846, thirty-threeAmericans, already in rebellion against theAlta California provincial government ofMexico, arrived in Sonoma. Some of the group had traveled from the camp ofUnited States Army Brevet CaptainJohn C. Frémont (1813-1890), who had entered California illegally from across theGreat Plains and through theRocky Mountains chain from the east in late 1845 with his exploration and mapping expedition. Others had joined along the way. As the number of immigrants arriving in California had swelled, the Mexican government barred them from buying or renting land and threatened them with expulsion because they had entered without official permission.[23][24] Mexican officials were concerned about the comingMexican–American War of 1846-1848, with theUnited States coupled with the growing influx of American and other European immigrants into California, both by overland wagon trains from the east and by ship on theWest Coast andPacific Ocean.[25]
A group of rebellious Americans had departed from Captain Frémont's military camp on June 10 and captured a herd of 170 Mexican government-owned horses being moved by Californio / Mexican Army soldiers from San Rafael and Sonoma to Alta California's Commandante General José Castro in Santa Clara.[26] The insurgents next determined to seize the weapons, gunpowder and materiel stored in theSonoma Barracks and to deny Sonoma to the Californios as a rallying point north of the San Francisco Bay.[27]
Meeting no resistance, they approached the home of General Vallejo, who invited thefilibusters' leaders into his home to negotiate terms. However, when the agreement was presented to those outside they refused to endorse and accept it. Rather than releasing the Mexican officers under parole, they insisted they be held as hostages.William Ide (1796-1852), gave an impassioned speech urging the rebels to stay in Sonoma and start a new republic.[28] Afterwards, Vallejo and his three associates were taken as prisoners and placed on horseback and taken to Captain Frémont.[29]
TheSonoma Barracks became the headquarters for the remaining twenty-four rebels, who within a few days created theirBear Flag. After the flag was raised Californios called the insurgentsLos Osos (The Bears) because of their flag and in derision of their often scruffy appearance. The rebels embraced the expression, and their uprising became known as the Bear Flag Revolt.[30] There were some small unit skirmishes between the Bears and the Californios but no major confrontations.
After hearing reports that GeneralJosé Castro was preparing to attack Sonoma, Frémont left Sutter's Fort with his forces for Sonoma. There he called a meeting with "the Bears" and united his forces with the revolters to form a single military unit. Frémont then took the majority of the men back to Sutter's Fort and left fifty men to defend Sonoma. The Bear Flag Revolt ended and theCalifornia Republic ceased to exist on July 9 when LieutenantJoseph Warren Revere of the U.S. Navy raised the United States flag in front of theSonoma Barracks.[31]
Following the AmericanConquest of California and the advent of theCalifornia Gold Rush, local businesses prospered with the business brought by the soldiers as well as miners traveling to and from the gold fields. The prosperity and optimism about Sonoma's future promoted land speculation which was particularly problematic because of the cloudy records regarding land ownership.
Vallejo had granted land by virtue of his office as Director of Colonization before the pueblo was organized. Among the traditional duties of Alta California'salcaldes was the selling of town lots. Political factions backed different Sonomaalcaldes (John H. Nash, supported by American immigrants, andLilburn Boggs (1796-1860), supported by Vallejo and theCalifornios) made the situation more complex.[32] Some property was sold more than once.[33] A valid land sale depended on proof of the seller'schain of title. Over thirty subsequent years of lawsuits and land disputes were required before land owners in Sonoma were able to obtain clear titles.[34]
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When theCalifornia interim government and U.S. military occupation beginning 1846, finally ended after four years in 1850, when California was admitted as the 31ststate to the federal Union by act of the U.S. Congress, approved by thePresident, on September 9, 1850, Sonoma was then named the firstcounty seat town forSonoma County. About that time the flow of miners had slowed and the U.S. Army was soon leaving Sonoma. Business in Sonoma moved into an economic recession in 1851.[35] Surrounding towns such as Petaluma and Santa Rosa were developing and gaining population much faster than Sonoma. An 1854 special election then moved the county seat and courthouse and its legal work and entailed economic activity toSanta Rosa.
TheSonoma City Hall, located in the center of the Sonoma Plaza, was dedicated on September 9, 1908.[36]
TheUnited States Navy operated a rest center at the Mission Inn throughWorld War II.[37]
Parts ofWes Craven'sScream (1996) were filmed in the city, with shots of the Sonoma Community Center masked as Westboro High School.[38]
The center of town, known as the Plaza, is home to a particularly vibrant Farmers Market on Tuesdays during season.
The city is situated in theSonoma Valley, with theMayacamas Mountains to the east and theSonoma Mountains to the west, with the prominent landformSears Point to the southwest. Sonoma has an area of 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2).
The principal watercourse in the town isSonoma Creek, which flows in a southerly direction to discharge ultimately to theNapa Sonoma Marsh;Arroyo Seco Creek is a tributary to Schell Creek with a confluence in the eastern portion of the town.The active Rodgers Fault lies to the west ofSonoma Creek; however, the risk of major damage is mitigated by the fact that most of the soils beneath the city consist of a slightalluvial terrace underlain by strongly cementedsedimentary andvolcanic rock.[39] To the immediate south, west and east are deeper rich, alluvial soils that support valuableagricultural cultivation. The mountain block to the north rises to 1,200 feet (370 m) and provides an important scenic backdrop.
Sonoma has a typical lowland near-coastal Californianwarm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsb) with hot, dry summers (although nights are comfortably cool) and cool, wet winters. In January, the normal high is 57.2 °F (14.0 °C) and the typical low is 37.2 °F (2.9 °C). In July, the normal high is 88.6 °F (31.4 °C) and the normal low is 51.2 °F (10.7 °C). There are an average of 58.1 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and 12.1 days with highs of 100 °F (38 °C). The highest temperature on record was 116 °F (47 °C) on July 13, 1972, and the lowest temperature was 13 °F (−11 °C) on December 22, 1990. Normal annual precipitation is 29.43 inches (748 mm). The wettest month on record was 20.29 inches (515 mm) in January 1995. The greatest 24-hour rainfall was 6.75 inches (171 mm) on January 4, 1982. There are an average of 68.6 days with measurable precipitation. Snow has rarely fallen, but 1 inch (2.5 cm) fell in January 1907; more recently, snow flurries were observed on February 5, 1976, and in the winter of 2001.[40]
| Climate data for Sonoma, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) | 98 (37) | 90 (32) | 100 (38) | 105 (41) | 112 (44) | 116 (47) | 108 (42) | 110 (43) | 107 (42) | 91 (33) | 80 (27) | 116 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 67.2 (19.6) | 73.0 (22.8) | 78.3 (25.7) | 85.2 (29.6) | 91.1 (32.8) | 100.3 (37.9) | 101.1 (38.4) | 100.4 (38.0) | 99.1 (37.3) | 91.3 (32.9) | 78.6 (25.9) | 67.2 (19.6) | 104.0 (40.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.0 (13.9) | 61.6 (16.4) | 65.4 (18.6) | 69.2 (20.7) | 75.3 (24.1) | 82.8 (28.2) | 86.0 (30.0) | 86.1 (30.1) | 84.8 (29.3) | 77.5 (25.3) | 65.2 (18.4) | 56.7 (13.7) | 72.3 (22.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 47.7 (8.7) | 50.8 (10.4) | 53.7 (12.1) | 56.7 (13.7) | 61.6 (16.4) | 67.1 (19.5) | 69.7 (20.9) | 69.6 (20.9) | 68.0 (20.0) | 62.5 (16.9) | 53.5 (11.9) | 47.4 (8.6) | 59.0 (15.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38.4 (3.6) | 40.1 (4.5) | 41.9 (5.5) | 44.1 (6.7) | 47.8 (8.8) | 51.3 (10.7) | 53.5 (11.9) | 53.2 (11.8) | 51.2 (10.7) | 47.4 (8.6) | 41.8 (5.4) | 38.2 (3.4) | 45.7 (7.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 27.8 (−2.3) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 32.6 (0.3) | 35.1 (1.7) | 40.0 (4.4) | 44.0 (6.7) | 47.3 (8.5) | 47.0 (8.3) | 44.1 (6.7) | 38.0 (3.3) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 25.6 (−3.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 20 (−7) | 20 (−7) | 24 (−4) | 20 (−7) | 27 (−3) | 31 (−1) | 35 (2) | 36 (2) | 34 (1) | 30 (−1) | 22 (−6) | 13 (−11) | 13 (−11) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.47 (139) | 5.42 (138) | 3.84 (98) | 1.78 (45) | 1.03 (26) | 0.32 (8.1) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.06 (1.5) | 0.07 (1.8) | 1.52 (39) | 3.01 (76) | 5.83 (148) | 28.35 (720.4) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 11.4 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 7.5 | 11.8 | 67.6 |
| Source 1: NOAA[41] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2[42] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 757 | — | |
| 1900 | 652 | −13.9% | |
| 1910 | 957 | 46.8% | |
| 1920 | 801 | −16.3% | |
| 1930 | 980 | 22.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,158 | 18.2% | |
| 1950 | 2,015 | 74.0% | |
| 1960 | 3,023 | 50.0% | |
| 1970 | 4,259 | 40.9% | |
| 1980 | 6,054 | 42.1% | |
| 1990 | 8,121 | 34.1% | |
| 2000 | 9,128 | 12.4% | |
| 2010 | 10,648 | 16.7% | |
| 2020 | 10,739 | 0.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[43] | |||
The2020 United States census reported that Sonoma had a population of 10,739. The population density was 3,913.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,511.0/km2). The racial makeup of Sonoma was 74.7%White, 0.7%African American, 0.9%Native American, 3.1%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 8.7% fromother races, and 11.7% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.3% of the population.[44]
The census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1.5% were institutionalized.[44]
There were 4,957 households, out of which 20.9% included children under the age of 18, 43.1% were married-couple households, 6.1% werecohabiting couple households, 35.5% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 36.7% of households were one person, and 25.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.13.[44] There were 2,798families (56.4% of all households).[45]
The age distribution was 15.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% aged 18 to 24, 18.5% aged 25 to 44, 27.4% aged 45 to 64, and 32.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males.[44]
There were 5,628 housing units at an average density of 2,051.0 units per square mile (791.9 units/km2), of which 4,957 (88.1%) were occupied. Of these, 57.3% were owner-occupied, and 42.7% were occupied by renters.[44]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $101,281, and theper capita income was $72,127. About 4.5% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line.[46]
The2010 United States census[47] reported that Sonoma had a population of 10,648. The population density was 3,883.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,499.4/km2). The racial makeup of Sonoma was 9,242 (86.8%)White, 52 (0.5%)African American, 56 (0.5%)Native American, 300 (2.8%)Asian, 23 (0.2%)Pacific Islander, 711 (6.7%) fromother races, and 264 (2.5%) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1,634 persons (15.3%).
Within the Sonoma Valley, the racial makeup was 46.3% White, 49.1% Hispanic, and 2.7% Native American. The average household income was $96,722. The Census reported that 10,411 people (97.8% of the population) lived in households, 11 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 226 (2.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 4,955 households, out of which 1,135 (22.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,094 (42.3%) weremarried couples living together, 425 (8.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 174 (3.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 230 (4.6%)unmarried partnerships, and 48 (1.0%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,920 households (38.7%) were made up of individuals, and 1,054 (21.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10. There were 2,693families (54.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.82.
The population was spread out, with 1,920 people (18.0%) under the age of 18, 559 people (5.2%) aged 18 to 24, 2,252 people (21.1%) aged 25 to 44, 3,250 people (30.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,667 people (25.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.
There were 5,544 housing units at an average density of 2,021.9 units per square mile (780.7 units/km2), of which 2,928 (59.1%) were owner-occupied, and 2,027 (40.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 6,294 people (59.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,117 people (38.7%) lived in rental housing units.
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The City of Sonoma wasincorporated on September 3, 1883.[2] It uses acouncil–manager form of government, wherein a council sets policy and hires staff to implement it. The city council has five members, elected to four-year terms.[3] The city council selects one of its members to serve as mayor.
In addition to the official mayor, Sonoma has a tradition of naming an honorary mayor each year, titled "Alcalde/Alcaldesa".[48] The Alcalde or Alcaldesa presides over ceremonial events for the city.
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Sonoma is inthe 3rd senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Christopher Cabaldon, and inthe 4th Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.[49]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Sonoma is inCalifornia's 4th congressional district, represented byDemocrat Mike Thompson.[50]
According to theCalifornia Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Sonoma has 7,162 registered voters. Of those, 3,694 (51.6%) are registeredDemocrats, 1,309 (18.3%) are registeredRepublicans, and 1,783 (24.9%) havedeclined to state a political party.[51]
The two primary news sources for Sonoma are theSonoma Index-Tribune and theSonoma Valley Sun. TheSonoma Index-Tribune publishes twice weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays and has a circulation of 9,000. TheSonoma Valley Sun publishes every other Thursday and is free. TheSun is recognized as thealternative weekly for the Sonoma Valley. It has a circulation of 5,000. Sonoma has a local radio station,KSVY, and apublic-access television station,SVTV 27.
California State Route 12 is the main route in Sonoma, passing through the populated areas of the Sonoma Valley and connecting it toSanta Rosa to the north andNapa to the east. State routes121 and116 run to the south of town, passing through the unincorporated area ofSchellville and connecting Sonoma Valley to Napa,Petaluma to the west, andMarin County to the south.Sonoma County Transit provides bus service from Sonoma to other points in the county.VINE Transit also operates a route between Napa and Sonoma.
The nearest airport with regularly scheduled commercial passenger service isCharles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of Sonoma.San Francisco International Airport andOakland International Airport are both about 60 miles (100 km) south of Sonoma.
Apple's desktop operating system,macOS Sonoma, announced on June 5, 2023, duringWWDC, is named after the city.[57]
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