Vallejo, Charter city in Solano County, California.
Vallejo is a city in Solano County, California, sitting on the shore of San Pablo Bay north of San Francisco. The streets run from the waterfront into the interior, passing through residential neighborhoods and former industrial sites that are being partially redeveloped.
The California legislature made this place the state capital in 1852, but moved the seat just one year later to Benicia due to lack of infrastructure. The opening of the naval shipyard on Mare Island in 1854 brought new momentum and shaped the town until its closure in 1996.
Mare Island served for over a century as a major naval shipyard, shaping the town through its workforce families and waterfront life. Today, the decommissioned buildings and docks recall this era, while artists and small businesses have moved into the old halls.
The ferry from the center to San Francisco runs several times daily and offers a direct connection across the bay without transfers. Buses depart from the transit center to other places in the county and to neighboring regions.
A 2010 study by Brown University found that more different ethnic groups live together here than in any other city in the United States. This diversity shows in restaurants and shops along the main streets.
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