County
Yolo County
Yolo County has an estimated 2025 population of 224,410 across about 1,012.988 square miles of land. The county handles work tied to parcels, records, elections, health, and countywide services. Cities inside it still set many permit and local-service rules.
Starting point
County offices handle the countywide work.
Start with county offices for records, taxes, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and work on unincorporated land. Court cases go through the state court system, including the superior court serving the county.
What changes the answer: Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
County offices
Start with the task in front of you.
Yolo County handles countywide work and services on unincorporated land. Find the task below, then open the responsible office.
- Property Open the property-tax guide
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 guide
Deeds, birth and death records, marriage records, and name changes
Yolo County recorder is the usual office for deeds and many public records. Vital-record access depends on the record and year. A legal name change or divorce decree can involve Superior Court.
- Property work Open local-office help
Building permits, ADUs, zoning, code, water, and septic
For an unincorporated address, start with Yolo County planning or building. An address inside a city or town starts with that local permit counter.
- Housing Open rent and housing help
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 guide
CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and IHSS
Yolo County social-services agency is the main local office. Coverage, food, cash aid, and in-home support remain separate programs with separate notices.
- Public health Open health and benefits help
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 programs and offices.
- Business Open the business guide
Business setup, seller's permits, local licenses, and regulated work
State filings and tax accounts do not replace county zoning, licensing, building, fire, or health approvals for the address.
- Neighborhood services Open local-office help
Potholes, streetlights, graffiti, trash, and service requests
For a county-maintained road or service in an unincorporated area, start with Yolo County. Caltrans, utilities, transit systems, waste haulers, and special districts can own separate reporting paths.
- School and care Open the school and care guide
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 parking help
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 ticket help
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 emergency checks
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 check the matching state fire, smoke, road, or utility update.
Official county links
Open the office that handles the task.
The county links below come from California statewide directories and official county corrections. Property and recorder links open the state directory because several county offices can share one task.
Yolo County
City, county, and district responsibilities
County and city rules can share one address.
An address in Yolo County can sit inside a city. It can also sit on county land outside any city. That line picks the permit desk and some local rules. It does not move every county job to city hall.
County jobs stay with the county
The county assessor sets property value. The tax collector handles bills. The recorder, elections office, benefits office, and usually the health office also stay with Yolo County. The court serves the county but is part of the state court system.
Permits follow the city line
A city or town usually handles permits, zoning, parking, business licenses, and local code inside its lines. Yolo County handles these jobs on county land outside a city.
Districts can cross city and county lines
Water, sewer, fire, schools, transit, trash, and flood work may belong to a special district or other provider. The parcel or service bill is often the quickest way to name that agency.
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Yolo County
Community answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 5, 2026
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.
Community answer · 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.
Community answer · 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.
Community answer · 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.
Community 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.
Community answer · 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.
Stories & Notes
Stories and local context across Yolo County
Community 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.
Community 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.
Community 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.
Community 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.
Community 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.
Community 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.
- 2025 population
- 224,410
- Land area
- 1,012.988 sq mi
- Water area
- 8.837 sq mi