In Napa County. the city of Napa is the county seat. Today Napa County boasts hundreds of hillside vineyards, which make the area a significant tourist destination, also supported by resorts, gourmet restaurants, and spas. County population today is about 141,000. Median household income stands at almost $80,000, and median home value is $672,000.

Napa Valley is a 787 square mile area in Northern California just north of San Pablo Bay. Napa is warmer in the summer thanSonoma County, to the west, orSanta Barbara County, a wine-producing county in southern California.

Before Europeans first explored the area in 1823, at least 6 competing tribes of Native Americans inhabited the area. George C. Yount built the first log house in California here in 1836. He also built a sawmill and a grain mill and planted the first vineyard in the area. Other settlers came who developed agricultural uses including fruit orchards and cattle grazing. The Silver Rush of 1858 further increased the population.