Leaving the metropolitan area, U.S. 101 returns to a four-lane freeway configuration, but the freeway is overwhelmed due to a high traffic volume. A third lane in each direction is currently under construction, and it is expected to result in a reduction of traffic delays that plague the U.S. 101 corridor at all hours of the day. U.S. 101 serves the Sonoma County communities of Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Sanata Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg, and Cloverdale. North of Cloverdale, plans call for expansion of U.S. 101 into a freeway as it leads into Mendocino County.
Sonoma County is well-known for its wines, and it is compared frequently to its better-known neighbor to the east, Napa County. While Napa Valley is recognized internationally for its wines and grapes, many Bay Area residents patronize the Sonoma County wine country. While traveling north on U.S. 101, vineyards are increasingly common as farmers find more value in this lucrative crop.
