Santa Rosa is a city in the US state of California and it serves as the county seat of the Sonoma County. As of the 2007 census estimate, the population in Santa Rosa was approximately 157,985. It is known for being the largest city in California's Wine Country and the 5th largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Metropolitan Statistical Area of Santa Rosa is the 12th largest one in California with its census of 466,891.

In 2002, the city was ranked No.2 by Forbes in their list of 200 Best Places for Business and Careers in the United States. In 2007, however, the city had dropped to No.185. The drop in the city's stature as a business friendly place was blamed on the increase of cost of doing business and on the increased costs of housing. Major employers, aside from the government, in Santa Rosa today include Amy's Kitchen, Agilent Technologies, JDS Uniphase, and Medtronic Vascular. Hospitals such as the Kaiser Permanete and the Sutter Medical Center also employ a lot of Santa Rosa residents.

The city is one of the major destinations of people who want to experience Wine Country. Many wineries as located close to Santa Rosa and nearby resorts are found in the Russian River Resort area. Local attractions include Carillo Adobe, which was built in 1837; the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens; the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, known for being Snoopy's Home Ice; Safari West; Prince Memorial Greenway, which is a developed pedestrian and bicycle path; and the Annadel State Park.