Yolo County, California Genealogy

Guide to Yolo 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 has birth, marriage, death and land records divorce, probate and court records from 1850

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

Description
The county was named from a Native American name variously believed to be a corruption of a tribal name Yo-loy meaning "a place abounding in rushes" or of the name of the chief, Yodo, or of the village of Yodoi. The county seat Woodland and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the north 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

 * Colusa
 * Lake
 * Napa
 * Sacramento
 * Solano
 * Sutter

Biography

 * Yolo County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Yolo County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Searchable Index to Yolo County Biographical Sketches (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Index to Yolo County Biographies List (CAGenWeb Project)

Church History and Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

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

History

 * Index to Yolo County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Research Guide to Yolo County History

Land and Property
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1900 (*); Yolo County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1850-1901 (*); Yolo County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1859-1927 (*); Yolo County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1861-1922 (*); Yolo County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1883-1927 (*); Yolo County Superior Court at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1895-1911 (*); Yolo County County Clerk at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Index to Yolo County Federal 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

Civil War

 * 1883 Yolo County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 Yolo County, Civil War Veterans Rosters, G.A.R. Posts (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

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

World War II

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 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

Obituaries

 * Yolo County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Surname Index to Yolo County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Yolo County Obituary Sources - Scroll down to "Yolo County Queries, Obituaries, etc." (CAGenWeb Project)

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

 * El Dorado California Family History Center
 * Elk Grove California Family History Center
 * Fairfield California Family History Center
 * Jackson California Family History Center
 * Napa California Family History Center
 * Sacramento California FamilySearch Library
 * Sonoma California Family History Center
 * Vacaville California Family History Center
 * Woodland California Family History Center


 * Napa Valley Genealogical & Biographical Society - an affiliate library

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Birth

 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Early Yolo County Birth Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

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($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Early Yolo County Marriages by year (Genealogy Trails)
 * Early Yolo County Marriage Notices by year (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
 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1940 - 1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * Yolo County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Winter, Dunnigan, Zamora, and Clarksburg areas.

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
Yolo County Historical Society P.O. Box 1447 Woodland, CA 95776 Phone:530-661-2212 Website

Davis Historical Society c/o Dennis Dingemans, 645 "C" Street Davis, CA 95616 Website

Friends of Yolo County Archives 226 Buckeye Street Woodland, CA 95695-2600 Website

West Sacramento Historical Society P.O.Box 1202 324 Third Street W. Sacramento, CA 95691 Phone: 916-374-1849 Website


 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

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