Exhibit 99.1

PRESS RELEASE

Available for Immediate Publication: March 29, 2005
Contacts:  Thomas T. Hawker, President / Chief Executive Officer (209) 725-2276
           R. Dale McKinney, EVP / Chief Financial Office (209) 725-7435
             Web Site www.ccow.com

         Capital Corp of the West Announces a Nine for Five Stock Split.

      Merced, California, March 29, 2005 - Capital Corp of the West (NASDAQ:NMS:
CCOW), the holding company for County Bank, Central California's Community Bank,
announced that, today, its board of directors declared a nine for five split for
shareholders  of  record  as of April  8,  2005,  payable  on  April  29,  2005.
Fractional shares will be paid in cash.

      "We  anticipate  this stock split will allow our stock to trade in a price
range that will  encourage  greater  investment  in our company by individual as
well as institutional investors",  stated Tom Hawker, Chief Executive Officer of
Capital  Corp of the West.  "We also  believe  this stock split will benefit our
shareholders  by  increasing  the  public  float  and  therefore  improving  the
liquidity of our common shares. Finally, we believe that the ratio of this stock
split demonstrates our strong commitment to maintaining a conservative  approach
to the  growth of our  company."  Mr.  Hawker  also  noted  that  investors  who
purchased  1,000  shares of our stock in 1977 at the  initial  $12.00  per share
price would now have after this split 36,000 shares of stock with an approximate
value of $908,000, a 27 year compounded annual return in excess of 17%.

      Capital Corp of the West, a bank holding company  established  November 1,
1995,  is the  parent  company of County  Bank,  which has more than 27 years of
service as "Central  California's  Community  Bank."  Currently  County Bank has
twenty branch offices serving the counties of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa,  Merced,
Stanislaus, San Joaquin, San Francisco and Tuolumne. As of the latest FDIC data,
County Bank has a 6.5% market  share in the six Central  California  counties in
which it has significant  retail  branches.  This ranks County Bank fifth out of
thirty-nine financial  institutions in this market area. For further information
about the Company's financial performance, contact Tom Hawker, President & Chief
Executive  Officer  at (209)  725-2276,  or R.  Dale  McKinney  Chief  Financial
Officer, at (209) 725-7435.