About Yolo County

General Description

Yolo County spans both the Sacramento Valley and the Coastal Range . The eastern two-thirds of the county contain nearly level alluvial fans and flat plains, while the western third of the county consists of the rolling terraces and steep uplands of California 's Coastal Range . The Blue Ridge comprises the western county boundary at approximately 3,000 feet above sea level, while the Sacramento River defines the eastern boundary, just slightly above sea level.

The county contains four incorporated cities, which are Davis , West Sacramento , Woodland and Winters. The unincorporated county contains several additional communities, including Brooks, Capay, Clarksburg , Dunnigan, Esparto, Guinda, Knights Landing, Madison , Monument Hills, Rumsey, Yolo and Zamora . All of these unincorporated communities are under the jurisdiction of Yolo County , and are considered in this General Plan. The remaining land in the county is primarily used for agriculture and open space, and the county is sparsely populated and rural in nature. In 2006 the county's 661,760 acres were home to just over 150,000 people, with 85 percent of that population living in the four incorporated cities.

Lying directly in between the rapidly growing regions of Sacramento and the Bay Area, Yolo County has experienced and will continue to experience tremendous pressures to provide additional residential, commercial and industrial development. The access provided by the Sacramento International Airport , Interstates 5 and 80, the railroad and the Sacramento Deep Water Channel have exacerbated growth pressures in the county.

Since the county's economy is primarily based on agriculture, new development in the county generally involves the loss of agricultural land. Yolo County has led the State in agricultural preservation practices for the last several decades, primarily by directing growth into the incorporated cities where services are available and where development can occur more efficiently. This effort has succeeded in preserving prime agricultural land in the county, but unfortunately has led to a diminishing economic base for the County. The county's property tax capture rate is the second lowest in the State and sales tax capture is among the lowest in the State. Therefore, this General Plan seeks to preserve agriculture while also allowing for measured appropriate development that will meet regional needs and improve the county's fiscal status.

History of Yolo County

Yolo County was one of the original 27 counties created when California became a state in 1850. "Yolo" is derived from the native Poewin Indian word "yo-loy" meaning "abounding in the rushes." Other historians believe it to be the name of the Indian chief, Yodo, or the Indian village of Yodoi .

 

The first recorded contact with Westerners occurred in the late 1820s. These included Spanish missionaries as well as trappers and hunters who could be found along the banks of "Cache Creek" - named by French-Canadian trappers. The first white settler was William Gordon who received a land grant from the Mexican government in 1842 and began planting wheat and other crops.

The towns of Yolo County were out-growths of native villages along waterways. Its first town, Fremont, was founded in 1849 along the confluence of the Sacramento and Feather Rivers and became the first county seat. Knights Landing, Washington , Cacheville (later called Yolo), Clarksburg , Winters. Esparto, Capay, Guinda and Davisville (Davis) were all built near waterways. Davisville had the added advantage of being on the path of the newly constructed railroad. Woodland , which became the county seat in 1862, began in a wooded area of valley oaks and was also served by a nearby railroad.

In 1906, to further emphasize agriculture's role in Yolo County , the University of California chose a 780-acre farm belonging to Jerome Davis for establishment of a university farm to serve as part of the College of Agriculture . The Davis farm has since become a separate campus of the University and has received world-wide fame for its research and education work.

In 1987, West Sacramento became Yolo County 's fourth incorporated city. It is home to the Port of Sacramento and the Sacramento Deep Water Channel, providing worldwide access to Yolo County 's agricultural and manufacturing production.

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