CNN and Money Magazine's online publication www.cnnmoney.com has named Novato, California the number one place to live for clean air in the United States on its list of 25 top American small cities. Criteria are the combination of a high-quality air rating and a pollution level below the United States average. Other California cities ranking in the top-25 list are Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Salinas, all of which came in head and shoulders above cities in such states as Hawaii, known as a tropical paradise.
Located in Northern California's Bay Area, this Marin County city was originally the site of several Native American villages. Early pioneers in the mid-1950's planted orchards and vineyards and the area grew as fertile farmland. The Great Depression impacted land ownership and a portion of the farms disappeared, but the area began to boom again after WWII when Novato grew with the onslaught of tract homes and an accompanying freeway. In 1960, Novato was officially incorporated as a city and today it is home to Fireman's Fund Insurance, several biotech firms, and numerous technology companies. Entertainment companies and retailers have also discovered Novato of late.
The Republic of Tea, the largest tea distributor in the United States also hangs its hat in Novato. The former Hamilton Air Force Base, although decommissioned since 1974, is a designated Historic District whose hangars have been renovated and house offices for Sony Imageworks, Visual Concepts Entertainment, Smith & Hawken, and Birkenstock Distribution of America. Quaint and historical, this pleasant town with its original railway station in tact offers more than meets the eye with all the industry it houses. Just 30 miles north of San Francisco, it is a hop, skip, and a jump from the urban features of city life while ranking number one for clean air in the nation.