Davis grew around a Southern Pacific Railroad depot built in 1868. It was then known as "Davisville," named after Jerome C. Davis, a prominent local farmer. The post office at Davisville shortened the town name to "Davis" in 1907. The name stuck, and the city of Davis was incorporated on March 28, 1917.
From its inception as a farming community, Davis has been known for its contributions to agricultural policy along with veterinary care and animal husbandry. Following the passage of the University Farm Bill in 1905 by the California State Legislature, Governor George Pardee selected Davis out of 50 other sites as the future home to the University of California's University Farm, officially opening to students in 1908. The farm, later renamed the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture in 1922, was upgraded into the seventh UC general campus, the University of California, Davis, in 1959.
Davis 101
Location: Yolo County, which borders Solano County
Population: 66,016
Student Population: 35,415
Area: 9.92 square miles
Elevation: 50 ft. above sea level
Average Household Size: 2.55
Educational Attainment: 41% Graduate or Professional | 29% Bachelor's | 5% Associates | 13% Some College|
Average Family Income: $133,640
Average Sunny Days: 300 per year
Protected Open Space and Agricultural Land by the City and Partners: 5,380 acres
# of Fulbright Scholars: Davis is 1st!
Davis Trivia
1868 - Founded and named Davisville after Jerome C. Davis, a prominent local farmer.
Early settlers- The Chiles Family, The Davis Family, The Dresbach Family and the Pena Family.
1905 - Davis Chamber of Commerce formed by local businessmen to lobby the State Legislature to locate the "University Farm School" in our agricultural community. The efforts were successful and UC Davis is now a globally recognized research university.
Over 6,000 residents live on the campus of UC Davis, which is not within city limits.
Unitrans was founded in 1968 with the purchase of two vintage London double decker buses and now provides public transportation to over 3.5 million passengers per year on 16 routes throughout the Davis community.
Community Awards
America's Favorite Farmer's Market
Platinum Level Bicycle Community
Coolest City in California 2013 - Largest Reduction in Community Carbon Footprint
2013- Sutter Davis Hospital wins Malcolm Baldridge Award, the nation's highest presidential honor for performance excellence
