VACAVILLE — Known as a progressive family town even in financially challenging times, Vacaville retains its reputation as a friendly, safe place to live.
Always trying to attract business to the city, Vacaville has succeeded in transforming itself into a hub of biotechnology in the recent past and now the city is courting all manner of business, including manufacturing.
Through fiscal challenges in recent years, the city maintained its community services department, which provides numerous programs for citizens to enjoy as well as parks, bike and walking trails and more.
A thriving downtown and large, popular shopping areas, including The Factory Stores and the Nut Tree shopping center make Vacaville a popular shopping destination.
The city was founded in 1851 by pioneer William McDaniel, when he bought part of an 1843 Mexican land grant that was held by Manuel Cabeza Vaca with the promise that McDaniel would name the town Vacaville. The city was incorporated in 1892.
Assisted by geography – the hills west of town that separate Vacaville from Fairfield – the Mediterranean climate with its hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters spurred the creation of large farms and orchards. That turned the town into a major agricultural center by the 1880s with a national reputation for fine fresh fruits, nuts and other produce.
Vacaville’s most famous restaurant, the Nut Tree, was started in the 1920s as a produce stand located under a large oak next to the main road that linked Sacramento with the San Francisco Bay Area. While the Nut Tree closed in 1996, its legacy is continued in the Nut Tree shopping center.
Vacaville has a reputation for taking pride in its community events such as the Christmas Festival of Trees, which raises money for the town’s homeless shelter; Merriment on Main, which packs the downtown every year; and Fiesta Days.
Other events include this summer’s inaugural blues festival and the summer Creekwalk Concert Series that draw music lovers to downtown.
With a population of 92,428, according to the 2010 Census, the city’s median income is $57,667 per household.
The median selling price of a home in Vacaville, as of December 2011, is about $214,000.
Also on the forefront of environmental friendliness, Vacaville earned the nickname “Voltageville” for having one of the nation’s largest concentration of electric vehicles, including numerous publicly accessible charging stations as well as a number of privately and publicly held solar arrays.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is Vacaville’s biggest employer, with both the California State Prison Solano and the California Medical Facility. The town is also a hub of the biotech industry, with companies including Genetech, Alza and Novartis having facilities in town.
For the sizable population of commuters, Vacaville is equidistant from the Sacramento area and the San Francisco Bay Area, connected to both by Interstate 80, which cuts the town in half.
The hills west of town shelter Vacaville, giving it warm summers with average highs in the upper 90s and mild winters with lows that drop into the mid-30s.
Reach Mike Corpos at 427-6979 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mcorposdr.
Vacaville
• City Hall: 650 Merchant St.
• Website: www.cityofvacaville.com
• City Manager: Laura Kuhn, 449-5100, [email protected].
• Mayor: Steve Hardy. Elected in 2010, term expires in 2014. Reach at [email protected].
• Councilman: Mitch Mashburn. Elected in 2010, term expires in 2014 Reach at [email protected].
• Councilman: Curtis Hunt. Appointed in 2007, elected in 2010, term expires in 2014. Reach at [email protected].
• Councilman: Ron Rowlett. Elected in 2012, term expires in 2016. Reach at [email protected].
• Councilwoman: Dilenna Harris. Elected in 2012, term expires in 2016. Reach at [email protected].
