Ukiah ( ;

Pomo The Pomo are an Indigenous people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point. One small ...

: ''Yokaya'', meaning "deep valley") is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

and largest city of

Mendocino County Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish for "of Mendoza) is a county located on the North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,601. The county seat is Ukiah. Mendocino County consists whol ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, with a population of 16,607 at the 2020 census. With its accessible location along the

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...

corridor, Ukiah serves as the city center for Mendocino County and much of neighboring Lake County.

History

Establishment

Ukiah is located within

Rancho Yokaya Rancho Yokaya privately owned by Sophia Charity Piceno of the Little Lake and Kon kow tribes to current date 2022, (also called "Llokaya") was a Mexican land grant in present day Mendocino County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico t ...

, one of several Spanish colonial

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

s in what was their colonists called ''

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...

''. The Yokaya grant, which covered the majority of the Ukiah valley, was named for the

word meaning "deep valley." The

are the indigenous people who occupied the area at the time of Spanish colonization. Later European-American settlers adopted Ukiah as an anglicized version of this name for the city. Cayetano Juárez was granted Ukiah by Alta California. He was known to have a neutral relationship with the local Pomo people. He sold a southern portion of the grant (toward present-day Hopland) to the Burke brothers. The first Anglo settler in the Ukiah area was John Parker, a '' vaquero'' who worked for pioneer cattleman James Black.Lyman Palmer
''History of Mendocino County, California, Comprising Its Geography, Geology, Topography, Climatography, Springs and Timber.''
San Francisco, CA: Alley, Bowen and Co., 1880; pg. 475. Black had driven his stock up the Russian River valley and took over a block of grazing land at that locale. A crude blockhouse was constructed for Parker so he could have shelter to protect the herd from the hostile indigenous local people, who resented the squatters on their land. The blockhouse was located just south of present-day Ukiah on the banks of what was known as Wilson Creek. The next Anglo settler was Samuel Lowry; in 1856 he built a log cabin approximately on the corner of today's East Perkins and North Main streets. Lowery sold his claim to A.T. Perkins in the spring of 1857, and the latter moved his family into the valley. They were the first Anglo-American pioneer family of the township. Six others followed to make their home there that same year. The first United States post office opened in 1858. By 1859, the population of Ukiah had grown to about 100 people, making it a community sufficient in size to serve as the

. Before this, administrative duties for

had been handled by

Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...

.Palmer, ''History of Mendocino County, California,'' pg. 476. Initially visitors could reach town only by

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

, or private horses. A short rail line from San Francisco terminated in

Petaluma Petaluma (Miwok: ''Péta Lúuma'') is a city in Sonoma County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population was 59,776 according to the 2020 census. Petaluma's name comes from the Miwok village nam ...

, nearly to the south. In 1870 the remainder of the trip to Ukiah took another two days by horse.Carl Purdy, "Ukiah, 1870-1890: Interesting Reminiscences; Progress Made; Products of Our Valley," ''Dispatch-Democrat'' kiah City vol. 21, no. 15 (Jan. 10, 1890), pg. 2. In subsequent years the rail line was extended further northward to Cloverdale. Although the stagecoach portion was reduced to , the community was still relatively isolated and slow to develop. Ukiah was incorporated in 1876. It was not until 1889 that the

San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad (SF&NP) provided the first extensive standard gauge rail service to Sonoma County and became the southern end of the regional Northwestern Pacific Railroad. Although first conceived of by Asbury Harpen ...

completed its line from Cloverdale to Ukiah, linking the Mendocino County seat to the national rail network.

Economic history

Ukiah has been the hub of an agricultural and business community. Over the decades various commodity crops have been grown in the Ukiah Valley. They include pears, green beans, hops, apricots, and grapes. As part of California's

Wine Country Wine Country is the region of California, in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, known worldwide as a premier wine-growing region. The region is famed for its wineries, its cuisine, Michelin star restaurants, boutique hotels, luxury resort ...

, grapes have become the predominant agricultural product.

Hops Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant ''Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to whi ...

were once a major crop grown around Ukiah. The beer flavoring agent was first grown there in 1868 when L.F. Long of Largo grew an initial experimental crop. The climate proved suitable for the crop and production expanded, peaking in 1885. It declined in the last years of the 1880s as prices dropped. Mendocino County remained the third-largest producer of hops in the state of California in 1890, with well over under cultivation. Production continued well into the 20th century. A refurbished hop

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay int ...

can be seen at the north end of Ukiah east of Highway 101, where many of the old fields were located. Ukiah's 20th-century population developed in relation to the lumber boom of the late 1940s. Logging of redwoods was once a major industry. Activists have worked to preserve areas of redwood forest, which became endangered for overlogging. Young people entered the area from the 1960s, seeking alternative lifestyles and, in some cases, artisan and rural living.

Geography

Ukiah is in southeastern Mendocino County in the valley of the Russian River, a south-flowing river which reaches the Pacific in Sonoma County. Via

, Ukiah is north of

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina *Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...

and south of

Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...

. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city covers an area of , of which , or 0.93%, are water.

Climate

Ukiah has a hot-summer

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Csa''). Average rainfall for the area is per year. Measurable precipitation occurs on an average of 77.1 days per year. The greatest monthly precipitation was in January 1909 and the greatest 24-hour precipitation was on December 22, 1964. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1997 to June 1998 with and the driest from July 1976 to June 1977 with . Light snowfall occurs about every other year. The greatest recorded snowfall was on March 2, 1976, while the most in a month was in March 1896 and in January 1952. Temperatures reach on an average of 61.0 afternoons annually and on an average of 8.7 afternoons. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing temperatures occur on an average 33.6 mornings per year. The record high temperature was on September 6, 2022, and the record low temperature was on January 12, 1898.

Demographics

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

reported that Ukiah had a population of 16,075. The population density was . The racial makeup of Ukiah was 11,592 (72.1%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 174 (1.1%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 601 (3.7%) Native American, 412 (2.6%)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 34 (0.2%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2,385 (14.8%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 877 (5.5%) from two or more races. There were 4,458

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

residents, of any race (27.7%). The Census reported that 15,301 people (95.2% of the population) lived in households, 281 (1.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 493 (3.1%) were institutionalized. There were 6,158 households, out of which 2,049 (33.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,317 (37.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 938 (15.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 356 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 484 (7.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 56 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,064 households (33.5%) were made up of individuals, and 919 (14.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48. There were 3,611

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

(58.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.18. The population was spread out, with 3,981 people (24.8%) under the age of 18, 1,562 people (9.7%) aged 18 to 24, 4,184 people (26.0%) aged 25 to 44, 4,011 people (25.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,337 people (14.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males. There were 6,488 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,673 (43.4%) were owner-occupied, and 3,485 (56.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%. 6,733 people (41.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 8,568 people (53.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, inside the city limits, there were 15,497 people in the city limits, 5,985 households, and 3,656 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 3,275/sq mi (1,265/km). There were 6,137 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 79.5%

, 1.0%

, 3.8% Native American, 1.7%

, 0.1%

, 9.7% from

, and 4.3% from two or more races.

of any race were 19.3% of the population. There were 5,985 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. For ...

for a household in the city was $32,707, and the median income for a family was $39,524. Males had a median income of $31,608 versus $24,673 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,601. About 13.2% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 26.4% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over. As a community, Ukiah has roughly twice the number of people (including

Redwood Valley Redwood Valley (formerly Basil) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located north of Ukiah, the county seat, at an elevation of , and comprises the northern portion of the Ukiah Valley. It i ...

Potter Valley Potter Valley is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located north-northeast of Ukiah, at an elevation of at the headwaters of the East Fork Russian River. The CDP population was 665 at the 2020 cens ...

, Calpella, and Talmage) as the census reports. During the business day, an average of 40,000 people work inside the city limits, or in the business and residential neighborhoods to the north and south.

Economy

Major employers in Ukiah include: *

* Ukiah Valley Medical Center * Mendocino Forest Products *

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

* Savings Bank of Mendocino County * Mendocino Community Health Clinics *

Granite Construction Granite Construction Inc. is a civil construction company and aggregate producer, a member of the S&P 600 Index based and founded in Watsonville, California , and is the parent corporation of Granite Construction Company. The company is both a ...

The Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...

* Lucky

Major products

Ukiah is known for

wine production Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and w ...

. Some very large production wineries, including Brutocao, Fife, Parducci, Frey, and Bonterra have become established here since the late 20th century. Ukiah vintners are known for innovating with organic and sustainable practices. Ukiah was previously a major producer of

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

s. Alex R. Thomas & Company owned hundreds of acres of Bartlett pear orchards on the east side of the Ukiah Valley. For nearly 90 years, many local residents and

migrant workers A migrant worker is a person who migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have the intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant workers who work outsi ...

have been employed packing the pears for domestic and foreign consumption. On December 1, 2008, the company announced it would be shutting down major operations at the end of the year due to bankruptcy. Several acres of orchard have been torn down and replaced with vineyards since the packing shed closed its doors. As of 2011, the main facility was slated to reopen as a composting and trash-sorting facility. The Ukiah Valley is home to the Ukiah Brewing Company, a

certified organic Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products, in the European Union more commonly known as ecological or biological products.Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/ ...

brewpub Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis ...

. It used to be a center of hops cultivation in the 19th century. Craft beers are stimulating production again. Additionally, Ukiah has become home to four marijuana dispensaries, as a large town within the

Emerald Triangle The Emerald Triangle is a region in Northern California, named as such due to it being the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States. The region includes three counties in an upside-down triangular configuration: * Humboldt County, ...

Cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

is produced and sold from the surrounding areas.

Arts and culture

Institutions of the arts include: * SPACE - School of Performing Arts and Cultural Education * Ukiah Players Theatre * The Mendocino Ballet * Ukiah Civic Light Opera *

Grace Hudson Museum The Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah, California, is adjacent to the Sun House which artist Grace Hudson and her husband John designed and had built in 1911. They lived there until their deaths in 1936 and 1935, respectively. Today the house and museum ...

* Ukiah Symphony Orchestra * Ukiah Community Concert Association * The Spring House

Recreation

* Alex R. Thomas Plaza * Gardner Park * Giorno Park *

Great Redwood Trail The Great Redwood Trail is a proposed multi-use rail-to-trail project connecting San Francisco and Humboldt bays in Northern California. Most of the trail will be built on the rail bed of the defunct Northwestern Pacific Railroad along the Ee ...

* Low Gap Park * McGarvey Park * Oak Manor Park * Observatory Park * Orchard Park * Riverside Park * Todd Grove Park * Ukiah Skate Park * Ukiah Sports Complex * Vinewood Park

Government

Ukiah uses a council–manager form of government in which policy is set by a five-member city council, elected at-large to four-year terms. The council appoints both the mayor and the city manager. * Mayor until December 2023 - Mari Rodin (appointed by council based on seniority for a one-year term) * City council: ** Josefina Dueñas, Vice-Mayor ** Douglas Crane, Council Member ** Juan Orozco, Council Member ** Susan Sher, Council Member * City Manager - Sage Sangiacomo * City Treasurer - Allen Carter * City Clerk - Kristine Lawler (appointed) * City Attorney - David Rapport In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legisla ...

, Ukiah is in , and . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Ukiah is in . The tribal headquarters of both the Pinoleville Pomo Nation and the

Potter Valley Tribe The Potter Valley Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of Pomo people in Mendocino County, California. They were previously known as the Little River Band of Pomo Indians

are in Ukiah.

Education

Ukiah Unified School District

Ukiah High School Ukiah High School (also referred to as UHS or "Ukiahi") is the oldest public high school in Ukiah, California, the seat of Mendocino County. Established in 1893, it is the largest school by enrollment and only four-year comprehensive high schoo ...

* Calpella Elementary School * Eagle Peak Middle School (Redwood Valley) * Nokomis Elementary School * Oak Manor Elementary School * Pomolita Middle School * South Valley High School * Yokayo Elementary School * Frank Zeek Elementary School * Tree of Life Montessori Charter School * Grace Hudson Elementary School * River Oak Charter School * Ukiah Independent Study Academy * Calpella Preschool * Preschool Village * Small Wonders State Preschool * Yokayo State Preschool * Ukiah Adult School

Other K–12 schools

* Accelerated Achievement Academy * Redwood Academy of Ukiah * Deep Valley Christian School * Ukiah Junior Academy * Instilling Goodness / Developing Virtue School * St. Mary of the Angels Catholic School

Former K–12 schools

* Trinity School for Children (closed as of July 31, 2009)

Colleges

Mendocino College Mendocino College is a public community college in Ukiah, California. Mendocino College was founded in 1973. The main campus is located on of hilltop land north of downtown Ukiah in the Ukiah valley. Currently there are about 4,000 students, 5 ...

Dharma Realm Buddhist University Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU) is an American private nonprofit university located in Ukiah, California, just over 100 miles north of San Francisco, in Mendocino County. It was established in 1976 by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. It is sit ...

Notable people

AFI AFI may refer to: * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...

lead vocalist

Davey Havok David Paden Marchand (born David Paden Passaro, November 20, 1975), known professionally as Davey Havok, is an American singer and musician who is the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band AFI (band), AFI, the synth-pop band Blaqk Audio, the ...

, guitarist

Jade Puget Jade Errol Puget (born November 28, 1973) is an American musician and producer, best known as the guitarist for the rock band AFI (joined in 1998), the guitarist/writer for the straight edge hardcore band XTRMST, and the keyboardist/synthesi ...

, drummer

Adam Carson Adam Alexander Carson (born February 5, 1975) is the drummer of the alternative rock band AFI. He and Davey Havok are the two original members left in the lineup. Carson also filled in as drummer for the psychobilly band Tiger Army. His drumm ...

, and tour managers Jake MacLachlan and Smith Puget were all raised in Ukiah, as were original-lineup guitarist Mark Stopholese and bassist Vic Chalker. *

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and '' Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclai ...

, three-time Grammy-nominated singer, spent part of her childhood in Ukiah. * Ed Burke, U.S. Olympic

hammer throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consis ...

er *

Aurelius O. Carpenter Aurelius Ormando Carpenter (1836–1919) was an American photographer, writer and abolitionist. He was one of the earliest photographers in early American California, photographing Mendocino County, California. He was the son of Clarina I. H. Nich ...

, photographer *

Melissa Chaty Melissa Ivonne Chaty (born 1984) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Ukiah, California. She was Miss Mendocino is 2002, held the titles of Miss Teenage California 2003 and Miss California 2007 and finished in the top 8 at Miss Americ ...

, beauty queen, Miss California in 2008 *

McKenna Faith McKenna Garcia (born January 6, 1995), better known by her stage name McKenna Faith is a country music singer/songwriter from Ukiah, California. Career On August 21, 2011 Faith opened the Sonoma Country Music BBQ in Santa Rosa, California, play ...

, singer-songwriter *

Shiloh Fernandez Shiloh Thomas Fernandez (born February 26, 1985) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the television series '' Jericho'' and ''United States of Tara'', and the films '' Deadgirl'', ''Red Riding Hood'', and the 2013 remake of '' Evil ...

, actor, born and raised in Ukiah *

Robben Ford Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American blues, jazz, and rock guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets and has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Sprin ...

, blues guitarist, raised in Ukiah *

Sally Miller Gearhart Sally Miller Gearhart (April 15, 1931 – July 14, 2021) was an American teacher, feminist, science-fiction writer, and political activist. In 1973, she became the first open lesbian to obtain a tenure-track faculty position when she was hire ...

, feminist and lesbian author and activist, died in Ukiah *

Grace Hudson Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865–1937) was an American painter based in Northern California. She was nationally known during her lifetime for a numbered series of more than 684 portraits of the local Pomo natives. She painted the first, ''Nationa ...

, museum founder, collector of Pomo people, Pomo artifacts, commercial portrait photographer The Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah is named for her and houses her collections. * Leonard Lake, serial killer, lived near Ukiah in the early 1980s * Mary McNair Mathews, (1834–1903), Nevada historian, died in Ukiah * Darrell McClure, cartoonist of Little Annie Rooney and illustrator, born in Ukiah to painter Ethel Jameson Docker * Don Mossi, Major League Baseball pitcher for several teams * Holly Near, singer-songwriter, born in Ukiah * Nick 13, lead singer of Tiger Army, raised in Ukiah * Hal Perry (basketball), Hal Perry, professional basketball player and civil-rights lawyer, raised in UkiahHarold Leonard Perry Sr.
Inside Bay Area from May 3–4, 2009, accessed October 10, 2013 * Bay Raitt, animator and video game designer known for developing Gollum's facial modeling in the ''Lord of the Rings'' films and various other works * Aaron Rodgers, National Football League quarterback, spent four years of his childhood in Ukiah * Carl Sassenrath, architect of operating systems and computer languages, created the Amiga, Amiga computer operating system in 1985, later worked at Apple Inc., Apple, subsequently moved to and runs his own company at his Ukiah ranch * William Harrison Standley, Chief of Naval Operations and later United States Ambassador to Russia, U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, born in Ukiah * Gary Scott Thompson, television and film screenwriter and producer, graduated from Ukiah High School in 1977 * Rick Warren, pastor, author and Ukiah High School graduate

In popular culture

* "Ukiah" is the name and subject of a song on the 1973 Doobie Brothers album ''The Captain and Me''. * "Ukiah" is the name and subject of the fifth song from Robert Francis (musician), Robert Francis' album ''Heaven''. * Ukiah is featured prominently in C.D. Payne's novel ''Youth in Revolt''. * Ukiah is one of six original locations of an International Latitude Observatory. * Some Ukiah-area soils are likely to contain naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), as do many other parts of California. * Competing in the men's Division III club level bracket, the Mendocino Steam Donkeys Rugby Football Club rugby union team, based in the Ukiah area, are the first official Northern California Rugby Football Union, NCRFU team in the county. * The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, located just east of Ukiah in Talmage, is one of the largest Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhist communities in the Western Hemisphere, covering . north of Ukiah is Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, a community in the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada, Theravada Buddhism. * Ukiah was the initial home in California of Peoples Temple. * Ukiah's newspaper is the ''Ukiah Daily Journal''. * Ukiah was named one of the "Top 18 Spots for Fall Color" according to Sunset.com. * Ukiah was named in the 1987 ''Dragnet (1987 film), Dragnet'' film as being where Frank Smith, Joe Friday's partner, moved to after quitting the force and buying a goat farm.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Ukiah, California, 1876 establishments in California Cities in Mendocino County, California County seats in California Incorporated cities and towns in California Logging communities in the United States Populated places established in 1856 Populated places established in 1876