Sonoma County Basics

Tips and advice for a successful Sonoma County trip.

The birthplace of modern California winemaking is located west of Napa Valley and north of San Francisco and Marin County. Covering nearly the size of Rhode Island, Sonoma County contains a few hundred wineries spread across 19 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). The most well-known include Los Carneros (part of which extends into Napa County), as well as the Alexander, Dry Creek, Russian River, and Sonoma valleys. All are worth visiting, but smaller areas such as Fort Ross–Seaview and Moon Mountain also deserve attention.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the stars in the county’s southern and western sections; Syrah also thrives here. As you move farther north and east, where the summer days grow warmer, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Italian varietals such as Sangiovese become more prevalent. Sauvignon Blanc stands out among the white-wine grapes.

Vineyard Hikes, Coastal Diversions

In between tastings, you can hike amid vineyards or redwoods, check out the rocky coastline, or canoe or kayak the Russian River. Enjoying a spa treatment is another option, as is dining on meals from locally grown, caught, or made meats, fish, produce, and cheeses. Below are a few key towns and regions where you can experience all these and more.

Healdsburg

A century ago, Sonoma County’s hippest town proclaimed itself “The Buckle of the Prune Belt,” but grapes have long since replaced prunes as Healdsburg’s agricultural star. About 100 wineries bear a Healdsburg address—downtown alone has more than two dozen tasting rooms. Fancy shops, restaurants, and hotels abound. Because Healdsburg straddles the relatively cooler Russian River and warmer Dry Creek and Alexander valleys, your options include Sonoma County’s full range of varietals. But if you want to narrow your focus to, say, quality Pinot Noir, that’s possible, too.

Santa Rosa

With a population of more than 185,000, Santa Rosa—the county seat—is by far Sonoma County’s largest city. Well-known Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates is a significant presence here, as is La Crema (the two share the same parent company). Smaller labels include Martinelli (technically in the town of Windsor) and the Zin maven Carol Shelton. Some of the county’s most reasonably priced accommodations are also in Santa Rosa.

Geyserville

A mellow town a few miles north of Healdsburg, Geyserville has a small downtown where Highway 128 turns east into the Alexander Valley. Cab and Zin country, this is a great place to decompress from the hubbub of Healdsburg. Drop by Locals Tasting Room to find out what’s up.

Sonoma Valley

California winemaking began in 1857 in the town of Sonoma within Sonoma Valley. Less than 2 miles from historic Sonoma Plaza, Agoston Haraszthy (also known as “the Count”), a Hungarian immigrant and entrepreneur, founded the Buena Vista winery. Sonoma, the site of the northernmost of the 21 California missions established by Franciscan friars in the 18th and 19th centuries, makes for an excellent day trip from San Francisco.

If Pinot Noir is your passion, you could spend a day in Sonoma tasting wines made entirely from that grape. Chardonnay is also a staple. Wineries further north in the small towns of Glen Ellen and Kenwood produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well. Due to the warmer temperatures in these towns, Zinfandel, some of which grows on vines over 100 years old, also does well, along with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other grapes.

West County and the Sonoma Coast

The Russian River winds west from Healdsburg past or near the towns of Sebastopol, Forestville, Guerneville, Freestone, and Occidental. All have wineries, restaurants, and lodgings worth checking out. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir predominate in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations, with soil and climate accounting for the distinct variations.

You could easily devote a day to Sebastopol, sampling Iron Horse sparkling wines or Pinot Noirs at nearby Lynmar Estate. At The Barlow, a former apple cannery transformed into a “maker” complex, you can sample food, beer, cider, wine, and spirits from local producers. The farther west you go in Sonoma County, the cooler it gets, especially nights and mornings.

On a hot summer day, hiking amid the tall trees of Armstrong Woods State Natural Reserve recalibrates the internal thermostat. Still farther west, high above the Pacific near Fort Ross, an old Russian outpost, vineyards produce austere Pinot Noirs (compared to the Russian River Valley’s). These wines recall Europe’s best but with a California spin.

How to Get Here and Get Around

By Air

Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport (STS), about 2 miles west of U.S. 101 and 8 miles northwest of downtown Santa Rosa, is served by Alaska, Southwest, and a few other airlines. Some flights are seasonal. Among the reasons to consider flying here: arriving and renting a car is a breeze, as is going through security on the way home. On Alaska and Southwest, you can check up to a case of wine for free.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO), served by many carriers, is about 66 miles south of Santa Rosa and 82 miles south of Healdsburg off U.S. 101; the airport is 58 miles south of the town of Sonoma (reached by heading east on Highway 37 and north on Highway 121 to Highway 12 also north. In normal traffic, including on surface streets in San Francisco, it takes 90 minutes to drive from the airport to Santa Rosa, 100 minutes to Healdsburg, and 75 or 80 minutes to Sonoma.

Oakland International Airport (OAK), served by many carriers, is about 58 miles southeast of the middle of the town of Sonoma via interstate highways 880 and 580, the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, U.S. 101, and state highways 37, 121, and 12. To get to Santa Rosa, which is 67 miles from the airport, and Healdsburg, which is 83 miles north, stay on U.S. 101. The drive to Sonoma takes about 80 minutes, Santa Rosa about 90 minutes, and Healdsburg about 100 minutes.

Airport Transfers

Ride-sharing: Uber and Lyft operate out of STS, SFO, and OAK.

Private limos: Pure Luxury Transportation provides car and SUV service from SFO and OAK. Pacific Limousine and Sonoma Sterling Limousines provide similar service from those airports and STS.

Shuttle bus: Groome Transportation will get you from SFO or OAK to one of four stops in Sonoma County, all located just off or near U.S. 101. The driver will call ahead for a cab if you’d like, or you can call Uber or Lyft. The cost for one or two people is less than what you’d pay for ride-sharing or a private limo.

Public transit: Although possible, taking public transit isn’t a practical way to get from SFO or OAK to Sonoma, especially with luggage. You can take a public bus or commuter train (see SMART, below) from STS to Santa Rosa and a few nearby towns, though few travelers opt to do so.

By Car

U.S. 101 is the main route into Sonoma County from the north (Mendocino County) and south (Marin County and San Francisco). In regular traffic, Sonoma County’s southern border is a drive of less than half an hour from the Golden Gate Bridge.

U.S. 101 passes through Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, and Geyserville. Highway 12 passes through most of the Sonoma Valley, from the town of Sonoma in the south to Kenwood in the north before continuing west into Santa Rosa. From Santa Rosa, Highway 12 heads west into Sebastopol, where, heading west from Main Street, the road’s name changes to Bodega Avenue and eventually the Bodega Highway, edging Freestone on its way to the coast and the town of Bodega Bay. You can also get to Sebastopol by taking Highway 116 west from U.S. 101.

Take River Road west from U.S. 101 to get to Forestville, Guerneville, and other West County towns. River Road dead-ends on the coast into Highway 1, which you can take north to Fort Ross or south to Bodega Bay.

Ride-sharing: Uber and Lyft operate in much of the county, including Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, and Sonoma. The farther west you go, the less chance you’ll find service from either company.

By Bus and Train

Sonoma County Transit buses serve the entire county. There’s a trip planner on the company’s website. The primary public transportation hub is the Santa Rosa Transit Mall, in downtown Santa Rosa at 2nd and B streets. In addition to Sonoma County Transit and Santa Rosa city buses, ones from Marin and Mendocino counties also stop here.

SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) commuter trains serve the historic train depot at 4th and Wilson streets, four blocks west of the transit mall. The trains stop in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Windsor, and a few other Sonoma County cities.  An extension to Healdsburg is in the works, though it likely won’t open until the end of the decade.

Tip: If you’re in San Francisco but without a car and want to sip Sonoma County wines, you can take Golden Gate Transit Bus 172 from downtown to the Santa Rosa Transit Mall. More pleasant is to take the ferry to Larkspur in Marin County, board a SMART train, and head north. From the Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and Windsor train stops, it’s a short walk or ride-share to tasting spaces. From Windsor, a bus or ride-share will get you to downtown Healdsburg, where many tasting rooms, hotels, and restaurants are within walking distance. 

This story first appeared online in 2017; it was fact-checked and updated in 2025.