RIO VISTA — Don’t be surprised if in the not-so-distant future you find yourself meeting more and more residents of Rio Vista.
A quiet river town from the very beginning, Rio Vista has grown only gradually over the years. The town topped 1,000 residents as recently as the 1920s, taking nearly four decades to double that tally.
However, between 2000 and 2010, according to U.S. Census figures, the population nearly doubled and, according to California State Department of Finance projections, is poised to nearly triple by 2020 to a healthy 22,000.
The city is busily trying to stay ahead of the pace of growth, working to upgrade and refurbish the town’s infrastructure and modernize the Mayberry-esque downtown. The challenge, of course, is how to accommodate that growth while maintaining the type of small town charm that is attracting so many new residents to begin with.
As the town was once a key, centrally located burg on the Sacramento River, capitalizing on trade between San Francisco and Sacramento, Rio Vista is once again banking on its strategic location to help fuel that growth.
For those who grow weary of the mom-and-pop lifestyle offered up in Rio Vista, so-called civilization, arts, wineries and big-box culture are just 15 to 20 minutes away in either direction on Highway 12, toward Fairfield or Lodi.
For bigger job centers, Stockton and Sacramento are only half an hour away on nearby Interstate 5.
But newcomers to Rio Vista won’t have to look down the road often. The town is home to a number of highly popular events, including the venerable Bass Derby and Festival.
The city offers a variety of shopping downtown, pets to books or knickknacks, manicures and hair salons. There are also several restaurants worth a visit. While browsing downtown on the weekend, drop into the Rio Vista Museum, 16 N. Front St., to learn some Rio Vista and Delta history.
What is ultimately attracting so many people to Rio Vista, however, is the lure of nearby outdoor activities. There’s plenty of availability for running, cycling, golf and other outdoor activities. Water sports, however, remain the king of outdoor adventure in Rio Vista.
In fact, keeping the city true to its roots, the census identifies nearly 6 percent of the city of Rio Vista’s existing area as existing within neighboring waterways.
In that way, Rio Vista’s future will likely match its past, the newcomer and long-established resident, side by side, beverage in hand on a warm but breezy evening, sun setting over the Sacramento River, life floating by slowly. Very, very slowly.
Rio Vista at a glance
- City Hall: One Main St., 374-6451
- Website: www.riovistacity.com
- City Manager: Robert Hickey
- Mayor: Norman Richardson. Elected in 2012, term expires in 2016. Reach at [email protected]
- Vice Mayor: Jim McCracken. Elected in 2012, term expires in 2016. Reach at jmccracken@ ci.rio-vista.ca.us
- Councilwoman: Constance Boulware. Elected in 2010, term expires in 2018. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilman: Ronald Knott. Elected in 2014, term expires in 2018. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilman: David Hampton. Elected in 2012, term expires in 2016. Reach at [email protected]
Not worth living on death highway 12.
I like Rio Vista but never lived there, seems like a cool town. Too bad Caltrans is going to force them into bankruptcy when they start that project in 2017. Good luck folks, you’re going to need it!