Russian River Real Estate
Russian River Area-West Sonoma County
A Brief History of the Russian River Valley
The first residents of the Russian River Valley area were native Americans, most in this area belonging to the Pomo tribe. From around the mid 1800s Russians came by way of Alaska, creating their livelihood in the fur trade.
Spanish explorers and English adventurers settled in the valley following the Gold Rush. The development in 1870 of railroad trains provided a transportation source when settlers turned the thick forests into a major mill center. Railroads became less popular means of transportation, and lumber mills waned, and the trains stopped rolling through the area around 1930.
Ranching,
farming and dairy have always been a part of the rural and agricultural
roots of the land. From the late 1800s corn, olives,
hops, tobacco, apples and wine grapes were among some of
the major crops. The vineyards and apples remain in production
today. At the turn of the century the Russian River Valley centered
its tourism and recreation.
The wine industry has expanded, and many of the area’s resorts have been renovated or rebuilt over the years to capitalize on the area as a vacation destination.
West Sonoma County is country living at it's finest. Home to rolling hills, rural farms, pastoral vineyards and majestic redwoods, its where the winding Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. Guerneville is the hub of the vacation and resort activities in this area. Surrounding communities include the towns of Bodega Bay, Russian River, Camp Meeker, Cazadero, Forestville, Graton, Guerneville, Rio Nido, Jenner, Monte Rio, Occidental and Sebastopol.
A Place to Raise Kids - Russian River Schools
There are five public elementary schools and two high schools in the Russian River Valley. Advanced level education is available at the neighboring Santa Rosa Junior College and at Sonoma State University in nearby Rohnert Park.
You may compare these schools by viewing California STAR test results. Here, we're listing the percentage of students scoring at proficient level or above for 2004 compared to state average.
| School | Grade | Eng/Lang This School |
State Avg |
Math This School |
State Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forestville Union Elementary | 8 | 54% | 33% | 46% | 35% |
| Guerneville Elementary | 8 | 34% | 33% | 46% | 35% |
| Harmony Union Elementary | 4 | 58% | 40% | 55% | 45% |
| Monte Rio Union Elementary | 8/6 | 53% | 33% | 29% | 35% |
| El Molino High School | 11 | 47% | 32% | 36% | 39% |
| Analy High School | 11 | 54% | 32% | 72% | 39% |
Job Information Resources
| Employment Resource | Brief Description |
|---|---|
| Russian River Chamber of Commerce | posts a section for local job opportunities |
| Sonomajobs.com | offers a resource list for people relocating to the area |
| The Press Democrat | local Sonoma County newspaper posts local jobs online |
| SonomaCountyHelpWanted.com | search local jobs by category or city |
| Sonoma County Government Jobs |
Russian River Real Estate offers prime residential properties.
Our capabilities as West Sonoma
County residential property management experts makes us your best choice
when buying or
selling a home.
We are here to help you find our most current home listings in order to buy a Russian River home or you can fill out our market analysis form so we can help you sell a Russian River home.
