The historic town of Petaluma is one of California’s hidden gems, located just 32 miles north of San Francisco and in the heart of Sonoma County wine country. With its proximity to almost 200 wineries, Point Reyes National Seashore, the Bay Area, and California’s redwoods, Petaluma is a great place to get away from it all.

Petaluma’s historic downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the town is one of the oldest cities in California. It’s a quaint riverfront town populated with Victorian homes and iron front buildings, and about 60,000 year-round residents. Petaluma offers a variety of exciting things to see and do, from shopping to art events to bird watching to nightlife and wine country tours.

Because so much of the city’s turn-of-the-century architecture is intact, having survived the earthquake of 1906, Petaluma is a popular film location and has been featured in at least 20 different films. Titles include Pleasantville, Basic Instinct, Scream, Peggy Sue Got Married, Cujo, and many more.

The two main industries in Sonoma County are tourism and viticulture. The top employers in the Petaluma area include the Petaluma City School District, Petaluma Valley Hospital, United States Postal Service, Petaluma Poultry, Santa Rosa Junior College, and the City of Petaluma. Other major employers in the area are Old Adobe Union School District, Calix, Clover Stornetta Farms, and Safeway. Also, the U.S. Coast Guard operates the Chief Petty Officer Academy just outside Petaluma. The academy trains senior non-commissioned officers for both the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Air Force.

There are numerous shops and stores in the Petaluma area, from antiques to art to the 60 different outlet stores at the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets shopping center. There are also a variety of restaurants offering delicious cuisine for every occasion and budget. Whether you are traveling solo, with a family or you are planning a romantic getaway, you’ll find accommodations to suit your taste including contemporary hotels, bed and breakfast facilities, and camping in Petaluma.