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The Springs, Sonoma: Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters & El Verano Homes

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

“The Springs” is the cluster of unincorporated communities along Highway 12 just north and northwest of the City of Sonoma: Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente and El Verano. Homes here carry a Sonoma mailing address, but the County of Sonoma, not the city, sets the zoning, issues permits and collects the transfer tax. Each community is a Census-designated place rather than a town with its own council.

For buyers, the Springs is the part of the Sonoma Valley floor closest to the Plaza that sits outside city limits, which changes the rules on permits, vacation rentals and utilities. This page covers those rules, the county’s pending Springs Specific Plan, water and sewer, flood and fire checks, transit and what sellers should prepare. For the City of Sonoma itself, see our Sonoma real estate guide.

The Springs homes for sale

The Springs market report

The three communities at a glance

The Census Bureau counts each community separately. The figures below are American Community Survey five-year estimates for 2020 to 2024, as published by Census Reporter, so treat them as scale, not as current prices.

Community	Population	Land area	Housing units (ACS)	Median owner-occupied home value (ACS 2020–2024)
Boyes Hot Springs	7,247 (ACS estimate)	1.1 sq mi	2,715	$783,300
Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente	3,347 (ACS estimate)	1.5 sq mi	1,458	$823,800
El Verano	3,443 (ACS estimate)	1.1 sq mi	1,384	$909,300

The home values are what owners reported in surveys over five years, not recent sale prices, and each carries a margin of error. The listings and market report on this page come from current sales; use those for pricing.

County rules, not city rules

Permit Sonoma, the county’s planning and building department, handles zoning, building permits and code enforcement in all three communities. The City of Sonoma’s planning rules, design review and utilities stop at the city limit, so confirm which side of the line a parcel is on before you rely on anything you’ve read about “Sonoma.” Our comparison of city and county ownership lays out the differences.

The transfer tax is the county’s alone: $0.55 per $500 of value, or $1.10 per $1,000, with no city tax added. On an $800,000 sale that is $880. In Diamond’s North Bay markets the seller customarily pays, but it’s negotiable and local custom varies.

Vacation rentals follow the county’s code. Since a May 2023 ordinance, operators need a county vacation rental business license, and an April 2023 ordinance applied cap and exclusion zones to specific parcels in the 1st, 4th and 5th supervisorial districts.

The county’s license standards tie occupancy to bedrooms or septic capacity with a 12-guest maximum, allow one license per person, and limit ownership to individuals or family trusts. Check the parcel on the county’s map, and read our guide to Sonoma County vacation rental rules before you count on rental income.

The Springs Specific Plan

The county has been preparing the Springs Specific Plan since 2015 for about 178 acres between Agua Caliente Road to the north and Verano Avenue to the south, along the Highway 12 commercial corridor. It covers parts of Agua Caliente, Fetters Hot Springs and Boyes Hot Springs; El Verano is not named in the plan area.

The plan’s objectives include treating the corridor as a mixed-use “downtown,” building a central plaza, adding affordable, workforce and mixed-use housing, and improving sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks. Its proposed zoning would allow more than 700 housing units.

It is not adopted yet. A draft environmental impact report circulated from May 18 to July 19, 2022, and Permit Sonoma says the draft is being updated with expanded analysis of wildfire evacuation and wastewater. A buyer on or near Highway 12 should look at the plan’s proposed zoning maps, because the rules for neighboring parcels could change if it is adopted.

The plaza is moving separately. On December 5, 2023, county supervisors approved $708,000 to buy the 13,174-square-foot lot at 15 Boyes Boulevard, the former Uncle Patty’s site, bringing the county’s land there to about 22,000 square feet. A temporary plaza went in, and as of late 2024 no construction date had been set for a permanent one.

Streets, housing and parks

Highway 12, signed locally as Sonoma Highway, is the spine, with shops, restaurants and services along it and residential streets running off both sides. Boyes Boulevard, Agua Caliente Road and Verano Avenue are the main cross streets, and Arnold Drive runs along the west side of the valley floor toward Glen Ellen.

Housing is mostly older single-family houses on small and mid-size lots, mixed with duplexes and small apartment buildings, which is part of why investors look here. Because much of the stock predates current codes, check permits for additions and converted garages; our Sonoma investment property guide covers rentals in the valley.

Maxwell Farms Regional Park, a county park at Verano Avenue and Sonoma Highway along Sonoma Creek, has ball fields, tennis and pickleball courts, a skate park, a dog area, trails and the local Boys and Girls Club. North along the highway, Glen Ellen and Kenwood are the next unincorporated communities.

Water, sewer and septic

Water service depends on the parcel. Valley of the Moon Water District is the public water district for much of this part of the valley, and the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission found it in sound condition in a 2024 municipal service review; some parcels instead rely on private wells. The tax bill or title report will show the provider.

Sewer service on the valley floor comes from the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, which Sonoma Water has managed since 1995. The district covers about 4,500 acres, serves 17,927 equivalent single-family dwellings and treats wastewater at the Sonoma Valley Treatment Facility, rated at 3 million gallons per day.

Not every Springs parcel is connected. Confirm whether the home is on the sanitation district’s sewer or on a septic system, and for septic or a well, follow our checklist on wells, septic and rural utilities.

Flood and fire checks

Sonoma Creek runs through the Springs, and low-lying parcels near it can flood in big storms. In November 2024, the creek rose to 4.06 feet above flood stage at West Agua Caliente Road near Vailetti Drive, and a National Weather Service warning listed Boyes Hot Springs, El Verano and Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente among places likely to see flooding.

Look the address up on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to find its flood map panel and zone, then read the natural hazard disclosure report in escrow. Our page on North Bay flood zones explains the zone letters and when lenders ask for flood insurance.

For wildfire, check the parcel on CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps; State Responsibility Area maps took effect in April 2024 and Local Responsibility Area maps were released in early 2025. If the home is in a high or very high zone, Civil Code section 1102.19 requires the seller to provide defensible space documentation where it is available. If you need a defensible space inspection, a flood insurance quote or an elevation certificate, Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider.

Getting around

Sonoma County Transit Route 30 runs between Santa Rosa, with stops at Coddingtown, Santa Rosa Junior College and the downtown transit mall, and the Sonoma Plaza, serving Boyes Hot Springs, Glen Ellen, Kenwood and Oakmont along the way. On weekdays the first run leaves the Sonoma Plaza at 6:15 a.m., and some runs operate as a 30X express.

By car, Highway 12 heads south to the Plaza and north through Glen Ellen and Kenwood to Santa Rosa. There is no rail station in the valley, so commuters to Marin or San Francisco drive to Highway 101 or Highway 37.

Selling a home in the Springs

Many buyers start their search in the City of Sonoma and widen it to the Springs. A clear explanation of county jurisdiction, utilities and flood status keeps those buyers from getting nervous late in escrow.

Permits: pull the Permit Sonoma history and resolve open permits or unpermitted additions before listing.
Utilities: show the water provider, and either the sewer account or the septic records and a recent inspection.
Flood: have the flood zone, any elevation certificate and any past claims ready.
Rentals: if the home has tenants or a vacation rental license, document the lease terms or license status and whether a new owner could continue the use.
Plan area: if the parcel is in the Springs Specific Plan area, tell buyers where the plan stands.

Price from recent sales in the Springs and nearby unincorporated areas rather than from Plaza-area city sales. Our page on selling a home in Sonoma covers preparation and timing.

Questions people ask

Is Boyes Hot Springs part of the City of Sonoma?

No. Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente and El Verano are unincorporated parts of Sonoma County. They use a Sonoma mailing address, but Permit Sonoma handles zoning and permits and only the county transfer tax applies.

What is the difference between Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente and El Verano?

They are separate Census-designated places on the Sonoma Valley floor. Boyes Hot Springs and Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente straddle Highway 12 north of the city, and El Verano lies to the west around Verano Avenue and Arnold Drive. All three follow the same county rules.

Has the Springs Specific Plan been adopted?

Not as of this review. Its draft environmental impact report circulated in 2022, and Permit Sonoma says the draft is being updated. The proposed zoning would allow more than 700 housing units in the 178-acre plan area.

Can I run a vacation rental in the Springs?

Possibly. Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a vacation rental license and zoning compliance, and some neighborhoods have cap or exclusion zones. Check the specific parcel on the county’s map before you buy.

Who provides water and sewer in the Springs?

Water usually comes from Valley of the Moon Water District or a private well, and sewer from the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District, managed by Sonoma Water. Some parcels are on septic, so confirm for the address.

Does the Springs flood?

Parts of it can. Sonoma Creek ran more than four feet above flood stage near West Agua Caliente Road in November 2024. Check the parcel on FEMA’s flood map and read the natural hazard disclosure report.

What is the transfer tax in Boyes Hot Springs?

Only the county’s documentary transfer tax applies: $0.55 per $500 of value, or $1.10 per $1,000. That’s $880 on an $800,000 sale.

Can I get to Santa Rosa by bus from the Springs?

Yes. Sonoma County Transit Route 30 runs between the Sonoma Plaza and Santa Rosa via Boyes Hot Springs, Glen Ellen, Kenwood and Oakmont, with weekday service starting at 6:15 a.m. from the Plaza.

If you’re comparing the Springs with the City of Sonoma, or getting a Springs home ready to sell, we can check the parcel’s jurisdiction, utilities, flood zone and plan-area status before you commit. Contact us to talk it through, or read our guide to Sonoma vs. Sonoma County.

Sources & notes

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.