In 1836, a farm was established along Purrington Creek, between what are now the towns of Occidental and Graton. These farms or ranches were used for producing additional food and for agricultural projects conducted by Fort Ross's agronomist Yegor Chernykh.
Research on Fort Ross has indicated that several farms were developed inland from the coastal fur trading fort in northwestern Sonoma County. Graton is noted as lying at the approximate furthest southern and eastern extent of Russian colonization of the Americas. The elevation ranges from approximately 85 feet (26 m) above Mean Sea Level (MSL) at Atascadero Creek to 213 feet (65 m) MSL at Oak Grove School. Graton is located at the southeastern end of Green Valley, on the east bank of the seasonally flooding Atascadero Creek. Graton has a total area of 1.58 sq mi (4.1 km 2), all land. Graton's agriculture was historically concentrated on apple farming, but like most of rural Sonoma County it now focuses on wine production. The town of Graton is roughly 20 miles from the California coastline.
The town also has a culinary reputation attributed to two restaurants in the area. The population was 1,707 at the 2010 census. Graton is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in west Sonoma County, California, United States.
