Petaluma
is a city with a well preserved historic center in Sonoma County. As of the
2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,548. As of 2006, Petaluma's
population is 56,727. Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park contains the Rancho
Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836
by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San Francisco
Presidio. It was the center of a vast 66,000 acre (270 km²) ranch stretching
from Petaluma Creek to Sonoma Creek. The adobe is considered one of the best
preserved buildings of its era in Northern California. Petaluma is a transliteration
of the Coast Miwok phrase péta lúuma which means hill backside and probably
refers to Petaluma's proximity to Sonoma Mountain. During the dot.com boom,
Petaluma became widely known as the heart of the broadband industry and many
of the world's leading networking companies have facilities here. Petaluma
is also one of the most popular movie sites in the North Bay. Commuters to
Marin and San Francisco make up a big portion of Petaluma's population. Petaluma
official website
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