Petaluma Life

Whether you are visiting, living, working or operating a business in Petaluma, no other San Francisco Bay Area location can compare to the advantages that Petaluma has to offer.

Location

Petaluma is located in Sonoma County's Wine Country just 39 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Centrally located on Highway 101 and the east/west artery Highway 116, Petaluma is an ideal headquarters for exploring Sonoma County's 140 wineries, the dramatic Sonoma Coastline, Point Reyes National Seashore and California's redwoods. All only a short jaunt from Petaluma.

Geography

The Petaluma River is the heart of the city. The historic downtown flanks the river and lends itself to the authentic Victorian charm of the city. To the east are the city's newer neighborhoods and shopping centers. Surrounding the city, dairy ranches and hayfields provide the much-appreciated open space, which rises to hills on both sides of the valley.

Climate

Petaluma' s temperate climate is as close to perfect as possible without boredom.

Summertime is dry, it almost never rains from late spring to late fall. Days are warm with temperatures ranging from 65 to 85 degrees, while nightly ocean breezes guarantee pleasant sleeping. The average humidity of 66% makes an air-conditioned home in Petaluma a rarity.

Wintertime has pleasant days and chilly evenings. Temperatures range from 35 to 60 degrees during December and January. An average annual rainfall of 25 inches assures green country sides.

Petaluma is one of California's oldest cities with one of the best-preserved historic downtown areas on the National Register of Historic Places. The Petaluma River has seen a succession of populations, beginning with the Petaluma Native Americans, Spanish explorers, and Mexican vaqueros and was once the third most commercially trafficked waterway in California. Chartered in 1858, the town's exciting past can be seen as a microcosm of the history of California as a whole.

Petaluma recently celebrated its' Sesquicentennial (150th) birthday with several events to commemorate this historic occasion.

Petaluma is a town of many recently bestowed monikers: Travel & Leisure Magazine named Petaluma one of the "Nation's Top Ten Getaways Near A Major City", and Latitude 38, the boater's bible, titled Petaluma one of the "Bay Area's Top Ten Leisure Boating Destinations".

Petaluma was labeled "Best Home Town in California" in 2001 by www.epodunk.com, and Festivals.com christened Petaluma's Butter & Egg Days celebration of its agricultural industry and parade, "The Best Festival in the World".

Due to the city's commitment to its urban forest and city parks, Petaluma also proudly claims the designation of "Tree City U.S.A." Petaluma's 140 restaurants support the name of "Restaurant Capital".

Fun Facts and Firsts

Petaluma was the first U. S. city to be able to protect its individuality through a residential growth management plan (the right was won from the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals), and its "Americana" visual appeal has drawn filmmakers since the earliest days of Hollywood. The first movie filmed in Petaluma was in 1911. Petaluma had the world's first and only chicken pharmacy. Petaluman, Lyman C. Byce is credited with invention of the first practical chicken incubator in 1879.

First
Hotel 1851
City Park 1852
Stage line from Petaluma to Sonoma 1854
Newspaper and brewery 1855
Gas Lamps 1863
Electricity 1893
Fred Wiseman made the first airmail flight, from Petaluma to Santa Rosa in 1911

More Information about Schools, Medical Facilities, Recreation, Business Opportunities, Where to Stay, etc.:

www.petalumachamber.com