Healdsburg Station Location

Where should the SMART Healdsburg station be located?

SMART is bringing passenger rail service back to Healdsburg for the first time in nearly 70 years. As planning advances, SMART is seeking public input on an important question: Where should the Healdsburg SMART station be located?

A station is a long-term investment, and its location can shape how people use it for decades to come. Proximity to homes, jobs, and destinations, as well as connections to buses, walking, bicycling and the regional road network, can all influence how convenient the train is for residents, workers, and visitors. However, a station can also spur high density housing and mixed-use development increasing use and ridership over time.

The Healdsburg station will serve both the local community and people traveling throughout the SMART system. Whether you live in Healdsburg, or plan to utilize the train to travel to or from Healdsburg for work, school, shopping, dining or recreation, we want to hear from you.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey using the link below and share your thoughts. Your feedback will help SMART better understand community travel needs and preferences as we evaluate potential station locations.

We encourage everyone with an interest in the future of rail service in Healdsburg to participate in the survey. Your feedback will help inform this decision by sharing your travel needs and identifying which station location would best serve the Healdsburg community and future SMART riders.

Two locations are being considered

• Depot/Hudson
• Vine/West Plaza/Downtown

The two locations are approximately 0.45 miles apart, but they have different characteristics related to surrounding land uses, sidewalk access, bus transit and local transportation connections, parking, future development opportunities and proximity to homes, jobs and destinations.

Depot/Hudson Location

• Proximity to the historic depot, residential areas and destinations in south Healdsburg: The Depot/Hudson site is adjacent to Healdsburg’s historic rail depot and approximately 0.38 miles, or an eight-minute walk, from the Healdsburg Plaza. The location is near established residential neighborhoods, as well as businesses, schools, and visitor destinations in south Healdsburg.
• Greater flexibility for station facilities: The site has more land available immediately surrounding the proposed station, providing greater flexibility for station facilities such as bike lockers and currently has 48 parking spaces.
• Greater opportunity for high-density housing development: It is also located near more of the City’s undeveloped land that is identified for future high-density housing and mixed-use development.
• Consistent with existing City planning direction: The site has been assumed as the SMART station location in previous City planning efforts and is included in the City’s Station Area Specific Plan planning area. The City Council identified Depot/Hudson as its preferred location in February 2024 and reaffirmed that preference in September 2026.
• Fewer existing destinations nearby: The site is farther from the Plaza and currently has fewer established commercial, employment, dining, and visitor destinations within walking distance.
• Ridership and growth depend on development build-out: Future station-area development could increase the number of destinations and activity near the station over time, however, that will depend on future land-use decisions, private investment, infrastructure capacity, and market conditions.
• Bus connections would require improvements: Improvements to local and regional bus service connections and other transportation access would be needed to support convenient connections to and from the station.

Vine/West Plaza/Downtown Location

• Proximity to Healdsburg Plaza and downtown destinations: The Vine/West Plaza/Downtown site is located on Vine Street between North Street and Matheson Street, adjacent to the West Plaza parking lot and approximately 0.2 miles, or a four-minute walk, from the Healdsburg Plaza.
• Integration with existing downtown environment: The station would operate within an active downtown environment where train service would be integrated with existing vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, bus, parking, and other activity.
• Potential to serve existing travel activity: Its location is within the established downtown area where a greater amount of trips beginning or ending in Healdsburg occur, which the train could alternatively serve, while providing opportunities to connect with existing local and regional bus services.
• Proximity to jobs, businesses, and services: The site would place rail service closer to a greater concentration of existing jobs, businesses, schools, services, and daily activity in downtown Healdsburg.
• More limited space for station facilities and parking: With more limited space for station facilities and parking, the station design would require changes to portions of the West Plaza parking area and other existing public spaces, including removal of some trees to accommodate station operations and the multiuse pathway.
• Less flexibility for future station-area development: The amount of undeveloped land near the site is limited, which may constrain opportunities for larger-scale station-area development, although redevelopment, infill, and other forms of development could occur over time

View Recent Presentations

Learn more about the proposed Healdsburg SMART station locations by viewing presentation materials from recent meetings of the SMART Board of Directors and Healdsburg City Council.

SMART Board of Directors — September 16, 2026
Healdsburg City Council — September 21, 2026 (presentation on page 32)
Community Meeting at Healdsburg High School - October 22, 2026

Take the Survey

We want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share your thoughts on the future location of the Healdsburg SMART station. Your input will help inform this important decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does proximity to destinations, jobs, and bus transit matter when the walk difference is between 4 minutes and 8 minutes?

When individuals make travel decisions, they primarily weigh whether the mode of travel will allow them to comfortably get to where they want to go and if it will get them there on time. Proximity, reliability, and perceived safety and comfort matters. If sidewalks are narrow, crowded, or have obstacles like missing curb ramps, people may perceive their experience as more challenging and less comfortable.

Is there a difference in the traffic impact between the two locations?

Train movement will affect the roundabout and rail crossings in Healdsburg, including through Downtown, as trains travel to Geyserville and Cloverdale, regardless of the station’s location. For passage of a single train, crossing warning devices at the roundabout will activate for approximately 60 seconds. Some scenarios will result in longer warning device activation periods, such as when northbound and southbound trains meet at the station.

More than 800 daily passenger trips are expected to and from the SMART Healdsburg station, including people who previously traveled to Healdsburg by car. Pedestrians will walk a number of routes from either station and surrounding sidewalks may need modernization for accessibility. Today, the sidewalk network around the Vine/W. Plaza/Downtown site is more connected and doesn't have the sidewalk gaps the Depot/Hudson site has according to the City of Healdsburg’s 2025 Active Transportation Plan.

How many parking spaces are required for a Healdsburg station?

Not all SMART stations have dedicated parking, and the number of parking spaces available varies by location. For example, SMART’s Larkspur station has 34 standard parking spaces and 6 accessible spaces, and the lot is typically one-half to two-thirds full, with approximately 20-26 spaces occupied.

Approximately 30 spaces will be needed for a station in Healdsburg. The Depot/Hudson site has 48 spaces, while the Vine/West Plaza/Downtown site would use up to 30 spaces within the West Plaza parking lot for SMART riders.

Will there be a parking impact at the West Plaza parking lot, regardless of the station location?

Yes, regardless of the station location, the project’s construction will require the elimination of some parking to provide adequate space for trains. Currently, there are 54 auto parking spaces in the West Plaza parking lot that are within SMART-owned land. While the Depot/Hudson station would result in less parking impacts at the West Plaza parking lot, SMART reserves the right to utilize SMART property for alternative public benefit.

How would parking be affected if the station were located at the Vine/ W. Plaza/Downtown site?

The West Plaza parking lot currently has 269 parking spaces, including 54 spaces that are within SMART-owned land, 45 private reserved spaces for hotel valet use, 6 ADA spaces, and 164 other spaces available to the public. Approximately 30 spaces will be reduced from the 54 spaces located within SMART’s owned land.

What is the difference in the bus transit connectivity between the two locations?

The Vine/W. Plaza/Downtown location is a closer walk to connecting regional Sonoma County Transit regional Route 60 bus services on Healdsburg Avenue at the Plaza and will include a new bus pullout on Vine Street to closely coordinate local Route 67 bus and train connections. The Depot/Hudson site has an existing bus stop which can be used by the local Sonoma County Transit Route 67, which can be re-routed to serve the station with some additional time added. The Depot/Hudson site cannot be served directly with larger regional transit buses and is a 6-minute walk from the southbound regional Sonoma County Transit Route 60 bus stop currently located south of the roundabout on Healdsburg Avenue.

Will tree removal be required as part of the project?

Yes, regardless of the station location, some tree removal on SMART owned land will be required where trees interfere with the clearances required for train operation. SMART makes every effort to minimize tree impacts and plant trees in alternative locations as mitigation or restoration. All trees on SMART owned land within the project limits from Windsor to Lytton Road have tags on them today for inventory purposes. Not every tree will be removed, and most removed trees will be replaced, as determined through engineering and permitting. However, we do anticipate most trees on SMART owned land between the tracks and Vine Street on the block between Matheson and North Streets will be removed if the station is on Vine Street. We have been working with the City to identify local restoration and environmental restoration opportunities and would welcome suggestions.

Is there a difference in costs between the two station locations?

The station construction costs are roughly the same. There would be additional construction costs associated with adding a rail crossing connecting the Ward neighborhood to the pathway. A Vine/W. Plaza/Downtown station would require minor additional costs associated with the realignment of the pathway along Vine St. between Mill St. and North St.

What about the original depot buildings?

SMART’s stations do not utilize historic rail depot buildings for station operations anywhere on the rail corridor. The rehabilitation and activation of the depot buildings in Healdsburg are not part of the project. Regardless of the station location, the restoration of the depot buildings is currently unfunded, but SMART will work with the City to find resources to restore the Depot buildings, perhaps as part of the future development in the area, as there are interesting possible use cases for restoring the buildings independent of a SMART station.

Why is SMART reviewing the station location?

SMART’s responsibility is to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and this project includes $269 million of grants from federal, state, and regional programs. SMART is also serving as the regional transit spine for Cloverdale to Larkspur and beyond and seeks to create the most seamless and effective intermodal (rail, bus, bike, walk, rideshare) system possible. As SMART continues completing the system to the North, SMART is evaluating station location considerations to ensure that stations can deliver the maximum transportation and connectivity benefit.

Can SMART build two stations in Healdsburg?

No, there will not be two SMART stations in Healdsburg. The ideal spacing of commuter rail stations is typically five to seven miles. If stations are too close together, it increases travel time and makes the service less attractive.