About Us
In 1854, Barney Hoen started a campaign to bring the county seat of Sonoma to Santa Rosa. In order to do so, Mr. Hoen promised that he, along with others, would donate land for the Courthouse and that he and Julio Carrillo would donate land for a town square. Their promise worked and county residents voted to transfer the county seat from Sonoma to Santa Rosa. In 1867 the town of just a few hundred residents was granted incorporation by the County Board of Supervisors. The State of California affirmed the incorporation in 1868, and that is considered the year of Santa Rosa's official birth. The coming of the first railroad in 1870 assured the little town's success, and the next seven years saw the population increase tenfold.
Today Courthouse Square is home to approximately 800 businesses ranging from restaurants and retail shops to professional services. Courthouse Square is home to a multitude of both annual and seasonal seasonal events, from the Amgen Tour of California to the lively Wednesday Night Market.
Directions to Courthouse Square & Parking
Map it on Google
Heading Northbound on 101
- Take Downtown exit
- Turn right on 3rd Street
- Turn left on Mendocino Ave
- At Mendocino and 4th Street, you will have arrived at Courthouse Square
- Take College Avenue exit
- Turn left on College Avenue
- Turn right on Mendocino Avenue
- At Mendocino and 4th Street, you will have arrived at Courthouse Square
