Elk Grove Community

About Elk Grove

Community Profile

In 1850, Elk Grove was established as a hotel stop and a stop for the stage. It is located about 15 miles south of historic Sutter’s Fort and thus became a crossroads for business, entertainment, mail service and agriculture, and acted as home base for gold miners in nearby communities. After it played its part in the early gold rush and statehood history in California, a close-knit community evolved with a distinctly rural and western lifestyle.

Old Elk Grove Despite its close proximity to California’s capital city, Elk Grove remained quietly independent of Sacramento’s growth and development as it expanded into adjoining countrywide areas until the 1980’s. Today, Elk Grove had its start in agriculture and it is still a big part of the area’s economy today, with vineyards, dairy and cattle and row crops; but, now, there is also high technology, professional service, commercial and retail enterprises.

Our community is located in the southern portion of Sacramento County and is halfway between Sacramento and Stockton, straddling Highway 99. It is within easy driving distance from both the Bay Area and Sierra Mountain resorts.

First City Councilmembers

Government

The City of Elk Grove incorporated on July 1, 2000. We are a general law city and operate on the Manager-City Council type of governance. Elk Grove is in the 3rd and 5th Congressional Districts, the 10th and 15th State Assembly Districts, and the 1st and 5th State Senate Districts.

Education

One of the most important resources of Elk Grove is
its rich educational environment. The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) alone boasts a reputation for being one of the best districts in the state! EGUSD students regularly score above the state average as a whole. Local institutions of higher learning offer programs for most undergraduate and graduate degrees, and several cater directly to the business community. This is reflected in our city, which offers a well-educated community and labor force.

The City of Elk Grove is within the Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD), one of the fastest growing school districts in the country and the 8th largest in California. The entire EGUSD includes 320 square miles, or about one third of Sacramento County. Notably, Elk Grove is projected to experience a greater growth in its student population over the next 25 years than any other city in Sacramento County.

Cosumnes River College is near the City’s northern boundary, and California State University, Sacramento is just a short drive away in the City of Sacramento.

Primary, Secondary and Higher Education in the Region:

Elk Grove Unified School District
Cosumnes River College
American River College
California State University, Sacramento
UC Davis, UC Davis Extension
National University
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
Golden Gate University
University of Phoenix
Chapman University
St. Mary’s College
McGeorge School of Law
DeVry University Center

Vocational Training

Heald Business College
MTI College of Business Technology

Airport

The Sacramento International Airport is located approximate 26 miles north of Elk Grove off I-5 and provides the major carrier airlines.

Attractions

Local attractions include:

Laguna Creek Parkway, a 13-mile waterway featuring wetlands, open space, walking and riding trails, fishing and bird watching.

Stone Lakes Refuge is on the western edge of Elk Grove, a narrow stretch of floodplain, was recently dedicated as a National Wildlife Refuge comprised of 3,000 acres along the Pacific Flyway.

Cosumnes River Preserve is on the southern edge of Elk Grove, a riparian habitat running along the Cosumnes River.

Climate

Elk Grove’s climate varies from low temperatures of 24 to 44 degrees to highs of 80 to 110 degrees. Average annual rainfall is 22 inches per year falling primarily from October through April. Elevation is 45 feet.

Churches

More than 50 churches in the greater Elk Grove area provide worship services for many faiths.

Events

May
Elk Grove Western Festival - Held the first full weekend in May every year, the Western Festival is two days of good old-fashioned fun for the entire family.

June
Old Town Open Aire Faire – sponsored by the Old Town Elk Grove Foundation (held the first Thursday of the month)

July
Old Town Open Aire Faire – sponsored by the Old Town Elk Grove Foundation (held the first Thursday of the month)

Run 4 Independence – 5k and 10k run sponsored by the Elk Grove Food Bank and the City of Elk Grove.

Salute to Red, White & Blue - An annual Fourth of July family affair sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce featuring spectacular ground and aerial fireworks displays and a musical salute to the birth of our nation.

Strauss Festival - In late July each year, spectators on grassy knolls in the Elk Grove Regional Park see the waltzes of Johann Strauss come alive through the performances of period-costumed dancers, actors and a professional symphonic orchestra.

August
Old Town Open Aire Faire – sponsored by the Old Town Elk Grove Foundation (held the first Thursday of the month)

September
Old Town Open Aire Faire – sponsored by the Old Town Elk Grove Foundation (held the first Thursday of the month)

Spotlight Elk Grove - The Elk Grove Foundation, City of Elk Grove and Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce showcase local businesses.

October
Community Harvest & Giant Pumpkin Festival - This event is a hometown fall harvest festival, with crafts, food and fun for the entire family. In 1998, it also became the official California weigh-off site for a national Giant Pumpkin contest.

Safety Faire - At the Safety Faire, the Police and Sheriff’s departments sponsor family safety education booths.

November
Holiday Kickoff - The local holiday shopping season is kicked off by the area merchants with the Festival of Lights Parade and the lighting of the giant holiday tree on Elk Grove Boulevard on Saturday of the Thanksgiving Day weekend sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

Dickens Faire - Old Town Elk Grove hosts an old-fashioned street fair featuring local retailers and craft vendors located in the historic section of Elk Grove.

Hospitals

Elk Grove residents have the best medical providers located in their community. A full range of physicians, including many specialists, have active practices in the area.

Additionally, the city is serviced locally by the following medical facilities:

Kaiser Permanente Hospital
Methodist Hospital/Mercy Healthcare
Sutter Health Systems
UC Davis Medical Center

Hotels

Local hotels that are easily accessible are the Holiday Inn, located at Hwy 99 and Laguna Boulevard. Comfort Inn Suites and the Marriott Extended Stay located off Hwy 5 at Elk Grove Boulevard .and soon-to-open will be the Hilton Garden Inn.

Housing

Housing available in the Elk Grove area ranges from the low $300,000s for new, entry-level homes and can go to the $600,000+ price range for executive homes.

Newspapers

The local newspaper is the Elk Grove Citizen/Herburger Publication that is published twice weekly. The local daily newspaper is The Sacramento Bee-Elk Grove Bureau, which publishes a section on Elk Grove twice a week.

Recreation

Golf Courses: Emerald Lakes Golf Center and Valley Hi Country Club and a number of driving ranges provide area golfers with facilities to meet their needs.

Health Clubs: There are three main health clubs that serve the Elk Grove area: California Family Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and Laguna Creek Racquet Club. These clubs offer full facilities for swimming, indoor basketball court, weight training, racquetball, tennis and aerobics.

Parks: Elk Grove has close to 50 parks, totaling more than 140 acres of lush landscaping and recreational amenities. This includes picnic areas, softball fields, a skate park and swim center.

Theaters: The two main theater complexes are Century 16 and United Artists and Laguna Village.

Restaurants

There are over 70 local restaurants that serve food varying from American, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, to Italian.

Senior Center

The Elk Grove Senior Center provides classes, trips, game night, yoga, bingo, estate planning, AARP classes and tax preparation assistance. Lunches are served during the week for a nominal cost.

Service Clubs

Service clubs in Elk Grove are: American Legion, Bahai, Elks Lodge, Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus, Masonic, Odd Fellows & Rebekahs, Civic League, Kiwanis, Lions, Native Daughters of the Golden West, Optimist, Rotary, Soroptimist and Moose.

Shopping

There are several shopping centers located within Elk Grove, which provide some of the more popular chain stores. Old Town Elk Grove provides a unique collection of historical buildings, antique shops and small businesses.

For shopping nearby, we have several large retail malls within the Elk Grove area. There is also a proposed plan to create a regional mall "The Elk Grove Promenade", which will be 1.2 million square feet, and surrounding satellite retail of about 1.8 million square feet.

Transportation

Elk Grove has convenient access to two major highways—Interstate 5 and Highway 99, providing easy access to highway transportation routes.

Rail transportation is also available in Sacramento, 15 miles north of Elk Grove. Public transportation is provided by e-tran, the City’s first in the nation 100% hybrid electric commuter bus fleet.

Youth Organizations

Youth organizations in Elk Grove are: 4-H, Camp Fire, Teen Center, Future Farmers of America and Scouts.

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