Napa County is located north of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2000 the population was 124,279. The county seat is the city of Napa. Napa County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The word “napa” is of Native American derivation and of the many explanations of the name's origin, the most plausible seems to be that it is derived from the Patwin word “napo” meaning house, although local residents will often cite an urban legend that gives the translation as "you will always return."

Napa County, once the producer of many different crops, is known today for its wine industry, rising in the 1960s to the first rank of wine regions with France, Italy, and Spain. Napa Valley is widely considered one of the top American Viticultural Areas in California, and all of the United States, with a history dating back to the early nineteenth century. Today Napa Valley features more than three hundred wineries and grows many different grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and others. Napa Valley is visited by as many as five million people each year.

George Calvert Yount was an early settler in Napa County and was the first person to plant a vineyard in the county. Following Yount's death in 1865 at age 71, the town of Yountville was named in his honor.

Napa County was formed and became one of the original California counties when the state became part of the United States in 1849.

The county's population began to swell in mid century as pioneers, prospectors and entrepreneurs moved in and set up residence. During this period, settlers primarily raised cattle, farmed grain and fruit crops. Mineral mining also played a role in the economics of the county. While gold was being prospected in other areas of the state in the 1850s, Napa County became a center for silver and quick silver mining.

County Website: http://www.co.napa.ca.us/
School District: http://www.napacoe.org/