Home / Communities / Marin County / Santa Venetia

Santa Venetia, CA Homes for Sale & Real Estate

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

Santa Venetia is an unincorporated community in Marin County, about 1.5 miles north of downtown San Rafael, set along North San Pedro Road between Gallinas Creek on the north and China Camp State Park on the east. Homes here have San Rafael 94903 addresses, but the County of Marin, not the City of San Rafael, handles zoning and permits, and a sale pays only the county transfer tax. Much of the neighborhood sits on filled marsh behind a creek levee, so flood diligence comes first for any buyer.

The 2020 census counted 4,289 residents in the Santa Venetia census-designated place, on about 3.66 square miles of land that includes part of China Camp. The Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimates 1,748 housing units and a median value for owner-occupied homes of $1,006,300. The marshland here was filled in 1914 for developer Mabry McMahan’s plan for a Venice-style bayside resort with canals, a plan that ended after World War I; most of the neighborhood was built after World War II, including the Gallinas Village subdivision.

Santa Venetia homes for sale

Santa Venetia market report

Who governs Santa Venetia

Because Santa Venetia is outside San Rafael’s city limits, county agencies and special districts provide most services. The San Rafael mailing address is a frequent source of confusion, so confirm jurisdiction by parcel number before you rely on any city rule.

Service	Provider	What it means for owners
Zoning, design review, building permits	County of Marin Community Development Agency	County code and county permit counters, not the City of San Rafael
Flood protection	Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Flood Control Zone 7	Levees, pump stations and tide gates for the neighborhood
Sewer	Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District	Lateral inspection report due before close of escrow
Transfer tax	Marin County only	$1.10 per $1,000; San Rafael’s city tax does not apply
Short-term rentals	County of Marin license	Required for stays of 30 days or less
Public schools	San Rafael City Schools	Venetia Valley School (K-8) is the local school; confirm assignments with the district

The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District notes that its original treatment plant was built to address failing septic tanks in Santa Venetia. For water, fire and other services, confirm the provider for the specific parcel on the preliminary title report and with the agencies.

Housing stock and the streets along the creek

Significant building in Santa Venetia came only after World War II, so most homes date from the post-war decades onward. Homes that back onto Gallinas Creek can have direct water access, which is part of the area’s draw and also the reason the levee matters.

The streets closest to the South Fork of Gallinas Creek, including Vendola Drive, Meadow Drive and La Pasada Way, sit directly behind the levee. A January 2026 Marin Independent Journal report put the number of homes near the levee at about 600. North San Pedro Road, the main road, passes Frank Lloyd Wright’s Marin County Civic Center and continues east through the neighborhood to China Camp.

Because some lots back onto the creek and others sit well away from it, buyers comparing two Santa Venetia houses are often comparing two different flood profiles. Ask early whether the lot backs onto the levee, whether any part of the levee crosses the parcel, and what the flood insurance has cost.

Flood risk: the levee, Zone 7 and the floodwall plan

The county created Flood Control Zone 7 in 1962 to deal with creek and tidal flooding in Santa Venetia. The zone covers 0.42 square miles and 890 parcels. The district says the area was built on fill over bay mud before the county regulated development, has since subsided and now lies below the high tide level.

Infrastructure: Zone 7 maintains 1.9 miles of flood protection levees, 14 pumps at five pump stations plus five portable pumps, tide gates and trash racks, and annual vegetation work along 0.85 mile of creek.
The levee itself: an earthen berm reinforced with timber after a mid-1980s flood. The district has described the perimeter barrier as the weak link in the system, and much of it sits on private property.
Recent events: during storms in early January 2026, the levee had multiple failures, including seepage, overtopping and a partial collapse at one home, according to the Marin Independent Journal. County Supervisor Mary Sackett estimated that rebuilding the levee could approach $25 million.

The current proposal is the Santa Venetia Floodwall Project: a sheet-pile wall about 7,800 feet long built along the top of the existing levee, from 55 Meadow Drive, west of the Meadow Drive bridge, to Pump Station 5 just east of 825 Vendola Drive. The district’s stated goal is protection from the 100-year flood over a 30-year design life. A revised environmental document was out for comment from August 28 to September 28, 2026, and it went to a Flood Control District board hearing on October 20, 2026. As of the county page’s October 16 update, no decision or construction schedule had been posted, and funding was uncertain after federal grant programs the county had counted on were shut down, so check the county’s project page for the latest status.

Checking a specific parcel: flood, sea level rise and fire

Look up the FEMA flood zone on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and ask the seller for any elevation certificate and the flood insurance history. Our North Bay flood zone guide explains what a mapped zone means for a lender.
Read the natural hazard disclosure report closely; our guide to the natural hazard disclosure report covers what it includes and what it leaves out.
Review sea level rise exposure. The county’s BayWAVE vulnerability assessment (2017) studied Marin’s eastern shoreline from the Golden Gate Bridge to the county line north of Novato under six sea level rise scenarios, with profiles of parcels, roads and utilities.
Check the fire hazard zone. Marin County Fire publishes the state’s updated Local Responsibility Area maps, which rate land as Moderate, High or Very High hazard based on vegetation, terrain and climate. Homes near China Camp and the open-space ridges deserve a look; see our North Bay fire hazard zone guide.
Ask about levee easements and maintenance on creekside parcels, since the district has sought maintenance access across private lots.

Local rules: permits, rentals, sewer and transfer tax

Permits: additions, remodels and site work go through the County of Marin. Our page on Marin property access and improvement review explains how to check a parcel’s records before you buy or build.
Short-term rentals: unincorporated Marin requires a county short-term rental license for stays of 30 days or less, under an ordinance the Board of Supervisors updated in January 2024. See our Marin County short-term rental rules.
Sewer lateral at sale: Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District requires the seller to submit a lateral inspection report before close of escrow. A lateral installed or fully replaced under a district permit within the past 20 years, or one with a certification within 20 years, may be exempt. Transfers to heirs, between co-owners and between spouses are not treated as triggering transfers. Our Marin County selling requirements by town lists the other agencies.
Transfer tax: the Marin County Assessor-Recorder charges $0.55 per $500 of value, or $1.10 per $1,000, based on full value less any liens the buyer assumes. San Rafael’s $2.00 per $1,000 city tax, and Measure W on the November 3, 2026 ballot that would raise it, apply only inside city limits. The seller customarily pays in the North Bay, but it’s negotiable and local custom varies; see California transfer tax.

Parks, open space and getting around

Santa Venetia Marsh Open Space Preserve: about 33 acres of restored salt marsh at the end of the Gallinas Creek delta, reached from the ends of Vendola Drive, with a 1.2-mile trail on the levee. Marin County Parks lists Ridgway’s rail and the salt marsh harvest mouse among the species it supports.
McInnis Park: a 450-acre county park at 310 Smith Ranch Road, with a nine-hole golf course, driving range, softball and soccer fields, a marsh trail and a kayak and canoe launch on Gallinas Creek.
China Camp State Park: covers the eastern part of the census area, reached by North San Pedro Road.
Transit and roads: SMART’s Marin Civic Center station is at 3801 Civic Center Drive, and the North San Pedro Road exit connects the neighborhood to Highway 101.

Santa Venetia compared with nearby areas

Area	Jurisdiction	Transfer tax at sale	Permits
Santa Venetia	Unincorporated Marin County	County only, $1.10 per $1,000	Marin County CDA
Lucas Valley-Marinwood	Unincorporated Marin County	County only, $1.10 per $1,000	Marin County CDA
San Rafael, inside city limits	City of San Rafael	County plus city tax of $2.00 per $1,000 (Measure W pending)	City of San Rafael

Buyers who like the creek and bay setting often also look at Peacock Gap on the far side of China Camp and at Terra Linda to the west. For other homes on or near the water, see our guide to Marin County waterfront homes. Check each parcel’s jurisdiction, since it decides which permit office, rental rules and transfer tax apply.

Selling a home in Santa Venetia

Buyers here ask flood questions first, so the strongest listings answer them before the first showing. Before you list, gather:

the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District lateral inspection report, or proof of an exemption;
the flood insurance history, any elevation certificate and any records of levee work, easements or water intrusion on the lot;
county permits for additions, docks, decks and other improvements;
the natural hazard disclosure report, with flood and fire zone status;
the county short-term rental license, if the home has been rented for stays of 30 days or less;
a transfer tax estimate at the county rate only.

Pricing should compare like with like: a creekside home with water access, a home on a street behind the levee and a home farther from the creek draw different buyers and carry different insurance costs. Our Marin County seller services page covers the listing process.

Questions people ask

Is Santa Venetia part of San Rafael?

No. Santa Venetia has San Rafael 94903 mailing addresses but is unincorporated Marin County. The county handles zoning and permits, and San Rafael’s city transfer tax does not apply.

Is Santa Venetia in a flood zone?

Many parcels are low-lying and protected by a levee and pumps, but zone status varies by lot. Check the parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and in the natural hazard disclosure report.

What is the Santa Venetia levee?

It is an earthen berm along the South Fork of Gallinas Creek, reinforced with timber after a mid-1980s flood and maintained by Flood Control Zone 7. It had several failures in the January 2026 storms.

What is the Santa Venetia floodwall project?

A proposed sheet-pile wall about 7,800 feet long on top of the existing levee, from Meadow Drive to Pump Station 5 near Vendola Drive, designed for 100-year flood protection over 30 years. Its environmental review went to a board hearing on October 20, 2026; check the county’s project page for the decision.

Who provides sewer service in Santa Venetia?

Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District. When you sell, the district requires a sewer lateral inspection report before close of escrow unless the lateral qualifies for an exemption.

What transfer tax applies when I sell in Santa Venetia?

Only Marin County’s documentary transfer tax: $0.55 per $500, or $1.10 per $1,000. The seller customarily pays it in the North Bay, but that’s negotiable.

Can I rent my Santa Venetia home short-term?

Only with a County of Marin short-term rental license, which is required for stays of 30 days or less in unincorporated areas.

Which school district serves Santa Venetia?

San Rafael City Schools. Venetia Valley School is the local K-8 school; confirm assignments for an address with the district.

If you’re considering a home in Santa Venetia and want the flood, sewer and permit records reviewed before you write an offer, our Marin County team can help, or request a home valuation if you’re thinking of selling.

Sources & notes

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.