A brief history...
The name "Napa" is derived from the Napa Native American Indian tribe who resided in the Valley at the time of Altamira. The explorers found between three and six thousand members of the Napa tribe, and deer, grizzly, elk and mountain lion were all living in the Valley.
In the 1830's, lured by the rich volcanic soil and an ideal growing season, farmers started settling in the Napa Valley. California was granted statehood in 1850, at which time the Napa Valley was in the Territory of California, District of Sonoma. When statehood was granted, Napa became one of the original twenty-seven counties, with the City of Napa as the county seat. The city was incorporated on March 23, 1872. In the early 1850s the famous "49ers" of the California gold rush took refuge in Napa from the bitter winters in the Mother Lode country to the east.
In the late 1850s and the 1860s, Napa flourished, with quicksilver mines throughout the county, particularly on Mt. St. Helena. Boat transportation was available on the Napa River, where steamers could make the trip to San Francisco in about three hours. A stagecoach line and a railroad ran between Vallejo to the south and Calistoga at the northern end of the Valley. The noted author, Robert Louis Stevenson, came to the Valley in 1880. He set up residence on the slopes of Mt. St. Helena, which inspired his famous "Silverado Squatters," published in 1895.
Many of the original farmers established small vineyards with cuttings supplied by the Catholic Missions in Sonoma and San Rafael. While these varieties were not noted wine grapes, they established that the soils and climate of the Napa Valley were especially well suited to viticulture. In 1861, Riesling cuttings were planted. Their success led to Napa County becoming a world famous wine making region, producing a variety of wines that rival the most famous wines of Europe. Virtually all the best known wineries offer tours and tasting daily, with the most popular time for knowledgeable visitors being from late August through early October, the time of the grape harvest and crush.
Today, commercial use of the Napa River has been all but abandoned in favor of more rapid highway transportation; however, pleasure boaters still use the waterway. The railway is now used by the Napa Valley Wine Train, offering leisurely lunch and dinner trips through the length of the Valley. Wheat fields and prune orchards have given way to vineyards, which virtually carpet the Valley floor and some of the hillsides. The climate and easy lifestyle, which drew the Napa Indians and the first white settlers, continues to attract people the Napa Valley.
Location...
Napa County is served by the State Highways 29,121,12, and 128. Connection to Interstate Highway 80 is approximately 12 miles east of the city limits of Napa and Highway 101 is approximately 25 miles west. Approximate driving distances from the city of Napa are as follows:
Central Costa County -- 35 miles
Oakland -- 38 miles
San Francisco -- 49 miles
Sacramento -- 64 miles
Calistoga -- 26 miles
Vallejo -- 16 miles
AMTRAK passenger service is available in Martinez, Oakland, and Davis, with connecting bus service available from Napa. Napa City Bus Service, "The Vine," provides daily bus service throughout the city. The Vine also extends north to Calistoga and south to American Canyon and Vallejo. This bus service to Vallejo provides access to BART LINKS and FERRY SERVICE from Vallejo to San Francisco for commuting.
While Napa Valley has its own airport, it is considered a general aviation airport. Charter flights are available, as is private pilot training for both single and twin-engine aircraft. Commercial airlines are available in Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco airports, which all provide national and international scheduled airline service. Evans Destination Management provides transportation to and from Oakland and San Francisco Airports on a scheduled basis.
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- NUMBER1EXPERT™ 
