Napa County, California Genealogy

Guide to Napa County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records. California Online Genealogy Records

County Courthouse
County Clerk Recorder has birth and death records from 1873 marriage and land records from 1850 Court Executive Officer has divorce and court records from 1850

Parent County
18 February 1850: Napa County was created as an original county. County seat: Napa

Description
The county seat Napa and the county was created February 18, 1850. The County is located in the northwest central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties

 * Contra Costa
 * Lake
 * Solano
 * Sonoma
 * Yolo

Biography

 * Napa County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Napa County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Napa 1st Ward
 * Napa 2nd Ward
 * Napa 3rd Ward
 * Napa 4th Ward (YSA)
 * St. Helena Branch
 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

History

 * Index to Napa County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1897-1913 (*); Napa County Tax Collector at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Index to Napa County Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Military History and Records

 * 1883 Napa County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

Civil War

 * 1886 Index to Rosters, G.A.R. Posts in Napa County (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II

 * Index to Napa County World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, Napa County, California (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
 * Napa County library digitized newspapers

Obituaries

 * 1866-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Index to Napa County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Napa County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Family History Centers

 * Cloverdale California Family History Center
 * Fairfield California Family History Center
 * Napa California Family History Center
 * Oakland California FamilySearch Library
 * Santa Rosa California Family History Center
 * Sonoma California Family History Center
 * Vacaville California Family History Center
 * Vallejo California Family History Center

Societies
Bay Area Genealogical Societies
 * Napa County Historical Society
 * Napa Valley Genealogical Society
 * California Genealogical Society and Library - 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA 94612-3031 Tel. (510) 663-1358    FAX (510) 663-1596: Link
 * East Bay Genealogical Society - PO Box 20417, Oakland, CA 94620-0417 Link
 * Hayward Area Genealogical Society - Meets at 395 Paseo Grande Avenue, San Lorenzo, CA [sites.rootsweb.com/~cahags/ Link]
 * Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society - Meets at 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton, CA CA Link
 * MacGen (Macintosh Genealogical) Society - Meets at 4766 Lincoln Ave., Oakland, CA 94602 Link
 * San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society Link
 * San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society Link
 * Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society - Meets at Santa Clara Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Rd., Santa Clara, CA http://scchgs.org/

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Birth

 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Marriage

 * 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Napa County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

 * 1966 - 1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Death

 * 1776 - 2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1940 - 1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Napa County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Napa, St. Helena, American Canyon, Calistoga, Yountville, Deer Park, Anguin, Rutherford and Spanish Flat areas.
 * Deaths, Napa County, California, 1873-1905 : copied from records in the Napa County Recorder's Office by members of the Napa Valley Genealogical and Biographical Society at FamilySearch; Also at: MyHeritage($)

Voting Registers

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Napa County Historical Society 1219 First Street Napa 94559 Website

Napa Valley Genealogical Society 1701 Menlo Avenue Napa 94558-4725 Website
 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

 * Napa County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Napa County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * Tombstone Transcription Project
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Napa County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Napa County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)