About Elk Grove, California

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.

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 1980s. 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, and commercial and retail enterprises.

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.

Serving the City of Elk Grove and surrounding communities since 1959, the Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) is a top performing school district recognized throughout California and the nation as a leader in progressive education.  EGUSD mirrors the diversity of California, with more than 80 languages and dialects spoken throughout the district.  As the diversity of EGUSD has grown, so has its student population.  The district is currently the largest school district in Northern California and the fifth largest in the state – with nearly 62,000 students.  EGUSD offers a variety of educational programs, including preschool, kindergarten through twelfth grade, adult education and special education.  EGUSD has been honored numerous times at the local, state and national levels, proving that EGUSD is truly a district of excellence by design.

May
Elk Grove Western Festival - Held the first full weekend in May every year, the Western Festival offers two days of good old-fashioned fun for the entire family.  The event offers great food, lively entertainment, a morning parade, car show, exciting carnival, an inspired art show and variety of vendors selling everything from crafts to food.  Approximately 80,000 people attend this popular community event.

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

Salute to Red, White & Blue - An annual Fourth of July family affair sponsored by the City of Elk Grove 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.

September
Spotlight Elk Grove – Each September, the community comes together to celebrate all Elk Grove has to offer while supporting the Elk Grove Community Foundation.  The event features local businesses and the finest food and wine available in the Elk Grove area.

October
CSD 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.

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

Multiple local hotels are easily accessible from the major highways that serve Elk Grove and provide a wide range of accommodation levels and meeting/conference facilities.

Local hotels include:

• Comfort Inn Suites
• Extended Stay America
• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
• Hampton Inn
• Hilton Garden Inn
• Holiday Inn Express

Housing

Housing available in the Elk Grove area ranges from the low $200,000s for new, entry-level homes to $800,000+ for executive homes.

Newspapers

The Elk Grove Citizen, published twice weekly by Herburger Publications, is the newspaper serving Elk Grove.  The local daily newspaper is the Sacramento Bee.

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 several health clubs that serve the Elk Grove area that offer full facilities for swimming, indoor basketball court, weight training, racquetball, tennis and aerobics.  Additionally, a family sports complex provides the newest forms of entertainment including bowling, wave riding, laser tag and computerized games.

• Parks: Elk Grove has more than 50 parks, totaling more than 500 acres of lush landscaping and recreational amenities. This includes picnic areas, softball fields, a skate park and swim center.  The Cosumnes River Preserve, Laguna Creek Parkway and Stone Lakes Refuge border Elk Grove, providing wetlands, open space, walking and riding trails, fishing and bird watching.

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

Restaurants

There are more than 70 local restaurants that serve food varying from American, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, to Italian.  Many locally-owned restaurants provide excellent cuisine and atmosphere.  Elk Grove also has a variety of coffee shops and delicatessens.

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 the Elk Grove area include: 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

Numerous specialty shops offering unique gifts and clothing are located in Elk Grove, and multiple shopping centers provide some of the most popular chain stores. Old Town Elk Grove provides an eclectic collection of historical buildings, antique shops and small businesses.

Transportation

Elk Grove is located between Interstate 5 and Highway 99--the cornerstones for efficient transportation of goods, services, people and information out of the Sacramento region. Elk Grove is also in close proximity to Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 50.

In addition to these four major highways, Elk Grove is further served by an international passenger and freight airport, transcontinental rail and a cargo port-each only minutes away in the neighboring state capital of Sacramento.
The City of Elk Grove provides comprehensive transit services via e-tran, which transports more than 5,000 riders a day and offers commuter, local, e-van (paratransit), and weekend services.  For more information, please visit www.e-tran.org or call (916) 68-ETRAN.

Youth Organizations

Youth organizations in Elk Grove include: Elk Grove Youth Commission, Cosumnes Community Services District Teen Action Committee/Teen Leadership Committee, Elk Grove Police Activities League, Elk Grove Teen Center, Camp Fire USA, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Big Brother/Big Sister Program, and the Boys & Girls Club.