Department of Mental Health Headquarters: About the Area

The Sacramento Community

Welcome to the Sacramento region! It has been 150 years since the Gold Rush brought fame to the Sacramento Valley, and the transition from boomtown to cosmopolitan urban center has yielded a progressive and enterprising community.

Located in the middle of California, between the mountains and the ocean, Sacramento and its surrounding counties offer opportunities for visitors and residents to reap the rewards of a region rich not only in history, but in those factors so important today: commerce, culture and quality of life. As the capital of California, it is the center of state government, and has strong city and county governments as well.

The region is made up primarily of five counties - El Dorado (county seat is the city of Placerville), Placer (with the cities of Auburn and Roseville), Yolo (with cities of West Sacramento, Davis and Woodland), Yuba (county seat is Marysville) and Sacramento, with five cities: Sacramento, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Galt and Isleton. One smaller county, Sutter, liens at the north edge of the region.

The entire area boasts affordable housing, with home prices running significantly lower than those in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, yet its business and employment opportunities soar beyond many of California's other communities. Dubbed "the new Silicon Valley," the Sacramento area's computer businesses provide thousands of high-paying jobs. Computer giants including Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Packard Bell/NEC are just a few such firms with local presence. These companies, along with numerous others, have been lured to this area by its seismic stability, its proximity to the Bay Area and high-quality employee pool. Another plus is the region's centerpiece of international trade: World Trade Center Sacramento, which helps companies place products throughout the world and announces to the world that Sacramento is "open for business." The Sacramento International Airport, located halfway between the City of Woodland and Sacramento, recently underwent expansion to accommodate international service.

Although internationalization is becoming a household word in the Sacramento region, there is a small-town quality of life. Located at the confluence of two rivers - the Sacramento and the American - Sacramento lies beneath a canopy of trees, bathed in a splash of sunlight almost year round. Summers are warm and winters are mild, allowing opportunities for outdoor recreation - along the 30-mile American River Parkway trail, perhaps - or at one of the many community parks, with gallery shows, ballet, theater, opera and orchestra, and cultural events taking place nearly every day of the week. Shopping and dining choices abound, as do educational options and excellent health care.

This is Sacramento, which, with its surrounding counties of Placer, El Dorado, Yolo, Yuba and Sutter, invites you to enjoy its splendor.