Glen Ellen, California

Glen Ellen is a census-designated place in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California. The population was 714 at the 2020 census.

Geography

Glen Ellen sits about 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of the city of Sonoma. The Census Bureau reports a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2), almost entirely land, with Sonoma Creek running through town.

History

In 1859, Charles V. Stuart purchased part of the Rancho Agua Caliente land grant. In 1868 he began building a house and established a 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) vineyard named Glen Ellen after his wife. The town that developed around the vineyard took the same name, and Stuart’s home was later renamed Glen Oaks Ranch. The area was badly affected by wildfire in October 2017.

Parks and points of interest

Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London State Historic Park and Sonoma Valley Regional Park. Jack London lived in Glen Ellen from 1909 until his death in 1916 and developed his Beauty Ranch and the Wolf House mansion; the park now includes the ruins of Wolf House, ranch buildings, and the graves of Jack and Charmian London, along with a museum in the House of Happy Walls. The Sonoma Developmental Center is located just outside town near the Jack London ranch. Glen Ellen is part of Wine Country and the Sonoma Mountain AVA, with vineyards and wineries throughout the area. The town is also associated with Hunter S. Thompson, who once lived there.

Climate

Nearby Santa Rosa has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Koppen Csb), with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers; summer mornings often bring Pacific fog before clearing later in the day.