Petaluma

City, Sonoma county, western California, U.S., at the head of navigation on the Petaluma River, 38 miles (61 km) north of San Francisco. Founded in 1852, it derived its name from the Rancho Petaluma (Miwok Indian pe'ta, �flat�; lu'ma, �back�). The poultry and egg industry, dairying, and wine making are foremost commercial activities, supplemented by light manufactures (notably processing machinery