County
Yolo County
This is the county layer. It is often the first stop for assessor, tax collector, recorder, court, social service, election, health, sheriff, and unincorporated-area services.
Starting point
Start with the county layer.
County offices are the usual first stop for records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and unincorporated-area routing.
Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
2025 population
224,410
Land area
1,012.988 sq mi
Water area
8.837 sq mi
Directory notes
Local layers to keep on the same page.
Property, taxes, and records
For assessed value, exemptions, ownership records, recording, and tax bills, county offices are usually the starting layer.
Unincorporated land
If an address is outside city limits, county planning, building, environmental health, fire, or public works may handle local permits and code work.
Courts, services, and alerts
Superior court, sheriff, elections, social services, emergency alerts, and health offices often start at the county level.
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Yolo County
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Davis business and building questions use different city desks
Davis residents and small businesses should separate business-license questions from building, planning, zoning, permit, and inspection questions.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
West Sacramento Citizen Access handles many permit and license tasks
West Sacramento's Citizen Access Portal is a useful first stop for permit status, inspections, and business license applications or renewals.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Woodland business openings should check planning first
Woodland business licenses run through Community Development, and some uses or improvements need planning review before a building permit or business operation moves ahead.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Woodland water bills and trash bills use different doors
Woodland's online services separate water bills from Waste Management trash bills, so residents should pick the right payment path before paying.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
My Davis gives city requests a tracking number
Davis lets residents submit comments, concerns, and service requests through the My Davis form or app, with routing to staff and a tracking number after submission.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
West Sac Connect is for non-emergency city questions
West Sac Connect routes non-emergency requests and questions, while police reports, officer response, and urgent animal issues use separate contacts.
Almanac notes
Stories and local context near Yolo County
Place note · History and culture
Winters began when the railroad crossed Putah Creek
Winters grew after the Vaca Valley Railroad crossed Putah Creek, shifting settlement from Buckeye into a busy farm and rail town by 1876.
Place note · History and culture
Davis helped make the tomato tough enough for a machine
UC Davis researchers helped create the mechanical tomato harvester and a tougher processing tomato, changing California farm work, food processing, and the Central Valley tomato industry.
Place note · History and culture
Davis put America's first official bike lane on an ordinary street
Davis became the first U.S. city to create official bicycle lanes in 1967, starting with Eighth Street and turning a college-town transportation problem into a lasting California first.
Place note · History and culture
Woodland Opera House anchors a downtown walking-history stop
Woodland Opera House State Historic Park and the city's walking-tour materials make downtown Woodland easy to explore by blocks, older buildings, routes, and local stories.
Place note · Outdoors
Yolo Bypass turns open lowland into a big wildlife view
Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area has wetlands, riparian habitat, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, seasonal uses, and broad open views near Davis and Sacramento.