The district is located in the northern San Joaquin Valley and central Sierra Nevada.

[1] From 2013 to 2023, the district was located in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, including Santa Rosa, Vallejo, and most of the Wine Country.

[12] Democrat John F. Shelley won the special election to replace Republican Richard J. Welch, who died in office.

In a special election held on March 8, 2005, to fill the vacancy, Matsui's widow, Doris, won the seat with almost 68% of the vote.

The following timeline depicts the progression of the representatives and their political affiliation at the time of assuming office.