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Santa Rosa, CA

Frequently asked questions

Santa Rosa, CA

Santa Rosa is a city in and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California.Its population as of the 2020 census was 178,127.It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and Redwood Coast. It is the fifth most populous city in the Bay Area after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont; and the 25th most populous city in California.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.50 sq mi (107.5 km2). Of that area, 41.29 sq mi (106.9 km2) is land, and 0.205 sq mi (0.5 km2), comprising 0.49%, is water.The city is part of the North Bay region, which includes such cities as Petaluma, Rohnert Park, and Windsor, and smaller cities such as Sonoma, Healdsburg, and Sebastopol. It lies along the US Route 101 corridor, approximately 55 miles (89 km) north of San Francisco, via the Golden Gate Bridge.

Santa Rosa lies on the Santa Rosa Plain. The city's eastern extremities stretch into the Valley of the Moon, and the Sonoma Creek watershed known as the Sonoma Valley. The city's western edge lies in the Laguna de Santa Rosa catchment basin.

The city is in the watershed of Santa Rosa Creek, which rises on Hood Mountain and discharges to the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Tributary basins to Santa Rosa Creek lying significantly in the city are Brush Creek, Matanzas Creek, and Piner Creek. Other water bodies within the city include Fountaingrove Lake, Lake Ralphine, and Santa Rosa Creek Reservoir.

The prominent visual features east of the city include Bennett Peak, Mount Hood, and Sonoma and Taylor mountains.

Before the arrival of Europeans, what became known as the Santa Rosa Plain was home to a strong and populous tribe of Pomo people known as the Bitakomtara. The Bitakomtara controlled the area closely, barring passage to others until permission was arranged. Those who entered without permission were subject to harsh penalties. The tribe gathered at ceremonial times on Santa Rosa Creek near present-day Spring Lake Regional Park.

Following the arrival of Europeans, initially Spanish explorers and colonists, the Pomos were decimated by violence, land theft, slavery, genocide and smallpox brought from Europe. Social displacement and disruption followed.

Santa Rosa was founded in 1833 and named by Mexican colonists after Saint Rose of Lima. The first known permanent European settlement here was the homestead of the Carrillo family of California, in-laws to Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who settled the Sonoma pueblo and Petaluma area. In the 1830s, during the Mexican period, the family of María López de Carrillo built an adobe house on their Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa land grant, just east of what later became downtown Santa Rosa. By the 1820s, before the Carrillos built their adobe in the 1830s, Spanish and Mexican settlers from nearby Sonoma and other settlements to the south were known to raise livestock in the area.

In 1867, the county recognized Santa Rosa as an incorporated city; in 1868, the state officially confirmed the incorporation, making it the third incorporated city in Sonoma County after Petaluma, incorporated in 1858, and Healdsburg, incorporated in 1867.

United States Census Bureau records show that after California became a state, Santa Rosa grew steadily, though it lagged behind nearby Petaluma in the 1850s and early 1860s. In the 1870 census, Santa Rosa was the eighth-largest city in California, and county seat of one of the most populous counties in the state. Growth and development after that was steady but never rapid. The city continued to grow when other early population centers declined or stagnated, but by 1900 it was being overtaken by many other newer population centers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California.

Health and wellness are paramount in Santa Rosa, with the city offering various amenities and services to support the well-being of its residents. The Santa Rosa Community Health stands as a cornerstone in providing comprehensive healthcare services to the community. Explore the parks, facilities, and programs the Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation Department offers. These spaces provide opportunities for outdoor activities such as walking, jogging, sports, and picnicking. Join local fitness centers and gyms to participate in exercise programs, fitness classes, and strength training. Some popular options include Stan Bennett Health and Fitness Gym, Studio Fitness and Redwood Fitness. Discover the walking and biking trails in and around Santa Rosa, such as the Spring Lake Loop and Creekside Trail to Canyon Trail to Ridge Trail Loop. These trails offer opportunities for outdoor exercise and enjoyment of nature.

Top sites in Santa Rosa, California are Safari West, Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, Howarth Park, and Luther Burbank Home & Gardens.

Population: 175,845 (2023). ZIP codes: 95401–95407, 95409. Area code: 707. Elevation: 164 ft (50 m). Area: 42.70 sq mi (110.58 km2).

FAQs

Is Santa Rosa, CA expensive to live in?

Santa Rosa is 31% more expensive than the national average and 4% less expensive to live in than the average city in California. This assumes a $72,000 annual salary and a 2 Bedroom Apt. Food costs in Santa Rosa are less affordable than average in the United States. Transportations costs in Santa Rosa are less affordable than average in the United States.

What is Santa Rosa, CA best known for?

Known as the place where wine country meets beer city, Santa Rosa has earned its reputation as the craft brew capital of the United States. From one-of-a-kind sour brews from Shady Oak Barrel House to brewery tours at Russian River Brewing Company in Windsor, it’s time to start planning your beer tasting day. With 12 local, world-class breweries in or around Santa Rosa, there’s a beer waiting here for you.

What is the race population in Santa Rosa, CA?

Santa Rosa, CA is home to a population of 178k people, from which 88.3% are citizens. As of 2022, 20.7% of Santa Rosa, CA residents were born outside of the country (37k people). In 2022, there were 2.81 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (95.4k people) in Santa Rosa, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 34k Other (Hispanic) and 12.5k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Sources

Wikipedia

City of Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa Community Health 

Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation Department

Stan Bennett Health and Fitness Gym

Studio Fitness 

Redwood Fitness

Spring Lake Loop 

Creekside Trail to Canyon Trail to Ridge Trail Loop

Safari West

Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center

Howarth Park

Luther Burbank Home & Gardens

Erieri

Visit Santa Rosa

DataUSA

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