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Did you know Sacramento is home to more trees per capita than any other city in the world?
Gotcha. We’re here for the deep cuts, and there are plenty of interesting factoids to go around.
As connoisseurs of the quirky and unconventional, we put together a list of Sacramento’s history, oddest characteristics, and more. Maybe you’ve lived here your whole life and know some of this, or maybe you’ll learn something new.
Either way, these 20+ interesting facts will have you winning “Jeopardy!” in no time.
History
- There’s a network of tunnels beneath Old Sacramento that traces the history of the original city before it was “jacked up” to a higher elevation in the 1860s-70s in an effort to avoid flooding.
- Speaking of flooding, the impact of the Great Flood of 1862 was so great on Sacramento that Governor Leland Stanford had to travel by rowboat to his inauguration at the State Capitol Building.
- This has to be one of the most interesting gambits to draw tourism ever dreamed up by the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce: the Days of ’49 Facial Hair Growing Contest of 1922. Awards were given out to participants who were judged to have the longest mustache, to be the best looking, or (in our opinion, the best laurel ever handed out) the best imitation of a sagebrush.
- Under Folsom Lake rests the remnants of Mormon Island — a Gold Rush-era ghost town that was founded by the Mormon Battalion. It was destroyed by a fire in 1856, and during Sac’s historic drought in 2021 — it became exposed.
- Sacramento is older than the state of California itself. The city was officially incorporated on Feb. 27, 1850, while the Golden State didn’t join the Union until Sept. 9, 1850 — making it California’s oldest incorporated city as well.
- Sac hasn’t always been California’s capital. Monterey, San Jose, Vallejo, and Benicia all served as capital cities until Sacramento was chosen as the capital in 1852. San Francisco took that title in 1862 before giving it back to the City of Trees in 1869.
Sacramentans
- A lesser known detail about C.K. McClatchy is that he was a crusader for the “City of Trees” reputation — something he felt so strongly about that he would write obituaries in the Sacramento Bee for dead or vandalized trees.
- Sacramento rocks. Our city has produced some big names in the music world, including the Deftones, Cake, Tesla, and The Cramps.
- What do Tom Hanks, Bobby McFerrin, and Ryan Coogler have in common? They are have ties to Sacramento State. Fight on.
- “Dateline” anchor Lester Holt has deep roots in Sacramento. In this local interview in 2025, he talked about his connection to our city. “As a military kid, you’re always like, ‘What’s home?’ Well, I claim Sacramento as home because this is where I grew up,” Holt said.
Culture
- Sacramento is home to the nation’s first entirely solar-powered sports arena, Golden 1 Center, which has received a platinum-level LEED certification.
- The Crocker is the oldest art museum west of the Mississippi River, having been opened to the public in 1885.
- The California State Fair has been held in Sacramento all but four years of its existence — taking place in San Francisco in 1854, San Jose in 1856, Stockton in 1857, and Marysville in 1858.
- The first Sacramento business to obtain a liquor license after Prohibition was Old Ironsides. The family-owned spot opened in 1934.
- Midway through the development of the “Final Fantasy III” video game, it’s programming crew moved from Japan to Sacramento, and the game was completed in our city.
Food
- The rice grown in the Sacramento Valley is used in almost every sushi roll in America, according to the California Rice Commission.
- Thanks to our city’s reputation as America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, the first-ever Terra Madre Americas festival will take place in Sacramento Friday, Sept. 26-Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025.
- The world’s largest almond processor, Blue Diamond Growers, was founded in Sacramento.
- As of August 2025, Sacramento is home to 15 Michelin Guide-recognized restaurants. This includes Localis and The Kitchen, each with a Michelin star. Three fresh spots were added to the 2025 Michelin Guide for California: Kin Thai, Majka, and Pho Momma.
Nature
- Sacramento hosts three of the nine International World Peace Rose Gardens — one at the State Capitol Building, another at Southport Elementary School, and a third at our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
- Our city loves a lil’ green — Sacramento’s native plants include the California Poppy, Common Yarrow, California Fuschia, and Valley Oak.
- Birds love the Sacramento River. The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex is home to nearly 300 documented bird species.
- McKinley Park was once home to an exhibit filled with alligators. The city bought 24 alligators in 1915 to create a “zoological extravaganza” at the park, but the animals were moved to the Sacramento Zoo a few years later. See you later alligators.
Your turn. Think you can get one over on us? Let us know your favorite local trivia tidbit and you just might make it into the newsletter.
