About Woodland

Woodland (formerly Yolo City) is the county seat of Yolo County, California, located approximately 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Sacramento, and is a part of the Sacramento - Arden-Arcade - Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 55,468 at the 2010 census.

Woodland's origins trace back to 1850 when California gained its statehood and Yolo County was established. Since the town started growing in population and resources, it has not stopped. The area was well irrigated due to the efforts of James Moore, and this drew people out to try their hand at farming. The endeavor was successful as people found the soil in the area very fertile. The city gained a federal post office and the next year the county seat was moved from Washington (present day West Sacramento, California) to Woodland after Washington was flooded. The addition of a railroad line, the close proximity to Sacramento, and the more recent addition of Interstate 5, helped create a thriving city.

Within the past decade, Woodland has grown immensely with many additions to the community. Numerous subdivisions have been built (mainly on the east side of town) and several major chain stores have opened business in Woodland.

Woodland is located on flat land in the Central Valley (California), with the Yolo Bypass and the Sacramento River to the east and the Capay Valley and the Coast Range to the west. Woodland is a part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area but it retains a "small town" feeling partly due to the mileage between the city and the neighboring cities. It is located just southeast of the county's geographical center, and is one of the largest cities north of Sacramento along Interstate 5 until Redding. Interstate 5 enters the city from the east and curves northward over the remainder of Woodland, exiting northwest. SR 113 enters the city from the south as a controlled access freeway and merges with the I-5, then diverges leaving the city northward as a standard two-lane road. The city is surrounded by farmland.

Woodland and the immediate surrounding area's economy has largely been based on agriculture. To this day, Yolo County is one of the largest crop producers in the state. Similarly, the transportation industry has played a large part in Woodland's economy. With heavy agricultural production comes the need to transport it. While maintaining the large role that agriculture and transportation still play in the town's activities, over the years Woodland has branched out into other sectors as well.