City of Sacramento Overview

Sacramento is the capital of California and the seat and largest city of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley. Its estimated population as of 2019 makes it the sixth largest city in California.  It is the seat of the state’s Legislature and governor, making it the state’s political center and a hub for lobbying and think tanks. The city is also the cultural and economic core of the Sacramento metropolitan area. 

Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga named the river in the current city “Rio de los Sacramentos” when he encountered it on his expedition in 1808. A Spanish writer on the expedition wrote, “The air was like champagne, and (the Spaniards) drank deep of it, drank in the beauty around them. ‘¡Es como el sagrado sacramento!’ (It's like the Blessed Sacrament),” referring to the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist. The name of the river was later shortened to Sacramento and used for the city.