Yuba City

Forbes Magazine recently named Yuba City the No. 1 “Best Small Place to Live” in California and one of
the top-ten in America.  Yuba City’s rich culture and history, central location, and small-town amenities
make it an ideal place to live.

History & Culture:

Entrepreneurs founded Yuba City in 1849, in the heyday of the California gold rush.  It was part of a parcel
of land known as “New Helvetia” which the Spanish deeded to the pioneer John Sutter.  Yuba City’s
founders hoped it would be a supply station for “Gold Rush 49ers” bound for gold fields in the Sierra
foothills—but that distinction went to its neighbor just to the east, Marysville.  Situated on the west bank of
the Feather River, near its junction with the Yuba River, Yuba City eventually prospered not from gold but
because of its rich surrounding farm lands.  Its population of 150 in 1852 grew quickly and, in 1856, it
became the Sutter County seat.  In 1908, Yuba City was incorporated.

The town also evolved from a confluence of cultures: Spanish, Native-American, and northern European.  
According to some local historians, the word “Yuba” is of Spanish origins—“Uba” meaning grapes, a
reference to the abundant wild grapes that once grew along the Feather River.  Others suggest that the
name derives from the Maidu people who lived in the region.  Like much of California, Yuba City remains a
culturally-diverse locale to this day.  Among its full calendar of annual city events there are such
celebrations as the Bok Kai Parade (Chinese New Year), Cinco de Mayo, the Punjab American Heritage
Festival, the Japanese Obon Festival, and the regionally-popular California Prune Festival (Sutter County
is the “prune capital” of the U.S.).

Location, Location, Location:

Yuba City benefits from its central location in California.  Residents have a commute of 35 miles to
Sacramento and to other major employment centers in Auburn, Rocklin, and Roseville.  State HWY 99
intersects the town and is an easily accessible major north-south route.  In addition, Sacramento
International Airport is about a 33 mile drive. Yuba City also is situated within a two- to three-hour drive of
some of the premier recreational and vacation areas in the country: San Francisco, the Pacific Coast, and
the Napa and Sonoma wine country to the west; the Sierra Nevada mountains, world-class ski resorts,
and Lake Tahoe to the east.

A “Small Town” Feel:

Yuba City has a small town setting that, in recent years, has become more even more appealing with the
rapid expansion and congestion in communities to its south.  It is an ideal place to raise a family with a
population of 45,000 includes 11 neighborhood parks and offers recreational amenities ranging from
fishing in its nearby rivers to boating, hunting, and golfing.  It has developed an economic base that
includes agriculture and large business.  The historic old town area on 2nd Street features unique
“prairie” architecture and old Victorian structures.