The city of Vacaville is almost midway between Sacramento and San Francisco along Interstate 80 in Northern California’s scenic hills of Solano County. Vacaville has a rich history going back to 1851. That year, Juan Manuel Vaca sold his share of a Mexican land grant to William McDaniel, with one condition: that 1 square mile of it would be a new township. It was named Vacaville.

Vacaville was incorporated in 1892, and with a high quality of life and access to excellent higher education, the city has primed itself for economic opportunities. UC Davis is about 16 miles northeast of Vacaville, and UC Berkeley is about 50 miles southwest, and Solano Community College launched a biomanufacturing bachelor’s degree program in 2017. The workforce in Vacaville is highly skilled to meet the qualifications for many jobs in the biotechnology and life sciences, an industry that remains at the forefront of the city’s economy.

Vacaville is home to approximately 10 life-science companies, including Genentech, RxD Nova Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, and Novici Biotech. The city has adopted a biotech and life-science initiative as part of its Economic Vitality Strategy, which identifies goals and opportunities for biotech and life sciences and advanced manufacturing industries.

In addition to biotech, Vacaville continues to gain traction with companies in the food-processing, logistics and advanced-manufacturing industries. In 2019, Thistle Foods announced its primary ready-to-eat and packaging facility would relocate to Vacaville. A driving force for Thistle’s move is the access to agricultural producers in the region, proximity to San Francisco and the quality of life Vacaville provides.

In 2018, SmartAsset ranked Vacaville as one of the top-10 most livable small cities in the United States — the only California city on the list. Visitors have plenty to do here, including shopping at the Vacaville Premium Outlets, home to dozens of retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, DKNY, Kay Jewelers, Movado, and Van Heusen. The outlets attract about 7 million visitors each year from all over the world — Germany, Italy, Japan and China, among others. Plus, Napa and its famous wineries are just a 35-minute drive away.

Vacaville offers a diverse economy, skilled workforce, proximity to Sacramento and the Bay Area, and a high quality
of life that make it an ideal location to
do business. The economic development staff is eager to work with you to meet your every need and help you enjoy every- thing that Vacaville has to offer.

Sincerely,

Tim Padden

Economic Development Manager

City of Vacaville