Rio Vista, California

Rio Vista (Spanish: Río Vista, meaning "River View") is a city in the eastern end of Solano County, California, in the Sacramento River Delta region of Northern California.^[7] The population was 10,005 at the 2020 census.^[6]

Rio Vista is a small city in Solano County approximately 50 miles (80 km) south of Sacramento, on the Sacramento River in the Sacramento River Delta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18 km²), of which, 6.6 square miles (17 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (6.98%) is water.^[4]

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rio Vista has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.^[8]

The present location of Rio Vista town center is several miles south of the original settlement. Colonel Nathan H. Davis founded "Brazos del Rio" near the entrance of Cache Slough at the Sacramento River, on the Rancho Los Ulpinos Mexican land grant, in 1858. The settlement was renamed "Rio Vista" before a flood in 1862 that resulted in the town moving to its present location on higher ground. The city's name (incorrectly) combines the Spanish words for "river" and "view"^[9]. Post authorities established office in 1858.^[10] The community was officially incorporated as Rio Vista on December 30, 1893. The newspaper of record there was the River News-Herald and Isleton Journal,^[11] established in 1890.^[12] The paper printed it's last article online on May 3, 2017^[13]

From 1911 through 1992 Rio Vista was home to the United States Army Reserve Center, Rio Vista. The facility was initially established as a base for river control activities by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. During the 1950s it was used by the U.S. Army Transportation Corps to store and maintain harbor craft, and during the 1960s and 1970s it was used to prepare amphibious vehicles for transportation to Vietnam and to train troops in their use. In 1980 it was transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve and in 1995 it was closed due to a BRAC decision^[14]. Beginning in 2012 the City of Rio Vista entered negotiations with the California Department of Water Resources and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to develop the site into a "Fish Technology Center". In October 2023 the City Council reported the project had been significantly scaled down from the initial proposal^[15]. In December 2024 the City announced it would be working with the EPA's Targeted Brownfields Assessment program to develop an Environmental Site Assessment.^[16] The town also hosts a United States Coast Guard station, established in 1963.^[17]

Rio Vista was visited by a lost humpback whale in 1985, despite being 60 miles (97 kilometers) up the Sacramento River from the Pacific Ocean. The young whale, nicknamed "Humphrey", attracted throngs of curiosity seekers before he was eventually guided back to sea by rescuers. The Army Reserve Unit (481st Transportation Company (Heavy Boat)) was activated to use their vessels (Landing Craft Utility (LCU)) to assist in the guiding of Humphrey back to the sea.

Again in May 2007, humpbacks were sighted in Rio Vista. "Delta" and "Dawn," mother and calf, stopped at least twice in the river near the town.

In 2018, a group of investors called Flannery Associates LLC began purchasing land in and around Rio Vista. By July of 2023 Flannery owned 55,000 acres, making them the largest private land-owner in Solano County^[18]. This included 30 - 40 acres within the city limits of Rio Vista. In May 2023 Flannery filed a $510 million dollar lawsuit^[19][20] against 39 local landowners in Rio Vista and Collinsville accusing them of a conspiracy to "inflate the value of the land", legally a constraint of trade.^[21][22][23] By September 2024 only three defendants had not settled with CA Forever^[19]. In August of 2023 the owners were publicly named in the New York Times for the first time.^[24] In September 2023 the group began a campaign under the subsidiary of California Forever^[25] to develop a 400,000 person city between Rio Vista and Suisun City on some 17,500 acres which lies 2,600 feet from the Rio Vista city limits^[26], an action currently prohibited by the county's "orderly growth imitative"^[27]. Eventually submitting a ballot proposal under the name "East Solano Plan" in February of 2024^[28] and withdrew their proposal on July 22, 2024 after spending nearly $9 million dollars on the ad campaign^[29].

The 2020 United States census reported that Rio Vista had a population of 10,005. The population density was 1,515.9 inhabitants per square mile (585.3/km²). The racial makeup of Rio Vista was 67.6% White, 8.2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 6.2% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 5.8% from other races, and 10.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.0% of the population.^[31]

The census reported that 99.9% of the population lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.^[31]

There were 4,881 households, out of which 14.5% included children under the age of 18, 50.9% were married-couple households, 6.0% were cohabiting couple households, 27.2% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 31.6% of households were one person, and 22.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.05.^[31] There were 3,046 families (62.4% of all households).^[32]

The age distribution was 11.8% under the age of 18, 4.6% aged 18 to 24, 14.8% aged 25 to 44, 23.6% aged 45 to 64, and 45.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 62.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males.^[31]

There were 5,199 housing units at an average density of 787.7 units per square mile (304.1 units/km²), of which 4,881 (93.9%) were occupied. Of these, 80.9% were owner-occupied, and 19.1% were occupied by renters.^[31]

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $86,970, and the per capita income was $51,519. About 1.8% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line.^[33]

At the 2010 census Rio Vista had a population of 7,360. The population density was 1,037.4 inhabitants per square mile (400.5/km²). The racial makeup of Rio Vista was 6,003 (81.6%) White, 372 (5.1%) African American, 53 (0.7%) Native American, 359 (4.9%) Asian, 15 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 288 (3.9%) from other races, and 270 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 914 people (12.4%).^[34]

The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.

There were 3,454 households, 626 (18.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,846 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 255 (7.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 139 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 146 (4.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 24 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,045 households (30.3%) were one person and 605 (17.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.13. There were 2,240 families (64.9% of households); the average family size was 2.60.

The age distribution was 1,145 people (15.6%) under the age of 18, 349 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,089 people (14.8%) aged 25 to 44, 2,400 people (32.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,377 people (32.3%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 57.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

There were 3,890 housing units at an average density of 548.3 units per square mile (211.7 units/km²), of which 77.7% were owner-occupied and 22.3% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 13.7%. 75.1% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 24.9% lived in rental housing units.

The Trilogy at Rio Vista development, aimed at active adults, is a mile northwest of the original city on the Rio Vista Highway (SR 12). It is built around the 18-hole Rio Vista Golf Club. There will be between 2,800 and 3,000 homes when Trilogy is complete.

Natural gas was discovered in the Rio Vista area in 1936^[35] and the Rio Vista Field, (RVGU Rio Vista Gas Unit ) at one time there was a gas well behind RV City Hall in the middle of boat launch parking lot. Amerada Hess Corporation was the first major operations. When Amerada sold out to Sheridan Energy another buy out would soon take shape by Calpine Natural Gas. Calpine fell into the energy collapse when Enron went under then Calpine sold off a majority of its natural gas holdings to Rosetta Resources. Next buyer was Vintage Petroleum who sold out to and currently running operations California Resources Corporation as of 2022. Same address since 1936. Rio Vista Gas Unit was the largest natural gas field in California, became a major source of employment for the remainder of the 20th century. Other industries include agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. There are over 750 wind turbines belonging to the three renewable energy projects (Shiloh Wind Power Plant, NextEra Energy Resources' High Winds Energy Center and one owned by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District) on the Montezuma Hills, close to the city. There are plans to add an additional 200 wind turbines.

Rio Vista is home to the largest American producer of Belgian endive^[36] in the United States. Craig Breedlove, five-time world land speed record holder, lived in and had an engineering facility in the city.

The city is served by Rio Vista Municipal Airport and is situated along the Rio Vista Highway (SR 12) between Fairfield and Lodi. The highway crosses the Sacramento River via the Helen Madere Memorial Bridge, colloquially known as the Rio Vista Bridge.

• Craig Breedlove, auto speed record holder
• Bill Wight, Major League Baseball pitcher and scout

• Hap's Bait & Tackle (Now Hap's Taps Brew house)
• Foster's Bighorn Bar and Restaurant
• Humphrey The Humpback Whale Monument
• Former Army Base, proposed "Delta Research Station"
• A boat passes under the Rio Vista Bridge
• Sacramento River from Rio Vista, California
• Sign advertising the office of the first newspaper to serve Rio Vista, The River News Herald.
• "Sandy Beach" located near the Rio Vista Coast Guard Station
• Rio Vista High School
• VFW Memorial

• List of cities and towns in California
• List of cities and towns in the San Francisco Bay Area

Notes

• Official website
• Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce