Founded in 1852, Petaluma is one of California's oldest cities with one of the best-preserved Historic Downtown areas on the National Register of Historic Places. Petaluma survived the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake miraculously unscathed and it’s Spanish Colonial, Queen Anne, Victorian, Neo-classical, Gothic-revival, and Italianate architecture are beautifully preserved.

Located just 32 miles north of San Francisco, Petaluma is perfectly situated for exploring Sonoma County's 140 wineries, the dramatic Sonoma Coastline, Point Reyes National Seashore and California's Redwood forests. The Petaluma River is the heart of the city. The Historic Downtown on the river's west bank showcases Petaluma's authentic Victorian charm.

Ironically, it was chickens, not wine that put Petaluma on the map and made its residents wealthy. Once known as the "Egg Capitol of the World," Petaluma was the largest producer of eggs in California for over sixty years. The egg incubator was created here in 1875 and the city was the home of the world's only chicken pharmacy - immortalizing Petaluma in Ripley's Believe or Not (Petaluma was also the site of the world's first airmail run, to Santa Rosa, on February 17, 1911).

Petaluma is home to some of Northern California's most desirable real estate. It is the first U.S. city to be given the right to protect its uniqueness through a residential growth management plan (granted by the U.S. Supreme Court). The chicken farmers began leaving in the 1940's and the city evolved into an upscale residential community. Hollywood directors soon took notice of its beauty - American Graffiti, Basic Instinct, The Horse Whisperer, Phenomenon and Peggy Sue Got Married were all filmed here.
David J. Castello