Another place, just north of Davis, that's off the beaten path is Woodland. I lived there in the 80's when I attended UC Davis. It's probably 1:45 drive to SFO, no traffic, 4:00+ in rush hour traffic.

Good luck.. After living in CA for over 40 years, my wife and I left for the East Coast. It's a wonderful state to live in, but it's not worth the price to live there anymore.