Napa is the largest city in and the county seat of Napa County, California, and the principal city of the Napa Valley, one of the world's most celebrated wine regions. Located in the North Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, the city had a population of about 76,900 as of mid-2024, while Napa County—one of California's original counties—was home to roughly 138,000 people. Napa anchors the valley's southern end, with the more famous winery towns of Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga strung north along State Route 29 and the Silverado Trail. Historically a modest agricultural and county-government center, Napa transformed in recent decades into a wine-country destination in its own right. Downtown's revitalization along the Napa River is the clearest expression of that change: the Oxbow District's 40,000-square-foot Oxbow Public Market brings together local food vendors, wine merchants, and a riverside deck, surrounded by restaurants, tasting rooms, and hotels. The city balances this tourism economy with its role as the region's commercial, educational, and service hub. Napa's neighborhoods range from the historic homes of Alta Heights and the family-oriented streets of Browns Valley to newer subdivisions and semi-rural properties at the valley's edge. The Napa Valley Unified School District serves the city, American Canyon, and Yountville through 26 schools and more than 16,000 students. For residents, Napa offers a rare combination: a functioning, family-friendly city with strong schools, mild North Bay weather, and a food-and-wine culture, set about an hour from San Francisco. Its housing and employment are tied to the wine industry, but the city's size and depth of services give it a stability and everyday livability that distinguish it from the smaller, tourism-dominated communities farther up the valley.