The term “Redwood Empire” has been used to describe different areas in California.
In terms of what I have covered for the past 30 odd years it has meant the track and cross country leagues of the North Bay League, Sonoma County League and the Coastal Mountain Conference.
Beginning in the 2018/19 season schools from those leagues were realigned and those schools, plus some new and old members, are now in the North Bay League (Oak, Redwood divisions), Vine Valley Athletic League and the Coastal Mountain Conference.
They cover four of California’s 58 counties. Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake and Napa. These are all north of San Francisco.
We cover a very large area, about the size of the states of Connecticut and Delaware combined, but have a very small population, less than the city of San Francisco.
Here are the county breakdowns.
Counties square 2018
miles populations
Sonoma 1,768 501,317
Mendocino 3,878 87,422
Lake 1,329 64,148
Napa 789 140,530
Total 7,764 793,417
In comparison San Francisco
47 870,044
States of
Connecticut 5,543 3,572,000
Delaware 2,489 965,479
combined 8,032
Redwood Empire Leagues and school sizes
Based on 2019-20 enrollment – grades 9-12
North Bay League History
……..XC divison size III
1896 Santa Rosa HS, track Oak div.
1729 Ukiah HS, track Redwood div.
1672 Montgomery HS, track Oak div.
1661 Windsor HS, track Oak div.
1482 Maria Carrillo HS, track Oak div.
1459 Rancho Cotate HS, track Redwood div.
……..XC divison size IV
1369 Piner HS, track Oak div.
1141 Analy HS, track Redwood div.
1005 Elsie Allen HS, track Redwood div.
……..XC divison size V
584 Cardinal Newman HS, track Redwood div.
555 Healdsburg HS, track Redwood div.
552 El Molino HS, track Oak div.
214 St. Vincent, track Redwood div.
Vine Valley Athletic League More details
……..XC divison size II
2182 Napa HS
1977 Vintage HS
……..XC divison size III
1764 Casa Grande HS
1705 American Canyon HS
1400 Petaluma HS
……..XC divison size IV
1250 Sonoma Valley HS
……..XC divison size V
539 Justin Siena HS
Coastal Mountain Conference
Made up of 27 schools with largest listed below.
……..XC divison size IV
786 Lower Lake
……..XC divison size V
570 Kelseyville
560 Fort Bragg
514 Willits
496 Middletown
471 St. Helena
464 Roseland Univ. Prep
415 Cloverdale
397 Clear Lake
330 Sonoma Academy
326 Technology
326 Roseland Collegiate
309 Upper Lake
269 Calistoga
plus 12 smaller schools
You can contact Jim Crowhurst/Web Page Editor
at [email protected]