Time for annual Solano County knowledge quiz

It's the penultimate Sunday of the year, which means – even in a year of a pandemic – that it's time for the longest-held tradition of this column.

The annual Solano County quiz, a tradition that goes back to the turn of the millennium.

Following are 20 questions about Solano County, followed by the correct answers. Get out your No. 2 pencils and keep track of how well you know the county that is home to two former state capital cities (not one of the questions).

QUESTIONS

1. What are the seven cities in Solano County?

2. What are the only two cities in the county with more male than female residents?

3. In what presidential election did Solano County last vote for the Republican candidate?

4. What two members of the House of Representatives represent Solano County?

5. Within five days, on what day did Solano County first issue a shelter in place order due to COVID-19?

6. Are there more McDonald's or Starbucks in Fairfield-Suisun City?

7. Within five spots, where does Solano County rank among California's 58 counties in population?

8. What was Solano County's largest agricultural product in 2019, determined by earnings?

9. Which city is the county seat of Solano County?

10. Within 1,000, how many active-duty personnel are stationed at Travis Air Force Base?

11. What five counties border Solano County?

12. What is the wettest month of the year in Fairfield?

13. What is the hottest month of the year in Vacaville, Solano County's hottest city?

14. By what other name was Chief Solano known?

15. Name the four interstate highways in Solano County.

16. In what decade did Fairfield experience the greatest population growth by percentage?

17. Which Wade brother am I thinking of right now?

18. Which Solano County city has experienced the greatest percentage growth in population since 2010?

19. Within 10 years, when did the McNaughton family purchase the Daily Republic?

20. What is the closest city of more than 200,000 residents to Fairfield?

ANSWERS

1. Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo.

2. Vacaville (due to the presence of the two male prisons) and Dixon.

3. 1984, when Ronald Reagan won the county. Richard Nixon (1972) and Reagan (1980, 1984) are the only Republicans to have carried the county in the 23 presidential elections since 1932.

4. Mike Thompson, John Garamendi.

5. March 18 (get credit for March 13-23).

6. Starbucks, with 12 outlets. There are eight McDonalds.

7. Solano ranks 19th, just larger than No. 20 Santa Barbara. So if you guessed 14th through 24th, give yourself a point.

8. Almonds, at $55 million.

9. Fairfield.

10. 7,400.

11. Napa, Contra Costa, Sacramento, Yolo, Sonoma.

12. January, with an average of 4.77 inches. There's still hope!

13. July with an average high of 96, which beats August by one degree.

14. Sem Yeto.

15. I-80, I-680, I-505, I-780.

16. The 1960s saw the biggest percentage growth with a 380% increase. The 1980s and 1990s has the largest numeric growth at 19,112 18,967.

17. Harpo.

18. Rio Vista, by a large margin, having grown 32%. Dixon is second at about 12%.

19. 1960.

20. Oakland is 41 miles away. (Sacramento is 43 miles and San Francisco is 47 miles. San Jose, by the way, is 79 miles.)

SCORING

15-20: Genius level

9-14: Passing grade

4-8: Pay closer attention

0-3: Did you really try?

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.