Surrounded by water on two sides and miles of open space to the north, Benicia is located in the southernmost section of Solano County, overlooking the Carquinez Strait, which connects San Pablo Bay to the West and the Sacramento Delta to the East. The city encompasses 13 square miles, and is located 35 miles northeast of San Francisco and 57 miles southwest of Sacramento, the State Capital.

The waterfront is the soul of Benicia. Whether boating from the Marina, fishing from the piers and boat ramps or just enjoying the spectacular view, the Carquinez Strait is visible from just about anywhere in Benicia.

With its thriving industrial park and historic downtown, Benicia was named one of Money’s “Best Places to Live 2005”; was featured as one of the “Ten Most Playful Towns in America” by Nick Jr. Family Magazine; and one of 15 Bay Area communities that are “hipper, cheaper, and more neighborly than anyone knew” by San Francisco Magazine. Benicia has been mentioned in the New York Times and Sunset for its unique shops and restaurants, Excellent schools*, low crime rate, reasonable home prices, mild climate and reputation as home to talented artisans are just a few reasons why Benicia earned these distinctions.

*Benicia schools ranked third in Bay Area according to GreatSchools Inc. where home buyers can find the best public schools based on home prices and school performance on standardized tests. According to GreatSchools, the median home price in the Bay Area is $670,000 while the median home price in Benicia is $565,000. Benicia offers afforadable home prices AND a good education, which is a hard combination to duplicate in other cities in the Bay Area.