Sacramento, CA
Capital of California
Known as “The City of Trees”
Overview
Sacramento is the capital city of California, located in the West region of the United States. Founded in 1849, the city has grown to a population of approximately 524,943 residents within a state of 39,538,223 people. As the seat of California's state government, Sacramento serves as the political and administrative center of the state.
The city is home to the California State Capitol, a Neoclassical structure that has been a landmark since its completion in 1874. Designed by Reuben Clark and Miner Frederick Butler, the capitol building stands as a testament to the state's history and governance, attracting visitors from across the country and around the world.
Sacramento has served as the capital of California since 1854. Before Sacramento, the state's capital was located in San Jose, Vallejo and Benicia.
California State Capitol
The California State Capitol in Sacramento is a grand Neoclassical structure surrounded by the lush 40-acre Capitol Park, the oldest state capitol park in the country. The building underwent a major restoration from 1975 to 1982 that returned much of its interior to the original Victorian-era grandeur. Its dome rises 210 feet and is topped with a gold-plated copper ball symbolizing the Gold Rush heritage of the state.
U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Notable Features
- 40-acre Capitol Park, the oldest state capitol park in the U.S.
- Gold-plated copper ball atop the 210-foot dome
- Restored Victorian-era interior with period furnishings
- Capitol Museum on the ground floor
- Mosaic tile floors in the rotunda
- Collection of trees from around the world in Capitol Park
Media Gallery
Original footage coming soon! User-submitted photos welcome.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- ★Sacramento became California's capital in 1854 after the legislature met in several other cities including San Jose and Vallejo.
- ★Capitol Park contains over 800 trees representing species from around the world, including a grove of California redwoods.
- ★The gold ball atop the dome is a tribute to California's Gold Rush history.
- ★Sacramento is known as the 'Farm-to-Fork Capital' of the United States due to its proximity to rich agricultural land.
- ★The California State Capitol is the only working capitol in the U.S. with a museum within the building.
- ★Sacramento was a major terminus of the Pony Express and the western end of the First Transcontinental Railroad.
- ★The capitol building served as a hospital during a cholera epidemic in the 1850s.