Vallejo [key], city (1990 pop. 109,199), Solano co., W Calif., on San Pablo Bay at the mouth of the Napa River; inc. 1866. It is a port and a trade and processing center for farm products; flour-milling and meatpacking are significant industries. Its main source of employment for many years was the U.S. naval shipyard on Mare Island, just west of the city, where submarines and destroyers were built and repaired. The shipyard closed in 1996, but ship salvage and repair is still carried on in the city, and there is a naval and historical museum. Vallejo was one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities in the late 20th cent., marked by a population increase of 36% between 1980 and 1990. The California Maritime Academy, part of the California State Univ. System, is in Vallejo. Six Flags Marine World is also in the city. Nearby are Travis Air Force Base and a state park. Vallejo was founded in 1851 as the intended state capital, but was the nominal capital only from 1852 to 1853. David Farragut established the former U.S. naval shipyard on Mare Island in 1854.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography
