Healdsburg, California

Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a population of 11,254. Healdsburg is a small touristic town in northern Sonoma County. Due to its three most important wine-producing regions (the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley AVAs), Healdsburg has been continuously awarded one of the top 10 smallest towns in America.

Healdsburg is centered on a 19th-century plaza that provides an important focal point for tourists and locals.

History

Early inhabitants of the local area included the Pomo people, who constructed villages in open areas along the Russian River.European settlement commenced in the mid-19th century, with the first Anglo-American settlement nearby established downstream along the Russian River near Graton in 1836.

In 1857, Harmon Heald, an Ohio businessman who had been squatting on Rancho Sotoyome since 1850, purchased part of the rancho—giving the city its official founding date. In 1867, Heald’s eponymous small town was incorporated. Healdsburg is located within the former township of Mendocino. The San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad reached Healdsburg in 1872.