6 Reasons to Move to Sacramento, CA

1. Geography

Sacramento, the capital city of California, is located in the northern section of the Central Valley at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River. Its territory stretches over a hundred square miles (100.1), of which 97.81% is land, and 2.19% is water.

To the east and northeast, the greater metropolitan area expands 30 miles into the Sierra Nevada foothills, but only four miles west of downtown (known as West Sacramento); mostly because this area,  in Yolo County, is permanently reserved for a vast flood control basin at the Yolo Bypass.

A channel that runs through the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta connects to the San Francisco Bay.

The city sits 25 ft above sea level.

1.a Climate

Sacramento has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate; summers are hot and dry while winters are damp to wet. The July high is around 93 degrees and the January low is 39.

Hot temperatures are moderated by the delta breeze that comes from the San Francisco Bay, which cools down the heat even more during the night.

On average, the city gets 20 inches of rain per year and the number of days with any measurable precipitation is about 39.

Rainfall occurs predominantly, from October through April, but sometimes the area experiences a few days of light rainfall during June or September. In occasions, intense showers during cold winters and during the spring season produce large amounts of hail.

Like in other parts of California, a phenomena known as Tule fog covers the region in December and January, causing a drop in temperatures ­(that usually are not higher than 50 degrees during these events). Occasionally, the fog stays several days in a row and it could be so dense, that it’s difficult to see beyond 100 feet.

Every year, it snows in the foothills located 40 miles east of the city, and in three different occasions there was a significant accumulation of snow in the downtown area.

If you move to Sacramento you will be able to enjoy 269 sunny days per year.

3. Education

The Sacramento Region is known for providing top notch public and private education services, from k-12 to universities.

K-12 public schools are managed by the following school districts: Elk Grove USD, Folsom-Cordova USD, Natomas USD, Robla USD, Sacramento City USD, San Juan USD and Twin Rivers USD.

Private schools in the area include: Sacramento Country Day School, Sacramento Waldorf School, Shalom School (a Jewish day school) Brookefield School, Capital Christian School, Sacramento Adventist Academy, and Masjid Annur (a slamic school).

There is also large variety of education programs for young adults and professionals who are seeking for continuing education.

Colleges and universities in Sacramento are: University of California, Davis; California State University, Sacramento; University of the Pacific, National University Sacramento, University of San Francisco (has one of its four regional campuses in the city), University of Southern California,  Los Rios Community College District, American River College, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento City College, Folsom Lake College, Sierra College, Epic Bible College, Professional School of Psychology, and Western Seminary.

3.a Library

The Sacramento Public Library operates 28 branches, and it is the 4th largest library system in the state. The library offers outside book drops that are available during closed hours.

With a library card, users are allowed to check out 30 items at a time, including 10 DVDs. Most of the material can be checked out for three weeks.

According to the library’s main webpage, users can enjoy the following benefits:

• Request items online from any library and have them delivered to your nearest library.
• Access online services 24/7 at www.saclibrary.org - digital magazines, eBooks, audio books, etc.
• Use the internet - with a reservation for a session in-person at any library or online.
• Free Wi-Fi at every library.
• Print from your laptop.

Online courses for languages, computer skills and more.

5. Infrastructure

5.a Transportation

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) operates 69 bus routes that run daily, every 12 to 60 minutes (depending on the route) from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. RT serves over 3,100 bus stops throughout the county. In addition, RT provides 42.9 miles of light rail service using 76 light rail vehicles.

Light rail transportation operates early in the morning at 4 a.m. with service every 15 minutes throughout the day, and every 30 minutes in the evening and on weekends.

Blue Line and Gold Line trains provide service until 12:30 a.m., while the Gold Line to Folsom until 7 p.m. Green Line trains operate every 30 minutes during the week (Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ), but it does not offer transportation on weekends or holidays.

The train service include: 53 light rail stops or stations, 32 bus and light rail transfer centers and 22 park-and-ride lots.

All the buses, shuttles and light rail system are accessible to residents with disabilities who are unable to use fixed-route transportation, and RT also provides a door-to-door transportation service.

Amtrak rail lines offer transportation services at the Sacramento Intermodal Station. Visit for www.amtrak.com for schedules and routes.

SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SMF) features domestic and international flights provided by major airlines.

The City promotes numerous initiatives to reduce pollution and make Sacramento a healthier and happier place to live and work, for both residents and visitors. That’s why it offers free and low-cost options for anyone who wants to use a bicycle to commute within downtown.

5.b Utilities

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities provides garbage, recycling, yard waste, water, sewer collection, and storm drainage services to residents and businesses in the community. In addition, the City offers numerous programs to promote recycling as well as water quality protection, household recycling, water conservation, and other key services.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is the provider of electricity in the Sacramento area, while Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) offers natural gas services to residents and businesses.