Discover Sacramento County
Sacramento County sits at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers, and its story runs through California's founding. Swiss émigré John Sutter established New Helvetia — Sutter's Fort — in 1839, and when gold was discovered upriver in 1848 the riverfront settlement exploded into a Gold Rush boomtown and the head of river navigation. Sacramento became California's permanent state capital in 1854 and went on to anchor the nation's transportation history: it was the western terminus of the Pony Express, the launch point of the first Transcontinental Railroad built by the Central Pacific's 'Big Four,' and a hub of riverboat and rail commerce. The preserved Old Sacramento waterfront, the State Capitol, and Sutter's Fort all trace that arc, while the 20th century added state government, agriculture, the rail yards, and the Mather and McClellan airfields to the region's backbone.
Things to see & do
California State Capitol & Capitol Park
The working seat of state government, surrounded by a 40-acre park of memorials and trees from around the world.
Old Sacramento Waterfront
A preserved Gold Rush–era riverfront district and home to the California State Railroad Museum.
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park
The 1839 adobe fort at the heart of the region's founding, in midtown Sacramento.
Crocker Art Museum
The West's oldest public art museum, in a landmark Victorian-era building downtown.
American River Parkway
A greenbelt and bike trail running more than 30 miles along the American River to Folsom Lake.
Folsom Lake & historic districts
Boating and recreation at Folsom Lake, plus historic cores in Folsom, Elk Grove, and Galt.
Annual events & traditions
- California State Fair (Cal Expo, July) — the official state fair
- Farm-to-Fork Festival (September) — Sacramento bills itself as America's Farm-to-Fork Capital
- Gold Rush Days (Old Sacramento, Labor Day weekend) turns the waterfront back to the 1850s
- Aftershock and other major music festivals at Discovery Park
- Second Saturday art walks in Midtown each month
- Folsom Pro Rodeo (July) and town festivals across Elk Grove, Folsom, and Citrus Heights
As California's capital and one of its founding cities, Sacramento County offers the region's deepest history and its widest range of homes — from the urban grid and historic suburbs to riverfront parks and fast-growing master-planned communities.