GET TO KNOW VACAVILLE

vacaville’s vibrant ag heritage building history

What’s in a name?

Vacaville was founded in 1851 on land purchased from Manuel Vaca. That’s why it’s called Vacaville. There aren’t that many cows here! (Get the full story of Vacaville’s founding families on page 51.)

The Buck Mansion was built by architect George Sharpe in 1891 with an extravagant price tag of $5,000.

Built to last

Built in 1907, Vacaville’s Old Town Hall has the distinction of being one of the first reinforced concrete structures in the West.

Preserving Nature

California’s most reowned botanist, Willis Jepson was raised in Vacaville. At 25, Jepson and John Muir founded the Sierra Club.

a sweet show of support moving forward

In 1912, 10 lbs of prized Vacaville cherries were auctioned off to support Titanic survivors. The prize? $648. (That’s about $15k today!

Vacaville is the electric car capital of the country! Throughout the nearly 29 square miles of land, you’ll find 45 different electric charging points, making it a great place for electric car owners to live.

FLYING HIGH population

Cruise the backroads in search of agri-venture in Vacaville! Small farms, produce stands, open farm days, and seasonal events make it easy to taste the freshest flavors in town. See everything from olive oil orchards, nurseries, specializing in rare and exotic plants and herbs, and the cutest alpacas you’ll ever meet during your Vacaville agriventure! (Flip to page 42 to explore Vacaville’s farming scene.)

100, 950 median resident age 38

Vacaville is home to ICON aircraft, aviation game-changer and manufacturer of the world’s first light sport aircraft. The ICON A-5 can land on water or land and folds up to be towed behind a vehicle, making sport aviation available to anyone who can pony up the $189,000 sticker price.

1. Visit Morningsun Herb Farm and check out native plants

2. Play a round of disc golf at Lagoon Valley

3. Play giant chess at Nut Tree Plaza

4. Take a trip back in time at the historic Western Railway Museum

5. Recline and enjoy the latest blockbuster at Brendan Theaters

6. Play a game of hide-and-seek on the Great Wonders Playground at Andrews Park

7. Climb to the top of Mount Vaca, the highest point in Solano

8. See a performance at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre

9. Learn about the early settlers of Solano County at the Pena Adobe Open House

10. Get off the grid and take a bike ride down Pleasants Valley Road

11. Visit some of Vacaville’s shyest, cuddliest residents at one of our alpaca farms

12. Make a great escape at Beat The Room