About Davis

Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to estimates published by the US Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 65,622 in 2010[4] (60,308 in 2000),neither of which includes the on-campus population of UC Davis, which was 5,786 people according to the 2010 United States Census while the "total student enrollment" is listed as 32,290 by the UC Davis website. It is the largest city in Yolo County, and the 122nd largest in the state, by population.

Davis is known for its liberal politics, for having many bicycles and bike paths, and for the campus of the University of California, Davis. In 2006, Davis was ranked as the second most educated city (in terms of the percentage of residents with graduate degrees) in the US by CNN Money Magazine, after Arlington, Virginia.

Davis grew around a Southern Pacific Railroad depot built in 1868. It was then known as "Davisville," named after Jerome C. Davis, a prominent local farmer. However, the post office at Davisville shortened the town name simply to "Davis" in 1907. The name stuck, and the city of Davis was incorporated on March 28, 1917.

From its inception as a farming community, Davis has been known for its contributions to agricultural policy along with veterinary care and animal husbandry. Following the passage of the University Farm Bill in 1905 by the California State Legislature, Governor George Pardee selected Davis out of 50 other sites as the future home to the University of California's University Farm, officially opening to students in 1908. The farm, later renamed the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture in 1922, was upgraded into the seventh UC general campus, the University of California, Davis, in 1959.

Davis is located in Yolo County, California, 11 mi (18 km) west of Sacramento, 70 mi (113 km) northeast of San Francisco, 385 mi (619 km) north of Los Angeles, at the intersection of Interstate 80 and State Route 113. Neighboring towns include Dixon, Winters, and Woodland.

Bicycling has been a popular mode of transportation in Davis for decades, particularly among UC Davis students. In 2010, Davis became the new home of the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.