Solano County, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Solano County
County

Images, from top down, left to right: The Solano County Government Center in
Downtown Fairfield, Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, Suisun City Marina, Military C-5 Aircraft
takes off from Travis Air Force Base, Vacaville Hills

Seal

Location in the state of California

California's location in the United States

Country
State
Region
Incorporated
County seat
Largest city

United States
California
San Francisco Bay Area
February 18, 1850[1]
Fairfield
Vallejo (population)
Fairfield (area)

Area
Total
906 sq mi (2,350 km2)
Land
822 sq mi (2,130 km2)
Water
84 sq mi (220 km2)
Highest elevation[2]
2,822 ft (860 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)[3]
Total
413,344
Estimate (2014)[3]
431,131
Density
460/sq mi (180/km2)
Time zone
Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8)
Summer (DST)
Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Area code
707
FIPS code
06-095
GNIS feature ID
277312
Website
www.solanocounty.com
Solano County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the
population was 413,344.[4] The county seat is Fairfield,[5] and the largest city is Vallejo.
Solano County comprises the Vallejo-Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is
also included in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area.
[6]Solano County is the northeastern county in the nine-county San Francisco Bay
Area region.
A portion of the South Campus at the University of California, Davis is in Solano County.

Contents
[hide]

1History
2Region
3Geography
3.1Fauna
3.2Adjacent counties
3.3National protected area
4Transportation
4.1Major highways
4.2Public transportation
4.3Airports
5Crime
5.1Cities by population and crime rates
6Demographics
6.12011
6.1.1Places by population, race, and income
6.22010
6.32000
7Government and politics
7.1Government
7.2Politics
7.2.1Voter registration statistics
7.2.1.1Cities by population and voter registration
7.2.2Overview
8Communities
8.1Cities
8.2Unincorporated communities

 9Trivia
10See also
11Notes
12References
13External links

History[edit]
Solano County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of
statehood.
At the request of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the county derives its name directly
from an Indian Chief, Chief Solano of the Suisun people, a Native American tribe of the region
and Vallejo's close ally. Chief Solano at one time led the tribes between the Petaluma
River and the Sacramento River. The chief was also called Sem-Yeto, which signifies "brave
or fierce hand." The Chief was given the Spanish name Francisco Solano during baptism at
the Catholic Mission, and is named after the Spanish Franciscan missionary, FatherFrancisco
Solano. "Solano" is a common surname in the north of Spain, especially in Navarra, Zaragoza
and La Rioja.
Travis Air Force Base is located just east of Fairfield.

Region[edit]
Solano County is the easternmost county of the North Bay.[6] As such, it is sometimes
reported by news agencies as being in the East Bay.[7][8][9] Additionally, a portion of the county
extends into the Sacramento Valley, geographically.

Geography[edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 906 square miles
(2,350 km2), of which 822 square miles (2,130 km2) is land and 84 square miles (220 km2)
(9.3%) is water.[10]
Solano County has several inactive cinnabar mines including the Hastings Mine and St.
John's Mine,[11] both of which are subject to ongoing environmental monitoring; these mines
were worked in the first half of the twentieth century.

Fauna[edit]
Solano County has a number of rare and endangered species including the beetle Elaphrus
viridis, the wildflower Lasthenia conjugens, commonly known as Contra Costa goldfields and
the annual plant Legenere limosa or False Venus' looking glass.

Adjacent counties[edit]
Contra Costa County, California - south
Sonoma County, California - west
Napa County, California - west
Yolo County, California - north
Sacramento County, California - east

National protected area[edit]

San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge (part)