Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California. The population was estimated by the Census Bureau to be 153,386 residents as of July 1, 2003.

Contents

1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Luther Burbank 4 Robert Ripley 5 Charles M. Schulz 6 Wine Country 7 Tourism 8 Performing and Visual Arts 9 The Film Industry 10 External links

Geography

Santa Rosa is located at 38°26'55" North, 122°42'17" West (38.448611, -122.704646).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 104.6 km² (40.4 mi²). 103.9 km² (40.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.62% water.

Demographics

The population of Santa Rosa was estimated by the Census Bureau to be 153,386 residents as of July 1, 2003. That was an increase of 0.5 percent from a year earlier and an increase of 3.7 percent from the 2000 Census. That is a rate of increase that, if continued, would double the population in 59 years.

According to the 2000 Census, Santa Rosa's population was 147,595 residents, a 30.3 percent increase from the 113,313 residents in 1990. During the previous decade, the population increased by 37.1 percent from 82,658 residents in 1980.

Per the 2000 Census, the population density is 1,420.1/km² (3,678.3/mi²). There are 57,578 housing units at an average density of 554.0/km² (1,434.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 77.60% White, 2.15% African American, 1.42% Native American, 3.84% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 10.28% from other races, and 4.44% from two or more races. 19.19% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 56,036 households out of which 30.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% are married couples living together, 11.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% are non-families. 27.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.14.

In the city the population is spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $50,931, and the median income for a family is $59,659. Males have a median income of $40,420 versus $30,597 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,495. 8.5% of the population and 5.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.5% of those under the age of 18 and 4.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Luther Burbank

Santa Rosa is famous as the home of the horticulturalist, Luther Burbank, who said of Sonoma County, "I firmly believe, from what I have seen, that this is the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned." Burbank lived in Santa Rosa for more than 50 years in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, working to develop new strains of plants and towards improving the world's food supply. During that time, he introduced more than 200 varieties of fruits, vegetables, grains, and ornamental flowers, most notably the Burbank Russet Potato, the Shasta Daisy, and the Santa Rosa Plum. The Luther Burbank Home and Gardens in downtown Santa Rosa has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Robert Ripley

Santa Rosa is the birthplace of Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley's Believe It or Not!. The "Church of the One Tree", a church built entirely from the wood of a single redwood tree, and popularized by Ripley, stands on the north side of Juilliard Park in downtown Santa Rosa, across from the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens.

Charles M. Schulz

For 50 years, Santa Rosa and Sonoma County was home to Charles M. Schulz the world-famous cartoonist and creator of the beloved comic strip Peanuts. The Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa celebrates his life's work and the art of cartooning. A bronze statue of Charlie Brown and Snoopy stands in Depot Park at the northwest corner of 4th and Wilson Streets in downtown Santa Rosa's Railroad Square District. In 2000, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors rechristened the "Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport" in his honor. The airport's amusing logo features Snoopy with goggles and scarf, taking to the skies on top of his red doghouse.

Wine Country

Santa Rosa is located in the heart of California's famed Wine Country. Hundreds of premium world-renowned wineries and vineyards are located in Sonoma County, including:

A. Rafanelli, Adler Fels, Albini, Alderbrook, Alexander Valley, Amphora, Archipel, Arrowood

B.R. Cohn, Balletto, Barefoot, Battaglini, Benziger, Blackstone, Braren Pauli, Buena Vista

Camellia, Chalk Hill, Chandelle Of Sonoma, Charles Creek, Chateau Felice, Chateau Souverain, Chateau St. Jean, Christopher Creek, Clos Du Bois, Collier Falls, Coturri

Davis Bynum, Davis, De Loach, Deerfield Ranch, de Lorimier, Domaine Danica, Domaine St. George, Dutton-Goldfield

F. Teldeschi, Fieldstone, Flowers, Forchini, Frei Brothers, Frick, Fritz

Gallo of Sonoma, Gan Eden, Gary Farrell, Geyser Peak, Gloria Ferrer, Gold Ridge

Hanna, Hartford, Haywood, Holdredge, Hook and Ladder, Hop Kiln, Huntington

Icaria Creek, Imagery, Inman, Iron Horse

J Wines, Jordan, Joseph Swan

Keller, Kendall-Jackson, Kenwood, Korbel

La Crema, Lake Sonoma, Lambert Bridge, Lancaster, Landmark, Laurel Glen, Laurier, Lost Canyon, Lynmar

MacMurray Ranch, Mark West, Martinelli, Martin Ray, Matanzas Creek, Mazzocco, McCray Ridge, Meeker, Medlock Ames, Merriam, Michel-Schlumberger, Mill Creek, Mojon's Bench, Moon Mountain, Murphy-Goode

Nelson

Papapietro-Perry, Paradise Ridge, Pedroncelli, Pelligrini, Peter Michael, Peters, Peterson, Petroni, Pezzi King, Porter Creek, Preston, Pride Mountain

Quivira

Rancho Zabaco, Ravenswood, Raymond Burr, Rezonja, Robert Rue, Robert Stemmler, Robert Young, Robledo, Rodney Strong, Rosenblum, Russian Hill, Rutz

Sable Ridge, Sapphire Hill, Schug Carneros, Sebastiani, Sebastopol/Dutton Estate, Seghesio, Siduri, Silver Oak, Silver Pines, Simi, Sonoma Creek, Sonoma-Cutrer, Stonestreet, Stryker Sonoma, Stuhlmuller, Suncé

Tandem, Tara Bella, Toasted Head, Topolos, Trecini, Trellis, Trentadue

Valley of the Moon, Vision, VJB

Wattle Creek, White Oak, Wilson

Yoakim Bridge

Tourism

One hour north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, Santa Rosa and Sonoma County is a popular tourist destination. In addition to wineries and vineyards, Sonoma County's varied landscape includes the popular Russian River Resort Area, the dramatic Sonoma Coast along the Pacific Ocean, and the magnificent redwood trees of Northern California, particularly at Armstrong Woods State Park. Downtown Santa Rosa is a vital shopping, restaurant and theatre district. Also popular with tourists are the adjacent towns of Sonoma, Petaluma, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Guerneville and Bodega Bay.

Performing and Visual Arts

Santa Rosa has a vibrant arts scene and is home to many influential visual and performing artists. Local facilities include the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Sonoma County Museum and numerous art galleries. The annual "Art Trails" event showcases local visual artists around the county, who open their private studios for two weekends in the fall.

The performing arts are well represented with the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Luther Burbank Center for the Performing Arts, the Summer Repertory Theatre, and the 6th Street Playhouse (est. 2005), home of the Santa Rosa Players and the Actors Theatre.

In addition, environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude chose Sonoma County for the construction of their famous 24-mile-long "Running Fence" (1976).

The Film Industry

Santa Rosa and Sonoma County has served as a backdrop for many major films, including (courtesy of oldmovies.com):

Salomy Jane (1914) Only surviving feature of Marin's Beatriz Michelina films, it had long been thought Salomy Jane was lost like all the other CMPC films in a vault fire in San Rafael. A print was found a few years ago in Australia and was preserved by Library of Congress and shown two years ago at the Hollywood Cinecon. While there are one or two shots taken along the Russian River near Monte Rio in Sonoma, it was mostly filmed in Marin, with the background to almost every scene the unmistakable Mount Tamalpais. 5-6 reels, silent, directed by Lucius Henderson and/or William Nigh, based on Bret Harte's short story, "Salomy Jane's Kiss," and his novel, Salomy Jane,and the play by Paul Armstrong. The film was re-made by director George Melford in 1923 (another lost silent?) and by director Raoul Walsh as a sound film, The Wild Girl, in 1931, with Joan Bennett, Charles Farrell, Ralph Bellamy and Eugene Pallette.

Bronco Billy Anderson (1915) Though Anderson made over 400 short westerns out of Essanay's Niles studios, including use of a special rail car to process and edit films as they were made and released weekly, just one of the films has been identified as have been made in Sonoma County.

Braveheart (1925) Presented by C.B. DeMille, directed by Alan Hale, with Rod La Rocque, Jean Acker, Lillian Rich, Tyrone Power, Jr., Robert Edeson and Sally Rand! Story about Indians, with many shots taken along the Russian River. Seven reels, film survives, released by Grapevine Video.

Holiday Inn (1942) Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Directed by Mark Sandrich, with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale. One of Hollywood's most endearing musicals, "Holiday Inn" introduced many popular Berlin tunes, including the immortal "White Christmas". Exterior shots of the Village Inn Lodge in Monte Rio on the Russian River, dressed with tons of fake snow, was the "Holiday Inn" lodge setting.

The Happy Land (1943) Directed by Irving Pichel, with Don Ameche, Frances Dee, Harry Carey, Ann Rutherford, Harry Morgan, Dickie Moore, Natalie Wood (film debut). Shot in Santa Rosa and Healdsburg.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright, Macdonald Carey, Henry Travers, Hume Cronyn. Hitch's favorite of all his films, according to his daughter Pat in a year 2000 interview. Filmed at Santa Rosa Railroad Depot, NWP Engine #140, old Courthouse Square, Public Library, and McDonald Avenue. Re-made in 1958 as Step Down to Terror. Made into a TV-movie in 1991 (eight weeks filming on McDonald Avenue).

The Sullivans (1944) Dir. by Lloyd Bacon, with Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle, Ward Bond, Bobby Driscoll. 111 mins., 20th Century Fox, Heartbreaking story based on real life of five brothers who served together and died together on a WW2 warship --this led to changes in war assignments to minimize the chance of ever happening again. Shot on Morgan Street, Santa Rosa.

The Farmer's Daughter (1947) Dir. by H.C. Potter, with Loretta Young, who won Academy Award for Best Actress for this role; Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore, Charles Bickford, Rose Hobart, Harry Davenport; 97 mins., RKO-Selznick. Screenplay and start of filming the picture was called "Katie for Congress." Shot at Penngrove and Cotati. (Later a TV Series).

All My Sons (1948) Dir, by Irving Reis, with Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster, Mady Christians, Louise Horton, Howard Duff, Arlene Francis. Universal Picture, 94 mins. Shot McDonald Avenue, Santa Rosa.

Thieves' Highway (1949) Dir. by Jules Dassin, with Richard Conte, Valentina Cortese, Lee J. Cobb, Barbara Lawrence, Millard Mitchell, Jack Oakie. 94 mins., 20th Century Fox. Shot on Gold Ridge Road, Sebastopol.

Many Rivers to Cross (1955) Dir. by Roy Rowland, with Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, Victor McLaglen, James Arness, Josephine Hutchinson, Rosemary De Camp. 92 mins., MGM Metrocolor, CinemaScope. Shot near Cloverdale.

Storm Center (1956) Dir. by Daniel Taradash, with Bette Davis, Brian Keith, Kim Hunter, Paul Kelly. 85 mins., Columbia. At the outset the film's title was to be The Library. The story of small-town witch-hunting and book-burning used the Santa Rosa Library, with Miss Davis spending six weeks on the location: from the Library's collection of clippings on the film, you can see that she spent a lot of time with the women's clubs and, especially, with real librarian Ruth Hall, and that she made a strong impression on them. Shot mostly at Santa Rosa's Main Library. Before release the title was changed to Storm Center.

Pollyanna (1960) Dir. by David Swift, with Jane Wyman, Hayley Mills (who earned a special Oscar for outstanding juvenile performance), Richard Egan, Donald Crisp, Karl Malden, Nancy Olson, Adolphe Menjou, Agnes Moorehead. Color, 134 mins., Disney-Buena Vista. Previously filmed in 1920 with Mary Pickford; re-made again as a TV-movie, Polly, in 1989. The 1960 film was shot at Mableton Mansion, McDonald Ave., Santa Rosa.

The Birds (1963) Dir. by Alfred Hitchcock, with Tippi Hedron, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright, Charles McGraw. 120 mins., Technicolor, Universal. Except for a short sequence at the beginning filmed in San Francisco involving purchase of the love birds and Hitch's brief on-screen appearance being led by a "brace" of black Scotties, the film was shot entirely around the two towns of Bodega (a small inland village) and Bodega Bay (a larger village on the bay). Special sites used for shooting included Potter School, the Bay, the two towns which were made to appear as one, and the home and barn across the bay from the town of Bodega Bay.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) Dir. by Stanley Kramer, with Spencer Tracy, Jonathan Winters, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Jimmy Durante, Terri-Thomas. Recently restored to its original length, 175 mins., this was the first single projector Cinerama film; Ultra-Panavision 70. The sequence involving the plane and the control tower was shot at Sonoma County Airport.

The Third Day (1965) Dir. by John Smight, with George Peppard, Elizabeth Ashley, Roddy McDowall, Arthur O'Connell, Mona Washbourne, Sally Kellerman.

Images (1972-U.S-British) Directed by Robert Altman, with Susannah York, Rene Auberjoinois. Color, 101 mins., Panavision, filmed mostly in Ireland, Rated "R".

The Candidate (1972) Dir. by Michael Ritchie, color, 109 mins. with Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvin Douglas. Screenplay by Jeremy Larner won the Academy Award. Shot in Howarth Park, Santa Rosa.

American Graffiti (1973) Dir. by George Lucas, with Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Suzanne Somers, Candy Clark, Wolfman Jack. 110 mins., color, Universal Picture. So many stars were made by this film that it was given a major reissue in 1978. Sonoma shooting was at Old Adobe Road, Petaluma Blvd., (also San Rafael and Tamalpais High School in Marin).

Steelyard Blues (1973) Dir. by Alan Myerson, with Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Peter Boyle. 93 mins., color, shot in downtown Santa Rosa and Sonoma County Airport.

Smile (1975) Dir. by Michael Ritchie, with Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon, Michael Kidd, Geoffrey Lewis, Annette O'Toole, Melanie Griffith. Color, 113 mins. Shot at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium and many other locales in and around Santa Rosa.

The Pack (1977) Dir. by Robert Clouse, with Joe Don Baker. Color, 99 mins. Story of resort islanders who are terrorized by an abandoned pack of dogs. Shot around Bodega Bay.

Heroes (1977) Dir. by Jeremy Paul Kagan, with Henry Winkler, Sally Field, Harrison Ford. Color, 113 mins.

Mr. Billion (1977) Dir. by Jonathan Kaplan, with Terence Hill, Jackie Gleason, Valerie Perrine, Slim Pickens, Chill Wills. Color, 93 mins.

Magic of Lassie (1978) Dir, by Don Chaffey, with James Stewart, Lassie, Mickey Rooney, Alice Faye, Stephanie Zimbalist, Mike Mazurki. Color, 100 mins. Shot at Hop Kiln Winery, Sonoma.

Little Miss Marker (1980) Dir. by Walter Bernstein, with Walter Matthau, Julie Andrews, Tony Curtis, Bob Newhart, Lee Grant. In color, 103 mins. Music by Henry Mancini. Shot at Sonoma County Fairgrounds. The story by Damon Runyan was previously filmed with Shirley Temple, and re-made as Sorrowful Jones with Bob Hope.

Shoot the Moon (1982) Dir. by Alan Parker, with Albert Finney, Diane Keaton, Karen Allen, Peter Weller. In color, 123 mins. Shot in Glen Allen and Jack London's Wolf House, both in Sonoma County (with additional shooting in Marin Co).

Cujo (1983) Dir. by Lewis Teague, with Dee Wallace-Stone. In color, 91 mins. Locations include Petaluma, Santa Rosa (and Mendocino).

Impulse (1984) Dir. by Graham Baker, with Tim Matheson, Meg Tilly, Hume Cronyn. In color, 91 mins. Farm sequences filmed in Petaluma.

Smooth Talk (1985) Dir. by Joyce Chopra, with Treat Williams, Laura Dern, Mary Kay Place. Locations include Sebastopol, the Gravenstein Highway and Santa Rosa. In color, 92 mins.

The Goonies (1985) Dir. by Richard Donner, with Sean Astin, Martha Plimpton, Josh Brolin. In color, 114 mins., Panavision. Some scenes shot along the Sonoma Coast, Bodega Bay (and Astoria OR, and Cannon Beach OR).

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) Dir. by Francis Ford Coppola, with Kathleen Turner, Nicholas Cage, Maureen O'Sullivan, Jim Carrey. In color, 104 mins. Locations at Santa Rosa High School, Petaluma.

Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) Dir. by Francis Ford Coppola, with Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen, Martin Landau, Frederic Forrest, Dean Stockwell, Lloyd Bridges, Christian Slater. In color, Technovision, 111 mins. Locations: Sonoma, Mount Tamalpais (Marin) and other Bay Area sites: Paramount Theatre, Oakland, San Bruno Malt Shop, S.F., and San Rafael.

The Flatliners (1990) Dir. by Joel Schumacher, with Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon. In color, Panavision, 105 mins. Rated "R". Shot in Cotati, and also Los Angeles, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

Die Hard II (1990) Dir. by Renny Harlin, with Bruce Willis. In color, 124 mins., Panavision. Rated "R". Scenes shot at Santa Rosa Air Center.

Basic Instinct (1992) Dir. by Paul Verhoeven, with Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone and Dorothy Malone. In color, 127 mins., Panavision, rated "R". 3 day shoot in Petaluma and Rohnert Park, with other scenes in Carmel and S.F.

Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) Dir. by Robert Spottiswoode, with Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty, JoBeth Williams. Shot over a four week period at Santa Rosa Air Center (also in L.A. area). In color, 87 mins.

Nowhere to Run (1993) Dir. by Robert Harmon, with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rosanna Aequette. In color, 95 mins. Shot on Coleman Valley Road, Sonoma County, Occidental, with farmhouse and pond scenes.

So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) Dir, by Thomas Sclamme, with Mike Myers, Amanda Plummer, Brenda Fricker, plus cameos and other unbilled star appearances. In color, 93 mins. Scenes shot at Cloverdale Airport (others at Alcatraz and S.F.).

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) Dir, by Joel Coen, with Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, and James Gandolfini. In black & white, 116 mins. The Coens' film noir about a complacent barber.

External links

• City of Santa Rosa Website
• Sonoma County Website
• Sonoma County Tourism Website
• Luther Burbank Home and Gardens Official Site
• 6th Street Playhouse Website
• Santa Rosa Junior College Website