North Bay
Major Communities (2011 Population): Boyes Hot Springs (6,656), Cloverdale (8,694), Cotati (7,330), Healdsburg (11,353), Petaluma (58,453), Rohnert Park (41,333), Santa Rosa (169,292), Sebastopol (7,443), Sonoma (10,741) and Windsor (27,042)

Demographics
  • Population...............................................491,829
  • Population Growth (2010–11).............1.6%
  • Persons Per Square Mile.....................307.1

Education
  • School Districts: Alexander Valley, Bellevue, Bennett Valley, Cinnabar, Cloverdale, Cotati-Rohnert Park, Dunham, Forestville, Fort Ross, Gravenstein, Guerneville, Harmony, Healdsburg, Kenwood, Liberty, Mark West, Monte Rio, Montgomery, Oak Grove, Old Adobe, Petaluma, Piner-Olivet, Rincon Valley, Roseland, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma Valley, Twin Hills, Two Rock, Waugh, West Side, West Sonoma County, Wilmar, Windsor and Wright
  • Total Public School Enrollment (2011–12): 71,688
  • Educational Attainment (adult population)
    • High school diploma..........................86.4%
    • College degrees..................................31.8%

For more information, visit Sonoma County’s website at www.sonoma-county.org. Following is an overview some of the largest communities in the county.

— Petaluma
Petaluma is a popular city to shop for funky and fabulous treasures in antique galleries in its historic downtown, sample artisan cheeses at the source, savor farm-to-table wine-country cuisine or sip Sonoma County wine on a sunset cruise in the Petaluma River. Known as the portal to Sonoma County, Petaluma this ideal base for excursions to the wine country, the dramatic Sonoma Coast and the majestic redwood groves. Petaluma always has fairs and festivals that are sometimes described as “quirky,” so it’s no wonder Travel + Leisure Magazine named it one of the “Nation’s Top Ten Getaways Near a Major City.”

— Santa Rosa
The city of Santa Rosa is the fifth largest in the Bay Area and is renowned for its rich urban way of life near a bounty of undeveloped land. Santa Rosa enjoys warm summers and cool wet winters. July through September have the warmest months of the year with average daily temperatures in the mid-80s. Its proximity to the Sonoma and Napa Valley regions ensure that tourism plays a significant role in Santa Rosa’s economy. Like most of the Bay Area, it is also a beneficiary of several technology, biomedical and agricultural institutions as well as home to several performing arts organizations that provide a range of theatrical entertainment. The three principle resident companies are the Santa Rosa Junior College Summer Repertory Theatre, the Santa Rosa Symphony and the 6th Street Playhouse. Santa Rosa also has the corner on visual arts in North Bay with the Sonoma County Museum and is noted as being the long-time residence of Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, so you’ll find a statue of Charlie Brown and Snoopy in Railroad Square at the corner of Fourth and Wilson.

— Sonoma
After Napa Valley, Sonoma is the destination of choice for wine aficionados from all over the world; some even say it’s superior. There are more than 200 first-rate wineries in Sonoma as well as a number of interesting attractions for visitors and residents to take in and enjoy, such as the Valley of the Moon, Quarryhill Botanical Garden, Sonoma Plaza, Presidio of Sonoma and Infineon Raceway. The city also has a rich local history with three sites constructed in the 1800s and listed as California Historical Landmarks: the Mission San Francisco Solano, the residence of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo and the Bear Flag Monument. Two local newspapers serve the Sonoma Valley: the Sonoma News, which has been cited by national magazines for its editorial excellence, and the Sonoma Valley Sun. SONOMA magazine, a glossy publication focusing on the lifestyle of the region, also is produced here on a quarterly basis.

   
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