Folsom, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
City of Folsom
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Historic Sutter Street
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| Motto(s):
"Distinctive by Nature"
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Location of Folsom in Sacramento County, California
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 Folsom, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  Sacramento |
| Incorporated | April 20, 1946 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 30.15 sq mi (78.09 km2) |
| • Land | 27.88 sq mi (72.21 km2) |
| • Water | 2.27 sq mi (5.88 km2) 9.69% |
| Elevation | 220 ft (70 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 80,454 |
| • Density | 2,668.5/sq mi (1,030.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP codes |
95630, 95671, 95763
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| Area code(s) | 916, 279 |
| FIPS code | 06-24638 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277516, 2410516 |
Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is commonly known for Folsom State Prison, the song "Folsom Prison Blues" as well as for Folsom Lake. The population was 80,454 at the 2020 census. The median home price in Folsom is $651,491 with the average household income at $100,163.
Folsom is part of the Sacramento−Arden-Arcade−Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Folsom is named for Joseph Libbey Folsom who purchased Rancho Rio de los Americanos from the heirs of a San Francisco merchant William Alexander Leidesdorff, and laid out the town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking fortune in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Though few amassed a great deal of wealth, the city prospered due to Joseph Folsom's lobbying to get a railway to connect the town with Sacramento. Joseph died in 1855, and Granite City was later renamed to Folsom in his honor. The railway was abandoned in the 1980s but opened up as the terminus of the Gold Line of Sacramento Regional Transit District's light rail service in 2005. A few former gold-rush era towns are located within city limits of Folsom, including Prairie City, Salmon Falls, and Mormon Island (though these towns no longer exist).
Folsom hosted a significant Chinese American community when it was first incorporated, but arsonists burned Folsom's Chinatown in March 1886, driving Chinese Americans out of town.
The establishment of Folsom Prison came in 1880, when the Livermore family made an agreement with the state to donate land for the prison in exchange for prison labor. They planned to build a hydro-electric dam from the American River for a sawmill. Though the sawmill did not work out, the Livermores soon realized that the natural force of running water could provide enough power to transmit to Sacramento, and the Folsom Powerhouse, now a National Historic Landmark, was opened. At the time it was opened, it had the longest overhead run of electricity (22 miles) in the country. The powerhouse operated until 1952.
Folsom Dam was built in 1956, providing much-needed flood control and water rights for the Sacramento Valley. The creation of this dam also created one of the most popular lakes in Northern California, Folsom Lake. The dam is located on the southwest corner of the lake. The lake is an estimated 4.8 miles (7.7 km) from Granite Bay to the most southern point of Folsom Lake.
Folsom is home to Folsom Lake College, Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake, Folsom High School, Vista del Lago High School and a historic district. Folsom is also home to the largest private employer in the Sacramento area, Intel.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34 square miles (88 km2), of which, 31.9 square miles (83 km2) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) of it (9.69%) is water, primarily accounted for by Folsom Lake. Folsom is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
Folsom's climate is characterized by long, hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters.
| Climate data for Folsom, California (Folsom Dam), 1981–2010 normals | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 54 (12.2) |
61 (16.1) |
65 (18.3) |
72 (22.2) |
81 (27.2) |
89 (31.7) |
94 (34.4) |
94 (34.4) |
88 (31.1) |
79 (26.1) |
62 (16.7) |
54 (12.2) |
74.4 (23.56) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 38 (3.3) |
43 (6.1) |
46 (7.8) |
48 (8.9) |
52 (11.1) |
58 (14.4) |
61 (16.1) |
60 (15.6) |
58 (14.4) |
54 (12.2) |
44 (6.7) |
39 (3.9) |
50.1 (10.05) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 3.70 (94) |
4.63 (117.6) |
4.65 (118.1) |
1.74 (44.2) |
.67 (17) |
.38 (9.7) |
.06 (1.5) |
.11 (2.8) |
.62 (15.7) |
1.46 (37.1) |
3.96 (100.6) |
3.83 (97.3) |
25.80 (655.3) |
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 609 | — | |
| 1950 | 1,690 | — | |
| 1960 | 3,925 | 132.2% | |
| 1970 | 5,810 | 48.0% | |
| 1980 | 11,003 | 89.4% | |
| 1990 | 29,802 | 170.9% | |
| 2000 | 51,884 | 74.1% | |
| 2010 | 72,203 | 39.2% | |
| 2020 | 80,454 | 11.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010
At the 2010 census Folsom had a population of 72,203. The population density was 2,971.2 people per square mile (1,147.2/km2). The racial makeup of Folsom was 53,627 (74.3%) White, 4,140 (5.7%) African American, 427 (0.6%) Native American, 9,000 (12.5%) Asian, 173 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 1,818 (2.5%) from other races, and 3,018 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,064 persons (11.2%).
The census reported that 65,243 people (90.4% of the population) lived in households, 188 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6,772 (9.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 24,951 households, 9,796 (39.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,399 (57.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,195 (8.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,006 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,150 (4.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 137 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,788 households (23.2%) were one person and 1,930 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61. There were 17,600 families (70.5% of households); the average family size was 3.13.
The age distribution was 17,570 people (24.3%) under the age of 18, 5,344 people (7.4%) aged 18 to 24, 23,022 people (31.9%) aged 25 to 44, 19,358 people (26.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,909 people (9.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.9 males.
There were 26,109 housing units at an average density of 1,074.4 per square mile, of the occupied units 17,442 (69.9%) were owner-occupied and 7,509 (30.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 47,982 people (66.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,261 people (23.9%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the 2000 census there were 51,884 people in 17,196 households, including 12,518 families, in the city. The population density was 2,386.7 people per square mile (921.5/km2). There were 17,968 housing units at an average density of 826.5 per square mile (319.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 77.89% Caucasian, 5.99% African American, 0.58% Native American, 7.19% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 4.71% from other races, and 3.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.47%.
Of the 17,196 households 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 21.8% of households were one person and 7.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.
The age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 39.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.0 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, The median household income was $87,542, and the median family income was $109,032. Males had a median income of $60,616 versus $42,434 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,210. About 2.6% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Bike Trails
Folsom is home to 32 miles of bike trails including the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail. This particular trail system follows both Humbug and Willow Creeks, and passes through several traces of dredge tailings and riparian forests. Other trails include the Folsom Rail Trail (along Folsom Boulevard), The Folsom Lake Trail (to connect El Dorado Hills with Lake Natoma), and the Oak Parkway Trail (between Blue Ravine Road and East Natoma Street).
Folsom is also the endpoint of the American River Bike Trail, which starts in Sacramento.
Folsom Lake Recreational Area has a wide range of off-road biking and hiking trails. A few of the more popular trails include the American River Trail, Pioneer Express Trail, Sweetwater Trail, and Rattlesnake Bar-Horseshoe Bar Trail. These trails are more strenuous and range from 2 miles to 10 mile hiking trails, and offer amazing views of Folsom Lake, surrounding trees and vegetation, as well as wildlife.
Bridges
Bridges located in Folsom include the Lake Natoma Crossing; the Rainbow Bridge, a historic truss bridge; and Folsom Lake Crossing. There is also a pedestrian bridge over East Bidwell Street that opened on November 6, 2010 as part of a new segment on the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail called the Johnny Cash Trail and a Johnny Cash Bridge crossing over near the intersection of Folsom Lake Crossing and East Natoma that was unveiled on October 4, 2014.
Adjacent areas
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Orangevale, Placer County (Granite Bay) | Folsom Lake | El Dorado County (El Dorado Hills) | |
| Fair Oaks, Orangevale |  |
El Dorado County (El Dorado Hills) | ||
 Folsom  |
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| Gold River, Rancho Cordova | Cosumnes Unincorporated Area (Sacramento County) | Cosumnes Unincorporated Area (Sacramento County) |
Sister cities
Jiaohe, Jilin, PR China
Crespano del Grappa, Italy
Pereira, Colombia
Arts
- Home to FreeFall Stage, the longest currently running community theatre in the city, established in 2001. (freefallstage.com)
- Home to the Ballet Folsom
- Home to Hawkins School of Performing Arts, the official school of the Ballet Folsom
- Home to The Folsom Symphony
- Home of the Award-winning Folsom High School music program [1]
Economy
Top employers
According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | Employees | Percentage of Total City Employment |
| 1 | Intel Corporation | 6,318 | 17.80% |
| 2 | California State Prison | 1,469 | 4.14% |
| 3 | Folsom Cordova Unified School District | 1,112 | 3.13% |
| 4 | Folsom Prison | 1,069 | 3.01% |
| 5 | Mercy Hospital of Folsom | 755 | 2.13% |
| 6 | California ISO | 638 | 1.80% |
| 7 | City of Folsom | 452 | 1.27% |
| 8 | Safe Credit Union | 355 | 1.00% |
| 9 | Micron Technology Inc | 350 | 0.99% |
| 10 | Costco | 300 | 0.85% |
The total Folsom labor force is 35,500. Approximately 59.6% of the total adult population asset, of around 59,740.
Sports and Recreation
Parks
Livermore Community Park is located in Folsom and offers a bike trail, sports facilities and a water park.
Bike Trails
Folsom is home to 32 miles of bike trails including the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail. This particular trail system follows both Humbug and Willow Creeks, and passes through several traces of dredge tailings and riparian forests. Other trails include the Folsom Rail Trail (along Folsom Boulevard), The Folsom Lake Trail (to connect El Dorado Hills with Lake Natoma), and the Oak Parkway Trail (between Blue Ravine Road and East Natoma Street).
Folsom is also the endpoint of the American River Bike Trail, which starts in Sacramento.
Folsom Lake Recreational Area has several off-road biking and hiking trails. A few of the more popular trails include the American River Trail, Pioneer Express Trail, Sweetwater Trail, and Rattlesnake Bar-Horseshoe Bar Trail. These trails are more strenuous and range from 2 miles to 10 mile hiking trails and overlook Folsom Lake.
Education
Folsom Lake College is a public community college which is part of the Los Rios Community College District.
Folsom Cordova Unified School District operates public schools. The 3 high schools are Folsom High School, Vista del Lago High School, and Cordova High School. The 4 middle schools are Folsom Middle School, Sutter Middle School, Mills Middle School, and Mitchell Middle School.
The city operates the Folsom Public Library, located in the Georgia Murray Building.
Notable people
- Shadrack Biwott, American long-distance runner
- Jake Browning, Minnesota Vikings quarterback
- Peter Camejo, Green Party activist
- Spider Jorgensen, Major League Baseball player
- Aspen Ladd, MMA fighter currently fighting in UFC
- Brennan Poole, NASCAR driver
- Jordan Richards, Baltimore Ravens safety
- Dmitry Tursunov, tennis player who represented Russia in 2008 Olympics
