Elk Grove, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elk Grove, California
City
Flag Seal
Location of Elk Grove in Sacramento County, California
Elk Grove, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Sacramento
District	Cosumnes CSD
Incorporated	July 1, 2000
Government
• Type	Council/Manager
Area
• Total	42.20 sq mi (109.29 km2)
• Land	42.03 sq mi (108.86 km2)
• Water	0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2)  0.12%
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	187,985
• Rank	2nd in Sacramento County 26th in California 147th in the United States
• Density	4,190.44/sq mi (1,617.89/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	95624, 95757–95759
Area code	916, 279
FIPS code	06-22020
GNIS feature IDs	277506, 2410425

Elk Grove is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is located just south of Sacramento, the state capital. Elk Grove is part of the larger Sacramento metropolitan area. In 2021, the city's population was estimated to be about 187,985 people.

Elk Grove is known for its many wineries, wine cellars, and vineyards. Between 2004 and 2005, it was the fastest-growing city in the U.S. Today, it is the second-largest city in Sacramento County by population. The city has a council/manager type of government. One of the biggest employers in Elk Grove is the Elk Grove Unified School District.

History of Elk Grove

Early Inhabitants and Exploration

The land where Elk Grove now stands was first home to the Miwok people. In 1808, a Spanish explorer named Gabriel Moraga came to the area. He named the valley "Sacramento Valley" after the "Holy Sacrament" in Spanish. This is how the city of Sacramento got its name. A person on Moraga's trip wrote about the beautiful area. They described trees full of birds and clear water with fish.

Founding and Growth

Elk Grove was founded in 1850. It started as a stop for travelers going between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. James Hall opened the Elk Grove Hotel and Stage Stop, and the town was named after it. In 1868, the Central Pacific Railroad built tracks about a mile east of the town. A new Elk Grove Hotel was built there for train travelers.

For many years, Elk Grove was a small farming community. Not many new buildings were put up. But in the late 1980s, new neighborhoods started to appear. These homes were for people who worked in Sacramento or even the San Francisco Bay Area. This led to a time of very fast growth for Elk Grove. On July 1, 2000, Elk Grove officially became a city. Its growth was fastest in 2004 and 2005. During this time, it was named the fastest-growing city in the U.S.

Apple's Presence

Apple Inc. used to make its iMac computers in Elk Grove until 2002. Later, many of these jobs moved overseas. In 2004, the building became the modern Apple Elk Grove campus. In 2018, Apple spent $4.2 million to make its office space bigger. This helped expand its AppleCare support services in the area.

Community and Diversity

In 2008, Elk Grove faced some economic challenges because of problems with housing loans.

In 2011, two older Sikh American men were killed while walking. This sad event caused many people to worry about safety for the city's 3,000 Sikh residents. To remember the men and teach others about the Sikh faith, the city built "Singh and Kaur Park" in 2021. In 2020, Bobbie Allen-Singh was elected as Elk Grove's new mayor. She was the first Sikh woman to be a mayor in an American city. She has been re-elected two more times, in 2022 and 2024.

Geography and Climate

Elk Grove is about 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km) south of Sacramento. It has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot summers and cool winters. In summer, a cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean helps to cool things down. This breeze is called the "delta breeze."

Economy and Jobs

Elk Grove has a strong economy with many job opportunities. Some of the biggest employers in the city include:

• Apple Inc.
• Elk Grove Unified School District
• California Correctional Health Care Services
• Major retail stores like Walmart, Kaiser Permanente, Costco Wholesale Corporation, Raley's/Bel Air Markets, Safeway, and Trader Joe's
• The City of Elk Grove itself
• Alldata LLC
• Cosumnes Community Services District

Arts and Culture

Public Libraries

The Elk Grove Public Library is a modern two-story building. It moved to its current spot in 2008. This library is part of the larger Sacramento Public Library system. It also serves nearby communities like Vineyard, Wilton, Sloughhouse, and Rancho Murieta. The Elk Grove Public Library was the first free public library branch in California.

Parks and Recreation

The Cosumnes Community Services District manages over 100 parks in Elk Grove. This includes the Emerald Lakes Golf Course. These parks offer many places for outdoor activities and fun.

Education

The Elk Grove Unified School District is the fifth largest school district in California. It is also one of the fastest-growing school districts in the country. It often ranks among the best school districts in California. The district covers about 320 square miles (829 km2), which is one-third of Sacramento County. In the 2016–2017 school year, it served over 62,767 students. These students attend 40 elementary schools, 9 middle schools, 9 high schools, and 7 alternative high schools.

Elk Grove also has several private schools. Cosumnes River College is a local community college. It offers training for careers and programs to transfer to four-year universities. These include the CSU and UC systems. Nearby universities are California State University, Sacramento and the University of California, Davis. In 2013, the California Northstate University College of Pharmacy moved to Elk Grove. It offers a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Transportation

Buses

Elk Grove has a bus system called E-tran. It travels along many of the city's main roads. SmaRT Ride is a free, on-demand bus system for students. It also serves main routes.

Rail Services

There are plans to expand the SacRT light rail system. It would extend two miles south from Cosumnes River College to Elk Grove Boulevard. These plans for a new light-rail station are still being developed.

Amtrak California's San Joaquin and Altamont Corridor Express commuter trains are expected to come directly to Elk Grove. This will use the existing rail line that runs from Marysville in the north to Stockton in the south. In February 2024, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen announced that the city had bought the land for the new station.

Notable People from Elk Grove

Many interesting people have come from Elk Grove, California. Here are a few:

• Arik Armstead (born 1993), a defensive lineman for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Armond Armstead (born 1990), a defensive tackle for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.
• Ami Bera (born 1965), a doctor and U.S. Representative for California.
• Scott Boras (born 1952), a famous baseball sports agent.
• Lance Briggs (born 1980), a linebacker for the NFL's Chicago Bears.
• Ally Carda, a silver medalist in softball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Dylan Carlson (born 1998), an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.
• Bill Cartwright (born 1957), a player and coach for the NBA's Chicago Bulls.
• J. D. Davis (born 1993), a third baseman for the San Francisco Giants.
• Cody Demps (born 1993), a basketball player.
• Kyle Larson (born 1992), a NASCAR driver and 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion.
• Matt Manning, a baseball player.
• Saweetie, a popular rapper.
• Scott Smith (born 1979), a mixed martial artist.
• Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), a rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
• Riley Voelkel (born 1990), an actress.

Sister Cities

Elk Grove has a sister city relationship with Concepción de Ataco in El Salvador.

See also

In Spanish: Elk Grove (California) para niños