Santa Rosa serves as the largest city in Sonoma County and the practical gateway to wine country, with about 180,000 people. It is also Charles Schulz's hometown, so the Schulz Museum is a real draw for Peanuts fans. Luther Burbank's home and gardens, Railroad Square and Courthouse Square give the center some character, and Safari West and Annadel State Park are good outings nearby.
Living here feels like a small city with a farm-country edge. Fountain Grove and Bennett Valley are the upscale and rural ends, Roseland is more diverse, and Coffey Park was rebuilt after the 2017 Tubbs Fire. That fire destroyed about 5 percent of the city's homes, and wildfire season, smoke and power shutoffs are part of life every fall. It is expensive, with Bay Area style housing prices, and earthquakes and winter river flooding are also on the list. Car break-ins are common at trailheads and downtown lots, and downtown is best approached with some care after dark.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
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- Known as
- Gateway to Sonoma Wine Country; Peanuts (Charles Schulz) hometown; City Designed for Living; Rose Parade city (Luther Burbank)
- Languages
- English; Spanish (about 37% Hispanic or Latino population); Vietnamese and other Asian languages
- Airports
- Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS), about 10 mi/15 min north of downtown, with limited airline service (check current carriers); San Francisco (SFO) about 60 mi/1.25 hr, Oakland (OAK) about 65 mi, Sacramento (SMF) about 90 mi, San Jose about 90 mi
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-22% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink or 20% of tab; tasting rooms $5-10 per person or 15-20% of tasting fee; taxis/rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; guides and drivers 15-20%; hotel porters $2 per bag
About this data
City population Census July 1 2025 estimate; metro figure is Sonoma County (Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA) July 2025 estimate. Area, elevation from Wikipedia; coordinates are approximate downtown location (Wikipedia gives 38°26'55"N 122°42'17"W, about 38.448, -122.705). Housing Census QuickFacts 2020-2024. Crime from NeighborhoodScout. Hotel prices, cost of living index, rent range, airport carriers, tipping, and neighborhood/avoid notes are approximate, not verified against current sources. Visitor site and events page loaded when checked
