Exhibit 23.1


                            Independent Auditors' Consent

    To the Board of Directors of Capital Corp of the West

    We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement
(No. 333-31193) on Form S-2 of Capital Corp of the West of our report dated
January 31, 1997, relating to the consolidated balance sheets of Capital Corp of
the West and subsidiaries as of December 31, 1996 and 1995, and the related
consolidated statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each
of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 1996, which report
appears in the December 31, 1996 annual report on Form 10-K of Capital Corp
of the West. The report on the 1995 financial statements reflects the adoption 
of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting 
Standard, No. 114, ACCOUNTING BY CREDITORS FOR IMPAIRMENT OF A LOAN, as amended 
by Statement No. 118, ACCOUNTING BY CREDITORS FOR IMPAIRMENT OF A LOAN-INCOME 
RECOGNITION AND DISCLOSURES.




                                       /s/ KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

Sacramento, California
August 26, 1997