Although the earliest settlers arrived in the area now known as Driftwood around 1850, the community was really established in the 1880s. A post office was among the results of the community's significant growth in that decade. Driftwood shrank almost to a ghost town by the early twentieth century; although it grew somewhat by the middle of the century, it returned to its almost-deserted state by the 1970s.[5]
Driftwood is home to The Salt Lick, a relatively well-known barbecue restaurant, Trattoria Lisina, Driftwood Estate Winery, the Wildflower Barn Event Center, Stonehouse Villa Wedding Venue, Vista Brewing, the Ragland Ranch & Organic Herb Farm, and the Lazy 8 Ranch.