Petaluma is located in
Sonoma County just north of
San Francisco between San Rafael and
Santa Rosa along US
Highway 101 on the banks of the
Petaluma River near
San Francisco Bay and the
Pacific Ocean.
The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 50,913, an increase of 7,747 since 1990.
Petaluma is part of the Santa Rosa, California metro area.
Once known as the Chicken Capitol of the World, Petaluma was home to large poultry and egg farms early in the 20th century. The city has outgrown its humble beginnings to become a San Francisco suburb and bedroom community. The Highway 101 corridor between San Francisco and Petaluma has a variety of high-tech businesses that offer well paying jobs to those with the right skills.
There are many rural homes outside of town and in the hills, (The Coast Range), to the west.
The weather most of the year is dry and warm with a short, rainy winter.
