City
Davis
Davis is an incorporated city in Yolo County with an estimated 2025 population of 66,110. It handles many rules and services inside its limits. The county still handles property records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, and many household programs.
Starting point
Confirm the address is inside local limits first.
If the address is inside Davis, city or town offices may handle local permits, code, and services. If it is outside limits, county routing may be the better first stop.
What changes the answer: A mailing city is not always the same as city government jurisdiction.
How local government works here
The city line changes some rules, but not every public office.
The mailing address can say Davis even when the property sits outside local limits. Check the city line before relying on a local rule or permit page.
City limits choose the local counter
Inside Davis, the city usually handles permits, zoning, parking, business licenses, and local code. Outside the city line, start with county planning or building.
The county still handles county work
Yolo County handles property value and tax bills. It also handles deeds, court, elections, health, and many aid programs. Living inside Davis does not move those jobs to the city.
A provider can have its own boundary
Water, sewer, fire, schools, transit, trash, and power may belong to a special district or other provider. Use the address, parcel, or service bill to find the right agency.
Place answer
Davis business and building questions use different city desks
Davis residents and small businesses should separate business-license questions from building, planning, zoning, permit, and inspection questions.
Read the full explanation2025 population
66,110
Land area
9.972 sq mi
Water area
0.035 sq mi
Local front desk
Start with the task in front of you.
Davis is incorporated. Start with the city for work inside its limits, while Yolo County still handles property records, taxes, courts, elections, many benefits, and county alerts. Yolo County is the public-health layer.
- Property Open the property-tax path
Assessed value, exemptions, tax bills, and appeals
Yolo County assessor handles value and exemptions. The clerk of the board handles a formal value appeal. The tax collector handles the bill, payment, and penalties.
- Records Open the records path
Deeds, birth and death records, marriage records, and name changes
Yolo County recorder is the usual deed and public-record door. Vital-record access depends on the record and year. A legal name change or divorce decree can involve Superior Court.
- Property work Open official city planning
Building permits, ADUs, zoning, code, water, and septic
Start with the city planning or building office for an address inside Davis. Start with the county for an address outside local limits.
Browse planning and building offices - Housing Open the housing path
Rent rules, repairs, notices, and eviction papers
Start with a local rent, housing, or code office if one serves the address. Court papers go to the Superior Court self-help path, and the deadline on the papers keeps running.
- Household help Open the benefits path
CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and IHSS
Yolo County social-services agency is the main local door. Coverage, food, cash aid, and in-home support remain separate programs with separate notices.
- Public health Open the health path
Vaccines, disease reporting, health records, and local health programs
Yolo County public health is the local health jurisdiction. Health coverage and benefits still use separate program doors.
- Business Open official business licensing
Business setup, seller's permits, local licenses, and regulated work
State filings and tax accounts do not replace Davis zoning, licensing, building, fire, or health approvals for the address.
Browse business licensing offices - Neighborhood services Open official service requests
Potholes, streetlights, graffiti, trash, and service requests
For a city-owned street or service inside Davis, start with the local request system. County roads, Caltrans routes, utilities, private property, and separate service providers use different doors.
Browse city service-request systems - School and care Open the school and care path
School enrollment, student records, and child-care checks
The school district handles assignment and records. County offices can help with some family services, while the state licenses child-care facilities.
- Parking Open the parking path
Residential, guest, overnight, and local parking permits
A local parking permit is separate from a citation, moving ticket, and toll notice. Match the permit to the address, vehicle, district, or parking facility.
- Tickets Open the ticket path
Traffic court, parking citations, and toll notices
Yolo County Superior Court handles traffic court matters. A city or issuing agency handles parking. The toll operator handles toll notices.
- Safety Open the emergency path
Emergency alerts, evacuations, smoke, roads, and power
Use the county or city alert system for local warnings. Follow the local emergency office for evacuation wording, then use the state fire, smoke, road, and utility sources for the matching layer.
Official city doors
Start local when the address is inside Davis.
The official website is always here. Direct service links appear only when the California Porch source trail supports them; an unlisted service has not been guessed.
County handoff
Keep the county layer close.
Davis does not replace the county for records, property taxes, courts, elections, benefits, public health, or county alerts. The official doors stay together below.
Yolo County
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Davis
Place answer · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
My Davis gives city requests a tracking number
Davis lets residents submit comments, concerns, and service requests through the My Davis form or app, with routing to staff and a tracking number after submission.
County practical note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
West Sacramento Citizen Access handles many permit and license tasks
West Sacramento's Citizen Access Portal is a useful first stop for permit status, inspections, and business license applications or renewals.
County practical note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Woodland business openings should check planning first
Woodland business licenses run through Community Development, and some uses or improvements need planning review before a building permit or business operation moves ahead.
County practical note · Home and property · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Woodland water bills and trash bills use different doors
Woodland's online services separate water bills from Waste Management trash bills, so residents should pick the right payment path before paying.
County practical note · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
West Sac Connect is for non-emergency city questions
West Sac Connect routes non-emergency requests and questions, while police reports, officer response, and urgent animal issues use separate contacts.
County practical note · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Woodland service requests are moving to WeAreWoodland
Woodland is replacing its older citizen problem reporter with WeAreWoodland, a web and mobile tool for non-emergency service requests, photos, locations, tracking, and updates.
Stories & Notes
Stories and local context in Yolo County
Place story · History and culture
Davis put America's first official bike lane on an ordinary street
Davis became the first U.S. city to create official bicycle lanes in 1967, starting with Eighth Street and turning a college-town transportation problem into a lasting California first.
Place story · History and culture
Davis helped make the tomato tough enough for a machine
UC Davis researchers helped create the mechanical tomato harvester and a tougher processing tomato, changing California farm work, food processing, and the Central Valley tomato industry.
Place story · Outdoors
Yolo Bypass turns open lowland into a big wildlife view
Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area has wetlands, riparian habitat, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, seasonal uses, and broad open views near Davis and Sacramento.
County place story · History and culture
Tower Bridge makes Sacramento's river crossing feel ceremonial
Sacramento's Tower Bridge was built in the 1930s as a lift bridge, a U.S. 40 crossing, and a formal gateway to the capital.
County place story · History and culture
Woodland Opera House anchors a downtown walking-history stop
Woodland Opera House State Historic Park and the city's walking-tour materials make downtown Woodland easy to explore by blocks, older buildings, routes, and local stories.
County place story · History and culture
Winters began when the railroad crossed Putah Creek
Winters grew after the Vaca Valley Railroad crossed Putah Creek, shifting settlement from Buckeye into a busy farm and rail town by 1876.