Sea Ranch, California
Sea Ranch is a community of 1,287 people in Sonoma County, California.
Why visit Sea Ranch
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 20 parks and trails, 2 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Baker House, Condominium 1 and Gualala Point Regional Park.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 67°F; January lows average 42°F.
Weather in Sea Ranch
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sea Ranch
Sea Ranch (also known as The Sea Ranch) is an American unincorporated Pacific Coast community, in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately 100 mi (160 km) north of San Francisco. It was developed as a planned community beginning in the 1960s. It is known for its distinctive timber-frame structures designed by several noted American architects. The first unit built at Sea Ranch, Condominium One, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
From the Wikipedia article Sea Ranch, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks5
Baker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
House in Sonoma County, California
Condominium 1
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Historic house in Sea Ranch, California
Parks, trails and playgrounds20
Gualala Point Regional Park
Park · 4.2 mi
Regional park in California
8 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes2
History
The first people known to live in the area were Pomos, who gathered kelp and shellfish from the beaches.
In 1846, Ernest Rufus received the Rancho German Mexican land grant, which extended along the coastline from the Gualala River to Ocean Cove. The land was later divided. In the early 1900s, Walter P. Frick bought up the pieces to create Del Mar Ranch, which was leased out for raising sheep. In 1941, the land was sold to Margaret Ohlson and her family.
Architect and planner Al Boeke envisioned a community that would preserve the area's natural beauty. Boeke first surveyed the land in 1962. In 1963, Oceanic California Inc., a division of Castle and Cooke Inc., purchased the land from the Ohlsons and assembled a design team. A progressive residential community was envisioned that would be built in a way that was not only in tune with nature, but driven by nature.
Principal designers who were recruited by Boeke included American architects Charles Moore, Joseph Esherick, William Turnbull Jr., Donlyn Lyndon, Richard Whitaker, and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. Halprin created the master plan for Sea Ranch, which encompass 10 miles (16 km) of the Sonoma County coastline. Architects Moore, Lyndon, Turnbull and Whitaker were hired to design an ecocentric condominium as a model for the development of the community. It was completed in 1965.
From the History section of Sea Ranch, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Sea Ranch
33 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 42°F | 7.2 in |
| Feb | 58°F | 42°F | 7.0 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 42°F | 5.2 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 43°F | 2.9 in |
| May | 62°F | 45°F | 1.6 in |
| Jun | 66°F | 46°F | 0.5 in |
| Jul | 66°F | 48°F | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 67°F | 50°F | 0.1 in |
| Sep | 67°F | 48°F | 0.2 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 47°F | 2.0 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 44°F | 4.2 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 42°F | 8.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ft Ross (19 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Sonoma County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-10-16: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2020-09-27: Glass Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ukiah Municipal Airport (UKI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 31 miles away.
- Ukiah 32 mi northeast, about 51 min by car
- Healdsburg 33 mi east, about 53 min by car
- Forestville 35 mi southeast, about 56 min by car
- Bodega Bay 36 mi southeast, about 57 min by car
- Occidental 36 mi southeast, about 58 min by car
- Windsor 37 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Graton 38 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- North Lakeport 39 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Santa Rosa 45 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rohnert Park 49 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Sea Ranch Panoramic, John Lambert Pearson, CC BY 2.0
- Condominium 1, 110-128 Sea Walk Dr., Sea Ranch, CA 7-5-2010 7-07-18 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Baker House in The Sea Ranch, NoeHill, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GualalaPoint2422, Stepheng3 ( talk )., Public domain
- Sea Ranch Chapel, ingridtaylar (Ingrid Taylar), CC BY 2.0
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