Healdsburg is a city located in

Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...

, in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

's Wine Country. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,254. Owing to its three most important wine-producing regions (the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley AVAs), Healdsburg has been continuously awarded one of the top 10 small towns in America and is home to three of the top wineries in the United States. Healdsburg is centered on a 19th-century plaza that provides an important focal point for tourists and locals.

History

Early inhabitants of the local area included the

Pomo people The Pomo are an Indigenous people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point. One small gr ...

, who constructed

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

s in open areas along the Russian River. Anglo-American and Russian settlement may have commenced in the mid-19th century, with a settlement nearby, established downstream along the Russian River near Graton, in 1836, and later the

Rancho Sotoyome Rancho Sotoyome was a Mexican land grant given to Henry D. Fitch. Sotoyome or "Satiyomes" was the name of a Wappo tribe. The grant, in present-day Sonoma County, California, extended along the Russian River encompassing the Alexander Valley and p ...

land grant, in 1844. In 1857, Harmon Heald, an Ohio businessman who had been squatting on

since 1850, purchased part of the rancho—giving the city its official founding date. In 1867, Heald's eponymous small town was incorporated. Healdsburg is located within the former

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

of Mendocino. The San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad reached Healdsburg in 1872. The Healdsburg Carnegie Library, now the Healdsburg Museum, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, as is the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge. The City Council of Healdsburg has identified 13 important Historic Structures and Districts.

Farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

, especially

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

s and truck farms, was common within the present city limits from at least the 1890s to 1940s.

Geography

The city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The total area is 0.15% water. It lies on the Russian River, near a point used as a crossing of the river since the 1850s that is now the site of the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge. Foss Creek traverses the city from north to south, flowing into Dry Creek near the U.S. 101 Central Healdsburg interchange.

Climate

Healdsburg has cool, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers. In January, the average high temperature is and the average low is . In July, the average high temperature is and the average low is . There are an average of 54.6 days with highs of or higher and an average of 20.1 days with lows of or lower. The record high temperature was on September 6, 2022, and the record low temperature was on December 22, 1990. Annual precipitation averages . There are an average of 73 days annually with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with and the driest year was 1976 with . The most precipitation in one month was in January 1995. The most precipitation in 24 hours was on December 3, 1980. Snow is relatively rare, with none in most years. The highest yearly snowfall totaled in 1976.

Environment

An intrinsic element of the city's natural environment is the

riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks a ...

associated with the Russian River that flows through Healdsburg. The city owns two

open space reserve An open space reserve (also called open space preserve, open space reservation, and green space) is an area of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside. The purpose of an open space reserve may include ...

s stewarded by LandPaths. The Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve has of

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

oak woodland An oak woodland is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak woodlands are intermediate between oak savanna, which is more open, and oak forest, which is more closed. Although the ...

s, chaparral, and

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

s, while the Fitch Mountain Open Space Preserve has . City residents support recycling by use of the Healdsburg Transfer Station. The city has shown an interest in creating a quiet environment by creating a Noise Element of the General Plan, which defines baseline sound level contours and sets forth standards of quiet for each land use category.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Healdsburg had a population of 11,254. The population density was . The racial makeup of Healdsburg was 8,334 (74.1%) White, 56 (0.5%) African American, 205 (1.8%) Native American, 125 (1.1%) Asian, 18 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 2,133 (19.0%) from other races, and 383 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,820 persons (33.9%). The census reported that 99.5% of the population lived in households and 0.5% were institutionalized. There were 4,378 households, 1,335 (30.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,140 (48.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 465 (10.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 222 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 259 (5.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 54 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. Of the households, 1,205 (27.5%) were one person and 542 (12.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56. There were 2,827 families (64.6% of households); the average family size was 3.12. The age distribution was 2,546 people (22.6%) under the age of 18, 925 people (8.2%) aged 18 to 24, 2,750 people (24.4%) aged 25 to 44, 3,349 people (29.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,684 people (15.0%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males. There were 4,794 housing units at an average density of , of which 57.6% were owner-occupied and 42.4% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. Of the population, 53.2% lived in owner-occupied housing units and 46.3% lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the 2000 census, there were 10,722 people in 3,968 households, including 2,702 families, in the city. The population density was 2,848/sq mi (1,101/km). There were 4,138 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 79.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 13.4% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Of the population, 28.8% were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

of any race. There were 3,968 households, 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 25.9% of households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.23. The age distribution was 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males. The median household income was $48,995 and the median family income was $55,386. Males had a median income of $38,977 versus $32,015 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,245. 9.4% of the population and 6.6% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

. Out of the total population, 10.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government

State and federal

In the California State Legislature, Healdsburg is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Healdsburg is in . According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Healdsburg has 6,913 registered voters. Of those, 3,624 (52.4%) are registered Democrats, 1,262 (18.3%) are registered Republicans, and 1,680 (24.3%) have

declined to state Decline to State (DTS) was an affiliation designation on the California voter registration form that allows voters to register to vote without choosing a party affiliation. It is similar to what in other states would be called declaring oneself as ...

a political party.

Transportation

Amtrak Thruway Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transi ...

and

Sonoma County Transit Sonoma County Transit is a public transportation system based in Sonoma County, California. Cities and communities served As the primary bus system in the county, Sonoma County Transit (SCT) operates to the following communities, listed by zone: ...

buses serve the Depot.

Healdsburg Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, in California's Wine Country. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,254. Owing to its three most important wine-producing regions (the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valle ...

is a proposed future stop on the Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...

line.

Notable people

* Mary Ellen Bamford: author * Kristen Barnhisel, winemaker *

Helen Beardsley Helen Eileen Beardsley (née Brandmeir, formerly North; April 5, 1930 – April 26, 2000) was the mother of a noted blended family of twenty children — eight by her first marriage to Richard North, ten stepchildren from her second husban ...

: author *

Raymond Burr Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''. Burr's early acting career included roles ...

: actor * Jim Cullom: professional football player * L Peter Deutsch: creator of

Ghostscript Ghostscript is a suite of software based on an interpreter for Adobe Systems' PostScript and Portable Document Format (PDF) page description languages. Its main purposes are the rasterization or rendering of such page description language file ...

* Paul Erdman: business and financial writer * Henry D. Fitch: early resident * Jess Jackson: wine entrepreneur * Roderick N. Matheson: early resident *

Patti McCarty Lois Patricia McCarty (February 11, 1921 - July 7, 1985) was an American actress. Biography Baker was born in Bakersfield, California, and grew up in Healdsburg. She graduated from Covina High School in Covina, California, and she attended Los ...

: actress * Mike McGuire: politician * Heidi Newfield: country singer, formerly of Trick Pony *

Thomas C. Reed Thomas Care Reed (born March 1, 1934) was the 11th Secretary of the Air Force from January 2, 1976 to April 6, 1977 under Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.Laurie, Clayton. Leaders of the National Reconnaissance Office 1961–2001. Office of the Hist ...

: former Secretary of the Air Force * Ariana Richards: actress and painter *

Effie Robinson Effie Robinson (January 7, 1920 – May 23, 2003) was a social worker and public housing director. She was the first African American graduate from the UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare. Biography Effie Robinson was born in Healdsburg, Calif ...

: social worker and public housing director * Ralph Rose: track and field athlete, Olympic gold medalist in 1904-08-12 * Jack Sonni: former guitarist of Dire Straits * John Udell:

diarist A diary is a written or audiovisual record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital. A personal d ...

of the American frontier *

John Carl Warnecke John Carl Warnecke (February 24, 1919 – April 17, 2010)Brown, "John Carl Warnecke Dies at 91, Designed Kennedy Gravesite," ''Washington Post,'' April 23, 2010.Grimes, "John Carl Warnecke, Architect to Kennedy, Dies at 91," ''New York Times,'' Ap ...

: architect * Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman: tennis player, Wimbledon and Olympic champion * Jim Wood: politician

References

External links

*
Healdsburg Visitor's Bureau
* {{authority control 1867 establishments in California California wine Cities in Sonoma County, California Cities in the San Francisco Bay Area Incorporated cities and towns in California Populated places established in 1857 Populated places established in 1867