About Napa, CA

Napa is the largest city and county seat of Napa County and a principal city of Wine Country in Northern California. Located in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, the city had a population of 77,480 as of the end of 2021. Napa is a major tourist destination in California, known for its wineries, restaurants, and arts culture. == History == The origin of the word “Napa” is disputed. The word napa is of Native American derivation and has been variously translated as “grizzly bear”, “house”, “motherland” or “fish”. Of the many explanations of the names’s origin, the most plausible seems to be that it is derived from the Patwin word napo, meaning house. Further adding confusion, Napa was originally spelled with two P’s: Nappa. There are maps and deeds dating back to the mid-1850s bearing this spelling. Shortly thereafter, the spelling changed to “Napa” as it’s known today; the reasons for this are unclear. === Mexican era === At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the majority of the inhabitants consisted of Native Americans.