HomeBodega vs Bodega Bay

Bodega vs Bodega Bay

Two towns, one name, and the question we get most often. Here is how the inland village and the coastal harbor town differ, and why “The Birds” is tied to both.

The most-asked question

Two towns,
about five miles apart.

Bodega and Bodega Bay are not the same place. They are two separate communities in western Sonoma County, roughly five miles apart on Bodega Highway. Bodega is the inland historic village; Bodega Bay is the coastal harbor town to the west. The mix-up is old, and Hitchcock did not help: much of “The Birds” was set in a fictional Bodega Bay but filmed in the inland village of Bodega.

Inland historic village

Bodega

A village of about 211 residents in the rolling hills of western Sonoma County, roughly five miles inland from the coast. Its 19th-century core still stands, from the Carpenter Gothic church to the roadhouse bar.

Known for

Potter Schoolhouse, the 1873 building from the schoolyard scene in “The Birds,” now a private residence viewed from the road
St. Teresa of Avila Church, built in 1859 and among the oldest continuously used Catholic churches in Sonoma County
The land scenes of “The Birds,” filmed at the schoolhouse and the church
The Casino Bar & Grill, the village bar and restaurant since 1949

Coastal harbor town

Bodega Bay

A working harbor town on the Pacific, about five miles west of the village. This is the coast: a fishing fleet, broad beaches, seafood off the boat, and the headland at Bodega Head.

Known for

The harbor and its fishing fleet
Beaches along the Sonoma Coast, including Salmon Creek Beach
Fresh seafood, including the rebuilt Tides Wharf
Bodega Head, a headland with hiking trails and ocean overlooks
Gray-whale watching from Bodega Head, roughly January through May

Quick answers

The questions people
actually type.

Is Bodega the same as Bodega Bay?

No. They are two distinct communities about five miles apart. Bodega sits inland among the hills; Bodega Bay sits on the coast to the west. Same name, same county, different places.

How far apart are they?

About five miles, roughly ten minutes by car on Bodega Highway. Bodega is the inland stop; keep driving west and you reach Bodega Bay and the ocean.

Which town was “The Birds” filmed in?

Both, in different scenes. Alfred Hitchcock set the 1963 film in a fictional Bodega Bay, then filmed key land scenes in the inland village of Bodega: the schoolyard attack at the Potter Schoolhouse and the exterior of St. Teresa of Avila Church. The harbor scenes at the Tides Wharf and the sequences at Bodega Head were shot in Bodega Bay proper.

Getting there

Both towns make an easy day trip from the Bay Area: about 65 miles and roughly 1.5 hours from San Francisco by way of US-101 to Petaluma, then west on Bodega Avenue and Highway 1. Coming from San Francisco you reach the inland village first; Bodega Bay is about five miles further west, toward the water.

If you have time for only one, the village rewards a careful walk of its historic core. If you want the ocean, keep driving west to the harbor. Many visitors pair the two in a single day.