Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta · CA
Rio Vista
"The Gateway to the Delta," where Humphrey the whale turned up.
- Population
- 10,005 (2020 census)
- Founded
- 1858
- Gas discovered
- 1936
Then
- 1858
Colonel Nathan Davis founds Brazos del Rio near Cache Slough.
- 1861–1862
Floods drive the town to higher ground.
- 1936
Natural gas is found, the start of California's largest gas field.
- 1985
A lost humpback whale named Humphrey swims about 60 miles up the river to Rio Vista.
Now
The Rio Vista Bridge carries Highway 12 across the Sacramento River. The town is home to the country's largest producer of Belgian endive.
4 tide stations around Rio Vista
- Rio Vista0.7 mi
- Steamboat Slough, Snug Harbor Marina2.7 mi
- Threemile Slough3.4 mi
- Threemile Slough entrance4.8 mi