Our Community

The City of Sebastopol is a small semi-urban community located in California, on the western edge of the Santa Rosa plain. It is 50 miles north of San Francisco, 8 miles west of Santa Rosa, 10 miles from Bodega Bay, and about 15 miles from the Russian River. The City, incorporated in 1902, currently has a population of about 7,800 people and serves a trade area population in excess of 50,000 people. 

Local Government

Sebastopol has a Council-Manager form of government, with five Council members elected at-large. The City has its own Police, Fire and Public Works departments, as well as other city departments. With a very low crime rate, Sebastopol remains among the safest cities in Northern California.

Schools

Sebastopol's public schools rank among the highest in the area in terms of student achievement, and also enjoy strong community and parent support.

Housing

There are a diversity of housing types in the Sebastopol area, ranging from 100-year old Craftsman bungalows and farmhouses to modern subdivisions, apartments and condominiums. In the countryside surrounding Sebastopol, properties with vineyards, apple orchards, redwoods, streams and other features are not uncommon. Home prices and rental rates tend to be higher than some other areas of Sonoma County.

Agriculture

The City is located in a region that produces the majority of the world supply of Gravenstein apples and more recently has become a significant grape-growing region for high quality wines. Sebastopol is also the gateway to the popular Russian River and coastal recreation areas.

Recent Developments

A new General Plan in 1994 set the stage for limited and carefully controlled growth. In 1996 the voters adopted an Urban Growth Boundary consistent with the General Plan.

In the 1990’s several key new businesses were opened, including a multi-plex theater (reborn from an old apple brandy distillery) and two hotels. Two significant civic improvements also were developed: a Downtown Plaza, along with downtown streetscape improvements, and the Laguna de Santa Rosa Wetlands Preserve. In 2008, the City opened a Skategarden Park, including a state-of-the-art skatepark, and a community garden. In addition, faced with the planned closure of Sebastopol’s Palm Drive hospital, the community successfully banded together in a remarkable grass-roots effort to buy the hospital and keep it in operation.

Future Progress

Although future growth will be modest, Sebastopol is a dynamic community. Local services are excellent, community spirit is high, and improvements continue.