Vallejo (pronounced /v?'le?o?/ or /v?'le?ho?/ in English; [ba'?exo] in the original Spanish) is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. Vallejo has the largest population in Solano County, with approximately 118,000 residents. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay. Vallejo is named for General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo.

Located in the southern-most part of the county, Vallejo enjoys a waterfront atmosphere that includes Mare Island Strait, Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay. Vallejo is a friendly, active waterfront community that attracts innovative and hardworking people. A strong economy and affordable housing has meant new prosperity for Vallejo, as new businesses and new residents come to the city. Some are attracted by the beautifully restored Victorian homes and business fronts; others by the newer homes in the Northgate and Hiddenbrooke developments.

Vallejo is home to the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom theme park (formerly Marine World and Marine World Africa USA) ; the now-defunct Mare Island Naval Shipyard; the regional office for Region 5 of the United States Forest Service; the California Maritime Academy (part of the California State University system); the Vallejo Center campus of Solano Community College; and Touro University, an osteopathic medical college. Ferry service runs from a terminal on Mare Island Strait to San Francisco, through Vallejo Transit's BayLink division. Vallejo is well known among hip-hop fans as the home to many rappers, including E-40, Gee Soul, Celly Cel, Mac Mall, Mac Dre, and Young Lay.

Vallejo has twice served as the capital of the State of California: once in 1852 and again in 1853, both periods being quite brief. Some of the first Europeans drawn to the Vallejo area were attracted by the sulfur springs; in the year 1902 the area was named Blue Rock Springs. In 2008, Vallejo became the largest California city ever to file for bankruptcy.

The city's ferry terminal and ferry service have served as a model for the rest of the Bay Area, helping make Vallejo a transportation and commuter hub for the North Bay. Vallejo is also the well-known landmark for Six Flags Marine World. It is also the site of the Blue and Gold Fleet, the ferry commuter system serving several points in the San Francisco Bay Area on a daily basis.

The city recently earned Main Street designation, and as a result its downtown area will receive a host of benefits ranging from on-site training in effective commercial district revitalization, technical assistance, consulting services, networking activities, and site assessments from California Main Street. These benefits will help with the city's revitalization efforts.

Waterfront and Mare Island redevelopment have become a community effort, with input from residents helping shape the future of what could become the most important economic generator for the city.

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