Overview

Introduction to Napa, California

The county seat and principal city of Napa County is the California city of Napa. It is one of five incorporated cities in the county (the others being Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, and American Canyon). The city lies in the heart of the Napa Valley, 45 miles north of Oakland and about 60 miles southwest of Sacramento. The center of business and economic activity for the Napa Valley, the city of Napa has an economy today which is largely based on wine and tourism. Napa Valley has for the past several decades enjoyed a reputation as one of the most popular tourist attractions in California, and is world-renowned for its wines.

The City of Napa was founded in 1848 by Nathan Coombs and was incorporated as a city in 1872. The first business establishment opened it doors in Napa in 1849, but it was the gold rush of the late fifties that saw Napa bloom as a city. The city provided gold miners a refuge from severe winters in the gold fields, and steady work for those who became disillusioned. Cattle ranches were plentiful, and lumber had become a mushrooming industry. The year 1858 marked the onset of the great silver rush in Napa Valley, with quicksilver mines operating in many areas by the mid-1860s. The Twentieth Century saw the blossoming of the agricultural and wine industry in the Valley, and along with it came a host of supporting banking, commercial and retail activity which took root within the City of Napa and continues to this day.

The wine industry began to take shape in Napa Valley before the turn of the century. By the year 1900 there were already more than 140 wineries in the area, including mainstays such as Beringer, Chateau Montelena, and Charles Krug Winery. The industry suffered a setback during the prohibition era, but came back strong following World War II. When Robert Mondavi founded his new large scale winery in 1965, more wineries soon followed, giving the valley's reputation a strong boost. An even stronger boost resulted from the famous Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, when a Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon bested several famous French labels in a blind tasting format, cementing the region's reputation as a producer of world class wines. Today Napa Valley features more than 200 wineries and grows many different grape varieties, with its relatively warm climate especially favoring the production of varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Attractions in and around Napa

Napa Valley is itself one of the most popular tourist attractions in California, boasting world-renowned wineries and outstanding restaurants. The region also has many local attractions centered around the wine and food industries. The Napa Valley Wine Train takes passengers on a scenic 3-hour 36-mile gourmet dining excursion through the heart of Napa Valley aboard a lavishly restored 1917 Pullman dining car. The Napa Valley Expo is a unique facility hosting a variety of trade shows, rodeos and concerts, etc., and is also home to the annual Napa Town & Country Fair. COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts explores the region's food and drink culture with lively programs, exhibitions, demonstrations and classes. Annual events include Napa's big street fair of the year, the Wine and Crafts Faire, held every September in the downtown part of the city. Also very popular is the really big fair in the county, the Napa Town & Country Fair, which takes place every August at the Napa Valley Expo. The months of February and March are filled with a series of events associated with the Annual Mustard Festival.

Cultural attractions in Napa include the Napa Valley Opera House, showcasing a variety of music and performing arts including world-class musical theatre, plays, jazz, chamber music, dance and opera. The Opera House was recently restored and reopened after being closed for 88 years. The Napa Valley Symphony holds most of its concerts at the Lincoln Theater at the Veterans Home in Yountville (9 miles north of the city of Napa), but performs an annual free concert by the river at Veterans Park in downtown Napa. The Firefighter Museum is another popular Napa attraction, featuring a 1904 horse-drawn steamer, a 1913 Model T Ford and more. The Jarvis Conservatory is a unique Napa theater devoted to the relatively little known art form of Spanish Opera.

Hot air ballooning is one of the most popular attractions in Napa Valley. Balloons Above The Valley and Bonaventura Balloon Company are two of the Napa outlets offering this activity. Theme park lovers can take the short drive to nearby Vallejo (14 miles to the south), home of Six Flags Marine World.

Those inclined to take the one-hour drive south to San Francisco can enjoy several attractions, including the San Francisco Zoo, Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Cable Car Museum, Ghirardelli Square and Fisherman's Wharf. A 60-minute drive north to Sacramento finds another list of popular attractions, including the Crocker Art Museum, the California State Capitol Building and the Sacramento Zoo.

Sports fans can enjoy the same choice, as both cities are home to professional teams, such as the following:

  • Major League Baseball: Athletics (Oakland), Giants (San Francisco).
  • Minor League Baseball: River Cats,(AAA, Sacramento).
  • NFL Football: Raiders (Oakland), 49'ers (San Francisco).
  • Basketball: Golden State Warriors (NBA), Sacramento Kings (NBA), Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA).
  • World Indoor Soccer League: Knights (Sacramento).
  • Major League Lacrosse (MLL): Dragons (San Francisco).

Demographics

People

Total Population79,516
Male Share of the Population49.7%
Female Share of the Population50.3%
Senior Citizens15.8%
Employed Population 16+40,502
Age of the Population39

Families

% of people married50.4%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher30.1%
Median Earnings25+$42,213
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$25,053
Median Earnings With High School Degree$32,167

Wealth

Median Family Income$93,576
% Above Poverty Level91.6%
% Below Poverty Level8.4%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time22 minutes
% Working from Home5.2%
% Walking and Biking to Work4%
% Using Public Transportation1.8%

Housing

People Living Alone27.1%
Median Gross Rent$1,614
Median House Value$581,100

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)46.2%
German10.9%
Irish9.9%
English8.3%
Italian6%
French Except Basque2.5%
Scottish2.1%
Norwegian1.7%
Portuguese1.5%
Swedish1.4%
Polish1.4%
Dutch0.9%
Russian0.8%
Danishn0.8%
Welsh0.7%
Swiss0.5%
Hungarian0.4%
Greek0.3%
Arab0.3%
Finnish0.3%
Canadian0.3%
Romanian0.2%
US/American0.2%
Croatian0.2%
Czech0.2%
African0.1%
Lebanese0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
Slovene0.1%
Ukrainian0.1%
West Indian0.1%
Palestinian0.1%
Lithuanian0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Austrian0.1%
Moroccan0.1%
Australian0.1%
Slovak0.1%
+ Show More

Napa Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyNapa County
Standard Zip Codes94559, 94558
P.O. Box Zip Codes94581
Phone Area Codes707
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude38.25
Approximate Longitude-122.31

Napa Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationNAPA STATE HOSPITAL
Distance1.4 miles
Jan Temp39 to 57 F
Apr Temp45 to 71 F
Jul Temp55 to 83 F
Oct Temp49 to 76 F
Annual Precip26.4 inches
StationSONOMA
Distance9.9 miles
Jan Temp37 to 58 F
Apr Temp43 to 72 F
Jul Temp52 to 90 F
Oct Temp46 to 80 F
Annual Precip30.6 inches
StationMARKLEY COVE
Distance16.2 miles
Jan Temp36 to 55 F
Apr Temp43 to 70 F
Jul Temp57 to 93 F
Oct Temp48 to 78 F
Annual Precip27.9 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
American Canyon20,306$103,393
Fairfield114,101$87,920
Sonoma11,074$110,147
Suisun City29,379$88,021
Vallejo120,977$75,898
Yountville2,982$117,727

Napa Public Libraries

Napa County Library
580 COOMBS ST.
Napa, California
(707) 253-4241

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Napa Hospitals

Queen Of The Valley Hospital - Napa
(Non-profit)
1000 Trancas Street
Napa State Hospital
(Government - State)
2100 Napa-vallejo Highway

Napa Public Schools

Bel Aire Park Elementary
3580 Beckworth Dr.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 466
Browns Valley Elementary
1001 Buhman Ave.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 559
El Centro Elementary
1480 El Centro Ave.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 251
Harvest Middle
2449 Old Sonoma Rd.
ZIP: 94558
Middle
Total Enrollment 676
Mcpherson Elementary
2670 Yajome St.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 533
Mt. George International
1019 Second Ave.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 255
Napa High
2475 Jefferson St.
ZIP: 94558
High
Total Enrollment 1916
Napa Valley Independent Studies
3310 Linda Vista Ave..
ZIP: 94558
Other
Total Enrollment 167
Napa Valley Language Academy
2700 Kilburn Ave.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 705
Northwood Elementary
2214 Berks St.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 355
Pueblo Vista Elementary
1600 Barbara Rd.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 286
Redwood Middle
3600 Oxford St.
ZIP: 94558
Middle
Total Enrollment 1080
River Charter
2447 Old Sonoma Rd.
ZIP: 94558
Middle
Total Enrollment 361
Salvador Elementary
1850 Salvador Ave.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 260
Silverado Middle
1133 Coombsville Rd.
ZIP: 94558
Middle
Total Enrollment 808
Snow Elementary
1130 Foster Rd.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 514
Stone Bridge
1680 Los Carneros Way
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 266
Valley Oak High
1600 Myrtle Ave.
ZIP: 94558
High
Total Enrollment 160
Vichy Elementary
3261 Vichy Ave.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 374
Vintage High
1375 Trower Ave.
ZIP: 94558
High
Total Enrollment 1808
West Park Elementary
2315 W. Park Ave.
ZIP: 94558
Primary
Total Enrollment 351
Alta Heights Elementary
15 Montecito Blvd.
ZIP: 94559
Primary
Total Enrollment 371
Napa County Community
2121 Imola Ave.
ZIP: 94559
High
Total Enrollment 125
Napa County Juvenile Hall/court
212 Walnut St.
ZIP: 94559
High
Total Enrollment 15
Napa County Opportunity
2121 Imola Ave.
ZIP: 94559
Primary
Napa County Rop
2121 Imola Ave.
ZIP: 94559
High
Napa Preschool Program
74 Wintun Ct.
ZIP: 94559
Primary
New Technology High
920 Yount St.
ZIP: 94559
High
Total Enrollment 401
Phillips Elementary
1210 Shetler Ave.
ZIP: 94559
Primary
Total Enrollment 545
Shearer Elementary
1590 Elm St.
ZIP: 94559
Primary
Total Enrollment 543

Napa Private Schools

Aldea School
4002 Jefferson St
ZIP: 94558
Secondary
Total Enrollment 9
First Christian School
2659 1st St
ZIP: 94558
Elementary
Total Enrollment 113
Grace Academy Of Napa Valley
3765 Solano Ave
ZIP: 94558
Elementary
Total Enrollment 24
Kolbe Academy & Trinity Prep
2055 Redwood Rd
ZIP: 94558
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 93
St Apollinaris School
3700 Lassen St
ZIP: 94558
Elementary
Total Enrollment 266
St John's Lutheran School
3521 Linda Vista Ave
ZIP: 94558
Elementary
Total Enrollment 223
Sunrise Montessori Of Napa Valley
1226 Salvador Ave
ZIP: 94558
Elementary
Total Enrollment 69
Blue Oak School
1436 Polk St
ZIP: 94559
Elementary
Total Enrollment 167
Hopper Creek Montessori
2141 Second St
ZIP: 94559
Elementary
Total Enrollment 4
Napa Christian Campus Of Education
2201 Pine St
ZIP: 94559
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 136
St John The Baptist Catholic School
983 Napa St
ZIP: 94559
Elementary
Total Enrollment 218
The Oxbow School
530 3rd St
ZIP: 94559
Secondary
Total Enrollment 71
Sources :
Additional Details
Napa Careers
Napa career and employment information.
Napa Colleges
Napa colleges and trade schools.
Our Partner Listings
Additional Resources
Info for Napa Government Officials


Are you an official in the Napa government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.