Solano

Formed February 18, 1850 (20^th county)

Solano County (453,490), Fairfield (119,872), Vallejo (126,083)

The governmental structure housing Solano County courthouse was constructed in 1911.  The courthouse was renovated in 2013.  E. C. Hemmings and W. A. Jones were the building architects.  A Hall of Justice was added in 1970, a Justice Center in 1988, and an Administration Center in 2003.  There was an 1860 courthouse also in Fairfield.  Benecia was the county seat until 1858.  There is an augmenting courthouse in Vallejo.  As an original county, Solano was formed on February 18, 1850.  It is the 20^th county.  The county was named for the last of the California missions, Mission San Francisco Solano or for a Native American Chief.  The county seat is named for Fairfield, Connecticut.  The courthouse is on West Texas Street at Union Avenue.  California State Highway 12 is four blocks south of the site. 

Solano County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, controller, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Seventeen Superior Court Judges, clerk, and counsel serve Solano County (judicial.)  The county is located west of Sacramento, California and northeast of San Francisco, California in the north central part of the state.  The county center is 1.6 miles Northeast of Fairfield in Suisun City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Yolo, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Sonoma, and Napa counties.  The county is shaped like a boot facing west.  The Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta and the upper San Francisco Bay form the southern and part of the eastern borders.  Fairfield is slightly south of the center of the county.  Vallejo is located in the extreme southwest corner of the county.  Fairfield is the county seat and Vallejo is the largest city.  Fairfield is 26.4% of the county population while Vallejo is 27.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SOE-LA-NOE.  The largest city is pronounced VA-LAE-HOE.  

The area of the county is 828 square miles.  It is 47 out of 58 in the state.  It ranks 19 out of 58 in population in the state.  It has a density of 547.7 persons per square mile making it 12 out of 58 in the state.  Solano County has 95.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 80 crosses northeast to southwest, Yolo County to Contra Costa County.  Other Interstate Loops are also in the county.  This county is in the Vallejo-Fairfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Vallejo