Santa Rosa - Then & Now: California Author:Eric Stanley With a population of over 157,000, Santa Rosa is the fifth-largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city’s size is sometimes a shock to longtime residents. When did it get so big? A farm town for much of its history, today Santa Rosa reflects a desire to retain—or even recapture— the charm of years past while still embracing the 21st cent... more »ury.« less