The City of Napa, founded in 1848 astride the Napa River, is the County Seat of our nation’s premier wine growing region, the Napa Valley. Perfectly situated – an hour north of San Francisco and Oakland, an hour east of the Pacific Coast, two or three hours to the Sierras – and known for its hospitable climate year-round, the City of Napa is home to some 75,000 residents and host to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The City of Napa grew rapidly during the Gold Rush as a jumping off point for fortune-seekers headed for the mountains. Although vineyards and wine making were part of local life from the beginning, Napa was once more famous for its tanneries and “Nappa leather,” prune orchards and the Napa State Hospital than for its wines. Dozens of Victorian homes built with fortunes made in leather and lumber remain today in the Napa Abajo-Fuller Park Historic District.

Napa’s growth was fueled by heavy industry in earlier days. Kaiser Steel, Basalt Rock, Napa Pipe and Mare Island Naval Shipyard were major employers through most of the 20th century. With the rebirth of the premium wine industry in the 1960s, a new economic and lifestyle model was created, leading to the Napa of today that is home to Michelin-star restaurants, some 20 downtown tasting rooms/wine bars, and a revitalized riverfront. Significant developments during the last five years include the ongoing construction of the Napa River-Napa Creek Flood Protection Project, the start of an ambitious in-house street and sidewalk improvement program, the institution of a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), the development of a Downtown Specific Plan and the startup of a Community Sustainability Program called “CleanGreenNapa.”

The City’s website is found at www.cityofnapa.org.