Sacramento Overview

Gold! Opportunity has always been abundant in California’s capital city. From the miners of 1849 who arrived seeking gold, to the farmers tilling its fertile soil, to politicians wielding clout, they flock to this city of rich history and golden promise.

Districts

A City with a Past—and a Future
Situated at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers, Sacramento is a city of contrast, defying expectations that the capital of a state must be a bustling metropolis studded with sleek steel and glass towers. There are buildings fitting that description clustered downtown, but the heart of California’s capital city has tree-shaded streets lined with elegant Victorian homes.

Old Sacramento/Downtown/Midtown
Since its humble beginnings, Sacramento’s fate has been intertwined with its namesake, the Sacramento River. Today, Old Sacramento is a 12-block restored neighborhood between the river and Interstate 5 and is a state historic district with interesting old stone and brick buildings.

1890-1910 Vintage Buildings
The trees grab the attention of the first-time visitor to the Midtown district. Throughout the city, there are more than 250,000 varieties of fruit, flowering, and palm trees. Many of the trees are huge elms and oaks planted by homesick settlers. Along the shaded streets are several cutting-edge off-Broadway theaters, a diversity of art galleries, fine and down-home dining establishments, as well as nightspots catering to every taste.

North Sacramento
Across the American River, this old neighborhood centered on Del Paso Boulevard has more than a dozen galleries. Today, spiffed up and known as Uptown, the area has also attracted interesting restaurants and cafes, and other businesses busily renovating the old neighborhood.

Folsom
East of downtown Sacramento, the town of Folsom traces its history directly to the Gold Rush. Along a four-block stretch of Sutter Street, now designated a historic district, are restaurants, coffeehouses, and boutiques. Also, here, you will find the Folsom Zoo, affectionately nicknamed the “Misfit Zoo," which provides a haven for injured animals such as bears, bobcats, wolves, dogs, and domestic cats.

Regardless of which part of Sacramento you plan to visit, rest assured that here along the banks of the river with its Gold Rush past you will find a city with a promising future. It is, after all, the location of bustling and productive new enterprises, home to a major university, and the seat of government for the great state of California.

Entertainment

Right Here in River City
Sacramento offers a vibrant and interesting entertainment mix for diverse moods and tastes.

Art
A diverse array of museums and galleries in the Old Sacramento, Downtown, and Midtown districts feature everything from treasures of the Old Masters to cutting-edge examples of post-modernism. Occupying a Victorian mansion in Midtown, the Crocker Art Museum is the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi.

Film
You can always view Hollywood’s latest blockbuster at huge megaplexes scattered around town. For viewers interested in more eclectic cinematic fare, the Crest Theatre, a lovingly restored 1920s movie palace on K Street, and the Tower Theatre on Broadway offer classics, art, and foreign films as well as live events.

Museums
For those new to the River City the sheer variety of museums is staggering. In Old Sacramento is the Railroad Museum, in which restored locomotives and railroad cars are featured along with all sorts of railroad artifacts. Over in Midtown the Sutter Museum and the California State Indian Museum feature exhibits, which demonstrate the coexistence of two very distinct cultures. The McClellan Aviation Museum features 30 aircraft dating to World War II.

Music
Classical music aficionados will find many venues in which to enjoy fine performances in Sacramento. Camellia Symphony Orchestra (The) is nationally recognized for its unusual performances of traditional repertoire works.

Nightclubs
Sacramento likes to play after the sun goes down. Old Sacramento contains more nightspots per square block than any other district in the city.

Sports
If you love sports, Sacramento is the city for you. It is the home of the AAA minor league ball club the River Cats, the NBA Sacramento Kings, and the WNBA Monarchs.

Theatre
Sacramento is home to a diverse and growing theater scene offering drama and comedy from full-blown Broadway productions to cutting-edge independent productions. The 2,500 seat Sacramento Community Center Theater is Sacramento’s largest and most prestigious theatrical venue, offering Broadway productions, opera, dance, and more.

Dining and Drinking

From Chuckwagon to World-Class Cuisine
California’s capital city still has essentially a hometown feel despite its phenomenal growth during the past decade. Sacramento has seen a staggering influx of quality ethnic dining venues. Throughout the metropolitan area a variety of sleek, sophisticated, and elegant restaurants have opened, while venerable institutions underwent renovation. On the breezy banks of the Sacramento and American Rivers, patio dining includes spectacular views. Under the leafy canopy of the Midtown district, the view from patio tables beside Victorian mansions is pleasantly intimate. Throughout the capital region are a variety of distinct districts with eclectic and exciting dining experiences to satisfy both the gourmet and the aficionado of traditional American favorites.

Where To Stay

Capital Accommodations in the Capitol
California’s capital is a city of contrast, with the older neighborhoods reflecting their homesick builders’ origins in the Midwest and East. Since the mid-1800s, politicians and their associates have traditionally lodged in luxury hotels near the State Capitol building. A wide spectrum of lodgings for everybody from the working class to the well to do can be found in this district known as Downtown/Midtown. Construction of the Sacramento Convention Center and restoration of Old Sacramento has brought a number of good hotels that draw both tourists and business travelers.

Sacramento International Airport has fueled hotel building along the Interstate 5 corridor north of downtown by adding more international and domestic flights to its hub. To the east, tourists traveling to the historic towns of Folsom and Auburn find both quaint and modern accommodations available.

Bed-and-breakfast accommodations and several upscale hotels are within walking distance of the University of California. To the south, the Sacramento River Delta is a wonderful natural preserve and recreation area. Unique lodgings in the Delta area have interesting histories and can be found in the small towns built on levees.

Sacramento by the Numbers

Elevation: 25 feet
Average Annual Rainfall: 17.18 inches
Average January Temperature: 53.5 degrees F
Average July Temperature: 88 degrees F

Time Zone: GMT-8
Area Code: 916

Population: 407,018
Ethnic Mix: 48% Caucasian, 15.5% African American, 17% Asian, 14% Other
Major Industries: government, agriculture, food processing, computer and electronics, printing, glass, wood products

Did You Know?

When gold was discovered in 1848, the rush of people to Sacramento and its surrounding areas was recorded as the largest human migration in history.


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