Potter Valley is a census-designated place[4] in Mendocino County, California, United States.

[2] It is located 18 miles (29 km) north-northeast of Ukiah,[5] at an elevation of 948 feet (289 m)[2] at the headwaters of the East Fork Russian River.

They found three Pomo villages (each about 500 people strong), the Russian headwaters, and a lush valley with wild oats "stirrup high".

This diversion supplies a significant amount of water to inland Mendocino and Sonoma counties.

Potter Valley is a rich agricultural region, with excellent soils, planted mostly in irrigated pasture, wine grapes, and pears, but supporting a wide variety of farms and ranches.

Potter Valley has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) typical of the interior of Northern California, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, along with great diurnal temperature variation.

[13] Federally, Potter Valley is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.