About Vallejo

Vallejo Today

Photo by James L.

Vallejo is a Bay Area city that combines a beautiful waterfront with an historic downtown core. Our rapidly growing community includes prime commercial and residential opportunities in four major areas: Downtown Vallejo, Mare Island, Northgate and the Waterfront.

Vallejo is strategically located midway between San Francisco and Sacramento, and the city’s proximity to UC-Berkeley and UC-Davis is a major plus to locating in Vallejo. Vallejo is host to three of its own colleges – Touro University, the California Maritime Academy and two Solano Community College campuses – that provide great opportunities for higher education for our students.

Vallejo is home to an abundance of recreational opportunities. Six Flags Marine World, one of the world’s only combination wildlife, oceanarium and theme parks, continues to add new attractions and shows. The Greater Vallejo Recreation District operates 38 parks and facilities open to the public. Our golfing is second to none, with Hiddenbrooke Golf Club, Mare Island Golf Course and Blue Rock Springs providing three challenging and scenic courses anyone can play. And located at the scenic Vallejo Waterfront, the Vallejo Yacht Club has been a landmark in Vallejo and for the yachtsmen of San Francisco Bay since the turn of the century.

For commuters and travelers, Vallejo is also home to the Vallejo Baylink Ferry, a high-speed catamaran service that is the best way to avoid gridlock and enjoy fast, comfortable and reliable service to and from San Francisco. Interstate Highways 80, 780 and 680, as well as State Highways 29 and 37 provide convenient access for commuters and employees, as well as efficient distribution for commercial freight. Add to that a network of city buses that offer connections to BART and other Bay Area cities, and Vallejo is an easy commute to or from the entire region.

Vallejo was ranked first among mid sized cities in the entire country for entrepreneurs in a study published in October 2003 by Entrepreneur Magazine and Dun & Bradstreet. Vallejo was also ranked ninth in “Top Cities in America for Job Growth”, published by Inc. Magazine in March 2004. With a population of more than 120,000, Vallejo combines a big city’s resourcefulness with a small-town charm, all at a comparatively inexpensive cost when measured against most cities in Northern California. With 20 miles of waterfront, four golf courses within city limits and many public parks, Vallejo is a great place to work and live.

History of Vallejo

General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo

The City of Vallejo was founded as California’s first state capitol in 1850 and named for one of the state’s pre-eminent native sons, a Mexican military officer, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, whose land much of the original city was built upon. The man mostly responsible for the founding of the city is John B. Frisbie who married Vallejo’s daughter. He was responsible for helping to establish the city’s government, supported the thriving wheat-shipping business, and founded the White Sulphur (Blue Rock) Springs Resort.

For one week in 1852, Vallejo was the capitol of California, the first permanent home of California’s state government. One year later, it was again the capitol. This time, it lasted for one month. The legislature left for good in 1853, but the government established a naval shipyard in Vallejo, helping the town overcome the loss of the state government center. The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was established in 1854 as the first United States Navy installation on the Pacific Coast. The yard functioned for almost one hundred and fifty years, finally closing in 1996.

Ships docked at Mare Island

Mare Island underwent vast transformations during its years of operation. In the 1920s, the Navy initiated construction of submarines at Mare Island. During World War II, Mare Island reached peak capacity for shipbuilding, repair and maintenance. Following the War, Mare Island was considered to be the primary station for construction and maintenance of the Navy’s Pacific fleet of submarines. During this time, the base covered 5,200 acres and was responsible for the construction of over 500 naval vessels and overhauling thousands more. As Mare Island grew into the largest ship construction facility in the world, Vallejo flourished as well. In the five war years, Vallejo’s population grew from 26,000 to nearly 100,000. Today, Vallejo is home to more than 120,000 residents.

Vallejo’s multicultural diversity began earlier in Vallejo than in other California cities. Many Filipinos settled in the area in the 1920s after the Spanish-American War and the Filipino Insurrection. The Navy’s presence at Mare Island attracted military and civilian personnel from all over who eventually settled in Vallejo. Their families and descendants remain a rich and vibrant part of the fabric of Vallejo, making the city one of the most culturally diverse in all of Northern California.