Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Name	Sacramento
Nickname	River City, Sac, Sacto, Sac-Town, Camellia City of the World, City of Trees, The Capitol City, Cap-City
Settlement type	City
Motto	''Urbs indomita''(''Indomitable City'')
Image skyline2	Sacramento Skyline from CIM Group Building
Map caption	Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California
Pushpin map	USA2
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States
Coordinates region	US-CA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	California
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Sacramento County
Government type	Mayor-Council
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Kevin Johnson
Established date
unit pref	US
area footnotes
area total sq mi	100.105
area land sq mi	97.915
area water sq mi	2.190
area total km2	259.273
area land km2	253.600
area water km2	5.673
area water percent	2.19
area note
Population as of	2010
Population total	486,488
Population metro	2.5 million
Population density km2	auto
Population density sq mi	auto
Population blank1 title	Demonym
Population blank1	Sacramentan
Timezone	PST
Utc offset	−8
Timezone dst	PDT
Utc offset dst	−7
Latitude	38°31'
Longitude	-121°30'
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates type	region:US_type:city
Elevation m	8
Elevation ft	25
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	942xx, 958xx
Area code	916
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	06-64000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	1659564
Website	http://www.cityofsacramento.org/ }}

Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 486,488 at the 2010 census, it is the sixth-largest city in California. Sacramento is the core cultural and economic center of the Sacramento metropolitan area which includes seven counties; with an estimated population of 2,527,123. Its metropolitan area is the fourth largest in California after the Greater Los Angeles Area, San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Diego metropolitan area as well as the 22nd largest in the United States. A city attaining global status, Sacramento was cited by ''Time'' magazine as America's most ethnically and racially integrated city in 2002.

Sacramento became a city through the efforts of the Swiss immigrant John Sutter, Sr., his son John Sutter, Jr., and James W. Marshall. Sacramento grew quickly thanks to the protection of Sutter's Fort, which was established by Sutter in 1839. During the California Gold Rush, Sacramento was a major distribution point, a commercial and agricultural center, and a terminus for wagon trains, stagecoaches, riverboats, the telegraph, the Pony Express, and the First Transcontinental Railroad.

California State University, Sacramento, more commonly known as ''Sacramento State'' or ''Sac State'', is the major local university. It is one of the twenty-three campuses of the California State University system. In addition, the University of California, Davis, is located in nearby Davis, west of the capital. The UC Davis Medical Center, a world-renowned research hospital, is located in the city of Sacramento.

History

Indigenous culture

Nisenan (Southern Maidu) and Plains Miwok Indians have lived in the area for perhaps thousands of years. Unlike the settlers who would eventually make Sacramento their home, these Indians left little evidence of their existence. Traditionally, their diet was dominated by acorns taken from the plentiful oak trees in the region, and by fruits, bulbs, seeds, and roots gathered throughout the year.

In either 1799 or 1808, the Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga discovered and named the Sacramento Valley and the Sacramento River. A Spanish writer with the Moraga expedition wrote, "Canopies of oaks and cottonwoods, many festooned with grapevines, overhung both sides of the blue current. Birds chattered in the trees and big fish darted through the pellucid depths. The air was like champagne, and ''(the Spaniards)'' drank deep of it, drank in the beauty around them. “Es como el sagrado sacramento! (This is like the Holy Sacrament.)” The valley and the river were then christened after "the Most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ", referring to the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist.

From pioneers to gold fever

The part of Sacramento originally laid out by William Warner is situated just east and south of where the American River meets the Sacramento River (though over time it has grown to extend significantly north, south, and east of there). A number of directly adjacent towns, cities or unincorporated county suburbs, such as Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Rocklin, West Sacramento, Natomas, Del Paso Heights, Orangevale, and North Highlands extend the greater Sacramento area.

The citizens of Sacramento adopted a city charter in 1849, which was recognized by the state legislature in 1850. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, incorporated on February 27, 1850. During the early 1850s the Sacramento valley was devastated by floods, fires and cholera epidemics. Despite this, because of its position just downstream from the Mother Lode in the Sierra Nevada, the new city grew, quickly reaching a population of 10,000.

Remnants of downtown Sacramento's Chinatown

Throughout the early 1840s and 1850s, China was at war with Great Britain and France in the First and Second Opium Wars. The wars, along with endemic poverty in China, helped drive many Chinese immigrants to America. Many first came to San Francisco, which was then the largest city in California, which was known as "Dai Fow" (The Big City) and some came eventually to Sacramento (then the second-largest city in California), which is known as "Yee Fow" (Second City). Many of these immigrants came in hopes for a better life as well as the possibility of finding gold in the foothills east of Sacramento.

Sacramento's Chinatown was located on "I" Street from Second to Sixth Streets. At the time this area of "I" Street was considered a health hazard as, lying within a levee zone it was lower than other parts of the city which were situated on higher land. Throughout Sacramento's Chinatown history there were fires, acts of discrimination, and prejudicial legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act that was not repealed until 1943. The mysterious fires were thought to be set off by those who did not take a liking to the Chinese working class. Ordinances on what was viable building material were set into place to try to get the Chinese to move out. Newspapers such as The Sacramento Union, at the time, wrote stories that portrayed the Chinese in an unfavorable light to inspire ethnic discrimination and drive the Chinese away. As the years passed, a railroad was created over parts of the Chinatown and further politics and laws would make it even harder for Chinese workers to sustain a living in Sacramento. While the east side of the country fought for higher wages and fewer working hours, many cities in the western United States wanted the Chinese out because of the belief that they were stealing jobs from the white working class.

The Chinese remained resilient despite these efforts. They built their buildings out of bricks just as the building guidelines established. They helped build part of the railroads that span the city as well as making a great contribution to the transcontinental railroad that spans the United States. They also helped build the levees within Sacramento and the surrounding cities. As a result, they are a well-recognized part of Sacramento's history and heritage.

While most of Sacramento's Chinatown has now been razed, a small Chinatown mall remains, as well as a museum dedicated to the history of Sacramento's Chinatown and the contributions Chinese Americans have made to the city. Amtrak sits along what was part of Sacramento's Chinatown "I" Street.

Capital city

The California State Legislature, with the support of Governor John Bigler, moved to Sacramento in 1854. The capital of California under Spanish (and, subsequently, Mexican) rule had been Monterey, where in 1849 the first Constitutional Convention and state elections were held. The convention decided that San Jose would be the new state's capital. After 1850, when California's statehood was ratified, the legislature met in San Jose, Vallejo, and Benicia before moving to Sacramento. In the 1879 Constitutional Convention, Sacramento was named to be the permanent state capital.

Begun in 1860 to be reminiscent of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, the Classical Revival style California State Capitol was completed in 1874. In 1861, the legislative session was moved to the Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco for one session because of massive flooding in Sacramento. The legislative chambers were first occupied in 1869 while construction continued. From 1862–1868, part of the Leland Stanford Mansion was used for the governor's offices during Stanford's tenure as the Governor; and the legislature met in the Sacramento County Courthouse.

With its new status and strategic location, Sacramento quickly prospered and became the western end of the Pony Express. Later it became a terminus of the First Transcontinental Railroad, which began construction in Sacramento in 1863 and was financed by "The Big Four" – Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, Collis P. Huntington, and Leland Stanford.

In 1850 and again in 1861, Sacramento citizens were faced with a completely flooded town. After the devastating 1850 flood, Sacramento experienced a cholera epidemic and a flu epidemic, which crippled the town for several years. In 1861, Governor Leland Stanford, who was inaugurated in early January 1861, had to attend his inauguration in a rowboat, which was not too far from his house in town on N street. The flood waters were so bad, the legend says, that when he returned to his house, he had to enter into it through the second floor window. From 1862 until the mid-1870s Sacramento raised the level of its downtown by building reinforced brick walls on its downtown streets, and filling the resulting street walls with dirt. Thus the previous first floors of buildings became the basements, with open space between the street and the building, previously the sidewalk, now at the basement level. Most property owners used screw jacks to raise their buildings to the new grade. The sidewalks were covered, initially by wooden sidewalks, then brick barrel vaults, and eventually replaced by concrete sidewalks. Over the years, many of these underground spaces have been filled or destroyed by subsequent development. However, it is still possible to view portions of the "Sacramento Underground".

The same rivers that earlier brought death and destruction began to provide increasing levels of transportation and commerce. Both the American and especially Sacramento rivers would be key elements in the economic success of the city. In fact, Sacramento effectively controlled commerce on these rivers, and public works projects were funded though taxes levied on goods unloaded from boats and loaded onto rail cars in the historic Sacramento Rail Yards. Now both rivers are used extensively for recreation. The American River is a 5-mph (8-km/h) waterway for all power boats (including jet-ski and similar craft) (Source Sacramento County Parks & Recreation) and has become an international attraction for rafters and kayaking.

The Sacramento River sees many boaters, who can make day trips to nearby sloughs or continue along the Delta to the Bay Area and San Francisco. The ''Delta King'', a paddlewheel steamboat which for eighteen months lay on the bottom of the San Francisco Bay, was refurbished and now boasts a hotel, a restaurant, and two different theaters for nightlife along the Old Sacramento riverfront.

The modern era

The city's current charter was adopted by voters in 1920, establishing a city council-and-manager form of government, still used today. As a charter city, Sacramento is exempt from many laws and regulations passed by the state legislature. The city has expanded continuously over the years. The 1964 merger of the City of North Sacramento with Sacramento substantially increased its population, and large annexations of the Natomas area eventually led to significant population growth throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Sacramento County (along with a portion of adjacent Placer County) is served by a customer-owned electric utility, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Sacramento voters approved the creation of SMUD in 1923. In April, 1946, after 12 years of litigation, a judge ordered Pacific Gas & Electric to transfer title of Sacramento's electric distribution system to SMUD. Today SMUD is the sixth-largest public electric utility in the U.S., and is a leader for innovative programs and services, including the development of clean fuel resources, such as solar power. The Sacramento-Yolo Port District was created in 1947, and ground was broken on the Port of Sacramento in 1949. On June 29, 1963, with 5,000 spectators waiting to welcome her, the Motor Vessel ''Taipei Victory'' arrived. The port was open for business. The Nationalist Chinese flagship, freshly painted for the historic event, was loaded with 5,000 tons of bagged rice for Mitsui Trading Co. bound for Okinawa and 1,000 tons of logs for Japan. She was the first ocean-going vessel in Sacramento since the steamship ''Harpoon'' in 1934. The Port of Sacramento has been plagued with operating losses in recent years and faces bankruptcy. This severe loss in business is due to the heavy competition from the Port of Stockton, which has a larger facility and a deeper channel. As of 2006, the city of West Sacramento took responsibility for the Port of Sacramento. During the Vietnam War era, the Port of Sacramento was the major terminus in the supply route for all military parts, hardware and other cargo going into Southeast Asia.

In 1967, Ronald Reagan became the last Governor of California to live permanently in the city. A new executive mansion, constructed by private funds in a Sacramento suburb for Reagan, remained vacant for nearly forty years and was recently sold by the state.

The 1980s and 1990s saw the closure of several local military bases: McClellan Air Force Base, Mather Air Force Base, and Sacramento Army Depot. Also, in 1980, there was another flood. The flood's damage affected the "boat section" of Interstate 5. The culmination of a series of storms as well as a faulty valve are believed to have caused this damage.

In the early 1990s, Mayor Joe Serna attempted to lure the Los Angeles Raiders football team to Sacramento, selling $50 million in bonds as earnest money. When the deal fell through, the bond proceeds were used to construct several large projects, including expanding the Sacramento Convention Center Complex and refurbishing of the Memorial Auditorium. Serna renamed a city park for migrant worker rights activist Cesar Chavez. Through his effort, Sacramento became the first major city in the country to have a paid municipal holiday honoring Chavez.

In spite of military base closures and the decline of agricultural food processing, Sacramento has continued to experience population growth in recent years. Primary sources of population growth are an influx of residents from the nearby San Francisco Bay Area, as well as immigration from Asia and Latin America. From 1990 to 2000, the city's population grew by 14.7%. The Census Bureau estimates that from 2000 to 2007, the county's population increased by nearly 164,000 residents.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mayor Heather Fargo made several abortive attempts to provide taxpayer financing of a new sports arena for the Maloof brothers, owners of the Sacramento Kings NBA Basketball franchise. In November 2006, Sacramento voters soundly defeated a proposed sales tax hike to finance the plan. The defeat was due in part to competing plans for the new arena and its location.

In 2002, ''Time'' magazine featured an article recognizing Sacramento as the most diverse and integrated city in America.

Despite a devolution of state bureaucracy, the state government remains by far Sacramento's largest employer. The City of Sacramento expends considerable effort to keep state agencies from moving outside the city limits. In addition, many federal agencies have offices in Sacramento.

The California Supreme Court normally sits in nearby San Francisco.

Geography and climate

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 100.1 square miles (259.3 km²), 97.81% of it land, and 2.19% of it water.

Depth to groundwater is typically about . Much of the land to the west of the city (in Yolo County) is a flood control basin. As a result, the greater metropolitan area sprawls only four miles (6 km) west of downtown (as West Sacramento, California) but 30 miles (50 km) northeast and east, into the Sierra Nevada foothills, and 10 miles (16 km) to the south into valley farmland.

The city is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River, and has a deep-water port connected to the San Francisco Bay by a channel through the Sacramento River Delta. It is the shipping and rail center for the Sacramento Valley. Food processing is among the major industries in the area.

Climate

Sacramento has a Mediterranean climate (Koppen ''Csa''), characterized by damp to wet, mild winters and hot, dry summers. The wet season is generally October through April, though there may be a day or two of light rainfall in June or September. The mean annual temperature is , with monthly means ranging from in December to in July. Summer heat is often moderated by a sea breeze known as the "delta breeze" which comes through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from the San Francisco Bay.

On average, 96 days in the year experience some degree of fog, which usually occurs in the morning (tule fog). The foggiest months are December and January. Tule fog can be extremely dense, lowering visibility to less than 100 feet (30 m) and making driving conditions extremely hazardous. Chilling tule fog events have been known to last for several consecutive days or weeks. During Tule Fog events temperatures don't get above 50 degrees.

Snowfall is exceptionally rare in Sacramento (at an elevation of only above sea level). The all-time record snowfall was 3.5 inches (9 cm) and occurred on January 4, 1888. Dustings occur every 5–10 years, with up to an inch accumulation in outlying areas. During especially cold winter and spring storms, intense showers do occasionally produce a significant amount of hail, which can create hazardous driving conditions. Significant snow accumulations occur each year in the foothills located 40 miles (65 km) east of the city.

On average, there are 74 days where the high exceeds , and 15 days where the high exceeds ; On the other extreme, freezing nights occur 16 nights per year. At Sacramento International Airport, extremes have ranged from on December 22, 1990 to on June 15, 1961.

The average annual precipitation is . On average, precipitation falls on 62 days each year in Sacramento, and nearly all of this falls during the winter months. Average January rainfall is , and measurable precipitation is rare during the summer months. In February 1992, Sacramento had 16 consecutive days of rain, resulting in an accumulation of for the period (163 mm). A record 7.24 inches (184 mm) of rain fell on April 20, 1880. On rare occasions, monsoonal moisture surges from the Desert Southwest can bring upper-level moisture to the Sacramento region, leading to increased summer cloudiness, humidity, and even light showers and thunderstorms. Monsoon clouds do occur usually during late July through Early September. Sacramento is the second most flood susceptible city in the United States.

Cityscape

City neighborhoods

The city groups its neighborhoods into four areas:

Area one (central/eastern)

Alkali Flat, Boulevard Park, Campus Commons, Sacramento State, Dos Rios Triangle, Downtown, East Sacramento, Mansion Flats, Marshall School, Midtown, New Era Park, Newton Booth, Old Sacramento, Poverty Ridge, Richards, Richmond Grove, River Park, Elmhurst, Sierra Oaks, Southside Park.

Area two (southwestern)

Airport, Carleton Tract, Freeport Manor, Golf Course Terrace, Greenhaven, Curtis Park, Hollywood Park, Land Park, Little Pocket, Mangan Park, Meadowview, Parkway, Pocket, Sacramento City College, South Land Park, Valley Hi / North Laguna, Z'Berg Park

Area three (southeastern)

Alhambra Triangle, Avondale, Brentwood, Carleton Tract, Colonial Heights, Colonial Village, Colonial Village North, Curtis Park, Elmhurst, Fairgrounds, Florin, Industrial Park, Fruitridge Manor, Glen Elder, Glenbrook, Granite Regional Park, Lawrence Park, Med Center, North City Farms, Oak Park, Packard Bell, South City Farms, Southeast Village, Tahoe Park, Tahoe Park East, Tahoe Park South, Tallac Village, Vintage Park, Churchill Downs, and Woodbine.

Area four (north of the American River)

Natomas (north, south, west), Valley View Acres, Gardenland, Northgate, Woodlake, North Sacramento, Terrace Manor, Hagginwood, Del Paso Heights, Robla, McClellan Heights West, Ben Ali, and Swanston Estates.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Sacramento had a population of 466,488. The population density was 4,660.0 people per square mile (1,799.2/km²). The racial makeup of Sacramento was 210,006 (45.0%) White, 68,335 (14.6%) African American, 5,291 (1.1%) Native American, 85,503 (18.3%) Asian (4.2% Chinese, 3.3% Hmong, 2.8% Filipino, 1.8% Indian, 1.4% Vietnamese, 1.2% Laotian, 1.2% Japanese, 0.4% Pakistani, 0.3% Korean, 0.2% Cambodian), 6,655 (1.4%) Pacific Islander, 57,573 (12.3%) from other races, and 33,125 (7.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 125,276 persons (26.9%); 22.6% of Sacramento's population is Mexican, 0.7% Puerto Rican, 0.5% Salvadoran, 0.2% Guatemalan, and 0.2% Nicaraguan.

The Census reported that 458,174 people (98.2% of the population) lived in households, 4,268 (0.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 4,046 (0.9%) were institutionalized.

There were 174,624 households, out of which 57,870 (33.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 65,556 (37.5%) were heterosexual married couples living together, 27,640 (15.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10,534 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 13,234 (7.6%) unmarried heterosexual partnerships, and 2,498 (1.4%) homosexual married couples or partnerships. 53,342 households (30.5%) were made up of individuals and 14,926 (8.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62. There were 103,730 families (59.4% of all households); the average family size was 3.37.

The population was spread out with 116,121 people (24.9%) under the age of 18, 52,438 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 139,093 people (29.8%) aged 25 to 44, 109,416 people (23.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 49,420 people (10.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.0 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

There were 190,911 housing units at an average density of 1,907.1 per square mile (736.3/km²), of which 86,271 (49.4%) were owner-occupied, and 88,353 (50.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.3%. 231,593 people (49.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 226,581 people (48.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there are 407,018 people, 154,581 households, and 91,202 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,189.2 people per square mile (1,617.4/km²). There are 163,957 housing units at an average density of 1,687.5 per square mile (651.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 41.1% White, 19.5% Black or African American, 1.3% Native American, 12.6% Asian, 0.9% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 11.0% from other races, and 6.4% from two or more races. 21.6% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 154,581 households out of which 30.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% are married couples living together, 15.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% are non-families. 32.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.35.

In the city, the population is spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $37,049, and the median income for a family is $42,051. Males have a median income of $35,946 versus $31,318 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,721. 20.0% of the population and 15.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Factors such as mild climate, a location at the crossroads of major interstate highways and railroads, and the availability of campsites along the rivers, as well as an outlook of tolerance, attract homeless people.

Sacramento is notably diverse racially, ethnically, and by household income, and has a notable lack of interracial disharmony. In 2002, ''Time'' magazine and the Civil Rights Project of Harvard University identified Sacramento as the most racially/ethnically integrated major city in America. The U.S. Census Bureau also groups Sacramento with other U.S. cities having a "high diversity" rating of the diversity index.

Government and politics

The city government consists of a mayor and city council. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The Sacramento City Council consists of eight members, all of which are elected from districts.

In the state legislature Sacramento is located in the 6th Senate District, represented by Democrat Darrell Steinberg, and in the 5th, 9th, and 10th Assembly Districts, represented by Democrats Richard Pan, Roger Dickinson, and Alyson Huber, respectively. Federally, most of Sacramento is located in California's 5th congressional district and is represented by Democrat Doris Matsui. A portion of Sacramento is located in California's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Dan Lungren.

Economy

Sutter Health, Blue Diamond Growers, Aerojet, Teichert, and The McClatchy Company are among the companies based in Sacramento.

Top Employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

! #	! Employer	! # of Employees
1		73,273
2		13,304
3		8,496
4	Kaiser Permanente	7,979
5	Sutter Health	7,314
6	Sacramento City Unified School District	6,500
7	Elk Grove Unified School District	6,391
8	Intel	6,000
9		5,922
10	San Juan Unified School District	5,190
11	City of Sacramento	4,556

Education

Colleges and universities

The Sacramento area hosts a wide variety of higher educational opportunities. There are two major public universities, many private institutions, community colleges, and vocational schools.

Public

Sacramento is home to Sacramento State (California State University, Sacramento), founded as Sacramento State College in 1947. In 2004, enrollment was 22,555 undergraduates and 5,417 graduate students in the university's eight colleges. The university's mascot is the hornet, and the school colors are green and gold. The 300 acre (1.2 km²) campus is located along the American River Parkway a few miles east of downtown.

The University of California has a campus, UC Davis, in nearby Davis and also has a graduate center in downtown Sacramento. The UC Davis Graduate School of Management (GSM) is located in downtown Sacramento on One Capital Mall. Many students, about 400 out of 517, at the UC Davis GSM are working professionals and are completing their MBA part-time. The part-time program is ranked in the top-20 and is well-known for its small class size, world class faculty, and involvement in the business community. UC also maintains the University of California Sacramento Center (UCCS) for undergraduate and graduate studies. Similar to the UC's Washington, DC, program, "Scholar Interns" engage in both academic studies and as well as internships, often with the state government. The UC Davis School of Medicine is located at the UC Davis Medical Center between the neighborhoods of Elmhurst, Tahoe Park, and Oak Park.

The Los Rios Community College District consists of several two-year colleges in the Sacramento area – American River College, Cosumnes River College, Sacramento City College, Folsom Lake College, plus a large number of outreach centers for those colleges. Sierra College is also on the outskirts of Sacramento in Rocklin.

Private

The Art Institute of California - Sacramento was established in 2007, and is a branch of The Art Institute of California - Los Angeles. The school is focused on educating students in the field of commercial arts. The school offers both a Bachelors of Science and an Associate of Science degree, as well as diplomas in some areas of study. Some majors the school offers are: Digital Film-making & Video Production, Culinary Management, Graphic Design, and Game Art & Design.

thumb|right|National University, Sacramento, California campusThe National University Sacramento regional campus offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees in business, education, health-care and teaching credential programs.

A satellite campus of Alliant International University offers graduate and undergraduate programs of study, and the Professional School of Psychology is also based in Sacramento.

Trinity Life Bible College has been in Sacramento for more than 34 years. It is an accredited college (through TRACS), offering small class sizes with degrees in ministerial studies, Christian studies and certificates in music, biblical counseling, youth ministry and Christian education.

Sacramento is home to an unaccredited private institution, the University of Sacramento, a Roman Catholic university run by the Legionaries of Christ. Currently, the university offers course work in graduate programs.

Nearby Rocklin is home to William Jessup University, an evangelical Christian college.

The University of San Francisco has one of its four regional campuses in Sacramento. At the undergraduate level they offer degrees in Applied Economics, Information Systems, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, and Public Administration. At the graduate level, Master's programs are offered in: Information Security and Assurance, Information Systems, Organization Development, Project Management, Public Administration, Nonprofit Administration, and Counseling.

The University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, a top 100 law school according to ''U.S. News & World Report'''s annual rankings of U.S. law schools (2006, 2007 & 2008), is located in the Oak Park section of Sacramento.

The private University of Southern California has an extension in downtown Sacramento, called the State Capital Center. The campus, taught by main campus professors, Sacramento-based professors, and practitioners in the State Capitol and state agencies, offers Master of Public Administration, Masters of Public Policy, and Master of Public Health degrees.

Sacramento has a number of private vocational schools as well.

In the PBS KVIE building, there is also an extension of San Francisco's Golden Gate University.

Drexel University opened a satellite Graduate School in Sacramento in 2009. Drexel's Sacramento campus is located at One Capital Mall.

K–12 schools

The Sacramento area is served by various public school districts, but mainly by the Sacramento City Unified and Twin Rivers Unified districts. As of 2009, the area's schools employed 9,600 elementary school teachers (not including special education teachers), and 7,410 middle school teachers (not including special education or vocational teachers).

Public schools

Several public school districts serve Sacramento. Sacramento City Unified School District serves most of Sacramento. Other portions are served by the Center Unified School District, Natomas Unified School District, San Juan Unified School District, Twin Rivers Unified School District (the North Sacramento School District, the Del Paso Heights School District, the Rio Linda Union School District, and the Grant Joint Union High School District merged), Folsom-Cordova Unified School District, and Robla School District.

The Valley Hi/North Laguna area, despite mostly being in the city limits of Sacramento, is served by the Elk Grove Unified School District.

Private schools

Catholic schools

Continuing an educational history that began in the Sacramento region at the time of the Gold Rush, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento operates one diocesan high school within the area, St. Francis High School. Various Roman Catholic religious congregations operate three additional Catholic "private" (i.e., non-diocesan) high schools in the city and suburbs: Christian Brothers High School (sponsored by the Brothers of Christian Schools), Jesuit High School (the Society of Jesus, or "Jesuits") located in the suburb of Carmichael northeast of the city limits, and, since fall 2006, Cristo Rey High School Sacramento (co-sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Jesuits). Sacramento is one of 12 cities in the United States with a Cristo Rey Network High School, the first of which was founded by the Jesuits in Chicago in 1996 on a reduced tuition model designed to be accessible to those otherwise unable to afford conventionally-priced private education.

Additionally within the city and surrounding suburbs are 30 "parochial" schools – i.e., schools attached to a parish. These range from the oldest still operating, St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School (1895), to the newest, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (2000), to yet another experiment in consolidation of the city's once-vast inner-city parochial system – St. Patrick SUCCEED Academy (2010). As in all large cities across the country, the Diocese of Sacramento's urban schools serving poor and working-class populations have been decimated by a near-total failure to address increasing tuition costs for poor demographics – who are now effectively excluded from area Roman Catholic schools, a trend also firmly in place across the country. In recent years, closures have accelerated, but with enrollment declines now also spreading to areas not classified as poor.

In 1857, almost immediately upon their arrival from Ireland, the Sisters of Mercy opened the first school of any kind in Sacramento. Open to all regardless of religious denomination, St. Joseph Academy continued operation through the late 1960s. The final school site is now a city of Sacramento parking garage. The "St. Joseph Garage" honors the name of the school that marked the arrival of formal education in Sacramento.

Independent schools

While Catholic institutions still dominate the independent school scene in the Sacramento area, in 1964, Sacramento Country Day School opened and offered Sacramento citizens an independent school that is affiliated with the California Association of Independent Schools. SCDS has grown to its present day status as a learning community for students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Additionally, the suburb of Fair Oaks hosts the expansive riverside campus of the Sacramento Waldorf School, a Steiner school adjacent to the Rudolf Steiner College, and the largest Waldorf school in North America. Sacramento Waldorf School educates students from pre-K through 12th grade on a secluded, pastoral site that incorporates a large, functioning biodynamic farm.

Other religious schools

Shalom School is the only Jewish day school in Sacramento.

Capital Christian School is a pre-school – 12th grade private, Christian school. There is also a small Bible college on campus offering associates degrees in Bible studies or theology. Sacramento Adventist Academy is another religious school in Greater Sacramento. This is a K-12 institution, as well.

There is one Islamic school in Sacramento, Masjid Annur, founded in 1988.

Culture and arts

The oldest part of the town besides Sutter's Fort is Old Sacramento, which consists of cobbled streets and many historic buildings, several from the 1850s and 1860s. Buildings have been preserved, restored or reconstructed, and the district is now a substantial tourist attraction, with rides on steam-hauled historic trains and paddle steamers.

The historic buildings also include the Lady Adams Building, built by the passengers and ship's carpenters of the ship ''Lady Adams''. Having survived the Great Conflagration of November 1852, it is the oldest surviving building in Sacramento other than Sutter's Fort.

Another surviving landmark is the B.F. Hastings building, built in 1853. Early home of the California Supreme Court and the location of the office of Theodore Judah, it also was the western terminus of the Pony Express.

The "Big Four Building", built in 1852, was home to the offices of Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, and Charles Crocker. The Central Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Railroad were founded there. The original building was destroyed in 1963 for the construction of Interstate 5, but was re-created using original elements in 1965. It is now a National Historic Landmark. Also of historic interest is the Eagle Theatre, a reconstruction of California's first permanent theatre in its original location.

Theater arts

There are several major theatre venues for Sacramento. The Sacramento Convention Center Complex governs both the Community Center Theatre and Memorial Auditorium. The Wells Fargo Pavilion is the most recent addition. It is built atop the old Music Circus tent foundations. Next to that is the McClatchy Main stage, originally built as a television studio, which was renovated at the same time the pavilion was built. It is the smallest of the venues and provides seating for only 300. The Sacramento Ballet, Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sacramento Opera perform at the Community Center Theatre.

Professional theatre is represented in Sacramento by a number of companies. California Musical Theatre and its Summer stock theatre, Music Circus, lure many directors, performers, and artists from New York to Los Angeles to work alongside a large local staff for their productions at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. During the fall, winter and spring seasons Broadway Sacramento brings bus and truck tours to the Convention Center Theatre. The Sacramento Theatre Company provides non-musical productions as an Equity House Theatre, performing in the McClatchy Main stage. At the B Street Theatre, smaller and more intimate professional productions are performed as well as a children's theatre. Rounding out the professional companies is Capital Stage, which performed aboard the Delta King until the end of the 2010-2011 season and was due to take up residence at its own venue along the J-Street corridor according to its marketing materials.

The Sacramento area has one of the largest collection of community theatres in California. Some of these include the 24th Street Theatre, Runaway Stage Productions, River City Theatre Company, Flying Monkey Productions, The Actor's Theatre, KOLT Run Productions, Kookaburra Productions, Big Idea Theatre, Celebration Arts, Lambda Player, Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento, Synergy Stage and the historic Eagle Theatre. The Sacramento Shakespeare Festival provides entertainment under the stars every summer in William Land Park. Many of these theatres compete annually for the Elly Awards overseen by The Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance or SARTA.

On Wednesday, June 13, 2007, it was announced that a new studio for the performing arts will be built alongside the Sacramento Theatre company and the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The new multi-million dollar complex will be named the "E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts" and will provide rehearsal space for four of the region's principal arts groups—Sacramento Ballet, California Musical Theatre, Sacramento Opera and the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, centralizing most of the city's arts organizations.

Visual arts

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission is an organization which was established as the Sacramento arts council in 1977 to provide several arts programs for the city. These include Art in Public Places, Arts Education, Grants and Cultural Programs, Poet Laureate Program, Arts Stabilization Programs and Other Resources and opportunities.

Sacramento Second Saturday Art Walk is a program of local art galleries that stay open into the late evenings every second Saturday of each month, providing a unique experience for the local population as well as tourists to view original art and meet the artists themselves.

Museums

Sacramento has several major museums. The Crocker Art Museum, the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi River, is one of the finest. On July 26, 2007, the Museum broke ground for an expansion that more than tripled the Museum's floor space. The modern architecture is very different from the Museum's original Victorian style building. Construction was completed in 2010.

Also of interest is the Governor's Mansion State Historic Park, a large Victorian Mansion which was home to 13 of California's Governors. The Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park, which was completely restored in 2006, serves as the State's official address for diplomatic and business receptions. Guided public tours are available. The California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts, home of the California Hall of Fame, is a cultural destination dedicated to telling the rich history of California and its unique influence on the world of ideas, innovation, art and culture. The Museum educates tens of thousands of school children through inspiring programs, sharing with world visitors California's rich art, history and cultural legacy through dynamic exhibits, and serving as a public forum and international meeting place. The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento has historical exhibits and live steam locomotives that patrons may ride. The California Automobile Museum, located just south of Old Sacramento, is filled with automotive history and vehicles from 1880 to 2006 and is the oldest non-profit automotive museum in the West. The mission of it is to preserve, promote, and teach automotive culture and its influence on our lives – past, present and future. In addition, the Sacramento History Museum, located in the heart of Old Sacramento, focuses on the history of Sacramento from the region's pre-Gold Rush history through the present day.

There is a Museum Day held in Sacramento every year, when 26 museums in the greater Sacramento area offer free admission. The 2009 Sacramento Museum Day brought out more than 80,000 people, the largest number the event has gathered. Sacramento Museum Day is held every year on the first Saturday of February.

Music

Classical music is widely available. The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sacramento Baroque Soloists, the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra, the Sacramento Youth Symphony, the Sacramento Master Singers, the Sacramento Children's Chorus, and the Camellia Symphony each present a full season of concerts.

Each year, the city hosts the Sammies, the Sacramento Music Awards. Sacramento also has a reputation as a center for Dixieland jazz, because of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee which is held every Memorial Day weekend. Events and performances are held in multiple locations throughout the city. Each year thousands of jazz fans from all over the world visit for this one weekend. Sacramento is also home to the Sacramento French Film Festival, a cultural event held every year in July that features U.S. premiers of French films and classic masterpieces of French cinema and the Sacramento Japanese Film Festival also held in July. In addition, Sacramento is home to the Trash Film Orgy, a summer film festival celebrating the absurd, B-movies, horror, monster, exploitation.

A growing number of hardcore and metal bands hail from the Sacramento area, including Deftones, Dance Gavin Dance, Trash Talk, and Far. Alternative rock bands Cake and !!! hail from Sacramento as do rock bands Papa Roach, Tesla, Oleander and Steel Breeze plus some other famous musicians like Bob Stubbs of Social Distortion and Craig Chaquico of Jefferson Starship. Scottish pop band Middle of the Road sung kindly of Sacramento in their 1972 European hit song "Sacramento".

Food

Sacramento has a growing food culture that has been publicized in many magazines such as Sactown and ''Sacramento'' magazine's "Best of" list. Food Network's own Guy Fieri owns a fusion-style restaurant called Tex Wasabi's in the neighboring suburb of Arden-Arcade. Many Sacramento eateries have also been featured on Guy's show ''Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives''. The growing list of Sacramento restaurants featured on this program includes the well-known Squeeze Inn and Cafe Rolle, which is known for its French cuisine. Sacramento is also home to well known cookbook author, chef and owner of ''Biba's Restaurant'', Biba Caggiano.

Sports and recreation

thumb|left|Raley Field, home of the Sacramento Rivercats Sacramento is home to the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association. It was also formerly home to the now defunct Sacramento Monarchs of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Kings came to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985, and the Monarchs were one of the eight founding members of the WNBA, which started in 1997. The Monarchs won the WNBA Championship in 2005 to become the first major, professional sports team in Sacramento to do so; however the Monarchs team folded in November 2009.

The Sacramento Solons, a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League, played in Sacramento during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976), mostly at Edmonds Field. In 2000, AAA minor league baseball returned to Sacramento with the Sacramento River Cats, an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The River Cats play in the recently constructed Raley Field, located in West Sacramento.

Teams in several smaller leagues have been and continue to be in Sacramento. The Sacramento Heatwave of the American Basketball Association currently plays at Folsom High School. In the past, the city hosted three professional football teams, the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football (who won the World Bowl II on June 6, 1992), the Sacramento Gold Miners of the Canadian Football League, and the Sacramento Attack of the Arena Football League. Sacramento was also home to an indoor soccer team, the Sacramento Knights of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (later called the World Indoor Soccer League). The Sacramento River Rats of Roller Hockey International also played in the city for several years. The Sacramento XSV (pronounced "excessive") of the National Professional Paintball League represents the City but is based in Modesto, CA. The newest sports team to come to Sacramento is the Sacramento Mountain Lions which is part of the United Football League (2009). They currently play at Hornet Stadium which is on the CSUS campus.

Sacramento hosted the 2000 and 2004 USA Olympic Track & Field Trials and has frequently hosted the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship as well as the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. The California International Marathon (est. 1983, runcim.org) finishes in front of the Capitol, and attracts a field of international elite runners who vie for a share of the $50,000 prize purse. The fast point-to-point course begins in Folsom and is also popular for runners seeking to achieve a Boston Marathon qualifying time and fitness runners. The Sacramento Mile is a national flat-track motorcycle racing event. From 1961 to 1980, Sacramento hosted the Camellia Bowl, which selected or helped select ten national champions in college football's lower divisions.

Sacramento is a hotbed for high school rugby. Jesuit High is the recent defending national champion (winning five times in total). Their arch-rival school Christian Brothers came in second nationwide. Burbank, Del Campo and Vacaville have also placed well in the national competition over the years. The Sacramento Valley High School Rugby Conference hosts the largest and arguably deepest preseason youth and high school rugby tournament in America.

Sacramento also hosts some recreational facilities and events. The Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail that runs between Old Sacramento and Folsom Lake grants access to the American River Parkway, a natural area that includes more than of undeveloped land. It attracts cyclists and equestrians from across the state. The California State Fair is held in Sacramento each year at the end of the summer, ending on Labor Day. In 2010, the State Fair moves to July. More than one million people attended this fair in 2001.

Among other recreational options in Sacramento is Discovery Park, a park studded with stands of mature trees and grasslands. This park is situated where the American River flows into the Sacramento River.

In amateur sports, Sacramento claims many prominent Olympians such as Mark Spitz, Debbie Meyer, Mike Burton, Summer Sanders, Jeff Float (all swimming), and Billy Mills (track). Coach Sherm Chavoor founded his world famous Arden Hills Swim Club just east of the city and trained Burton, Myer, Spitz and others.

Club	League	Sport	Venue	Established	Championships
Sacramento Kings		Basketball	Power Balance Pavilion	1945 (1985)	1 NBA Championship, 2 NBL Championships (as Rochester Royals)
Sacramento River Cats		Baseball	Raley Field	1978 (2000)	2 Triple-A Titles, 4 League Titles
Sacramento Mountain Lions		Football	Hornet Stadium	2009 (2010)
Sacramento Capitals		Tennis	Allstate Stadium	1987	5 Championships
Sacramento Heatwave		Basketball		2003
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"		Soccer	Cosumnes River College	2003	1 Championship
Sacramento Sirens		Football		2001	1 WAFL Title, 3 IWFL Titles
F.C. Sacramento Pride		Soccer		1995
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"		Drum & Bugle Corps	DCI members tour nationally	1963	Class A-60/Division III Champions (1987, 1988, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999), Division II Champions (2001)

Notable residents

Notable people with ties to Sacramento include Rodney King, whose beating by police (caught on film) sparked the Los Angeles riots of 1992, Los Angeles public health "czar" Kim Harrison Eowan, designer architect Ray Eames, retired USMC Lieutenant General John F. Goodman, painter Wayne Thiebaud, photographer Michael Williamson, videographer Justin Carter, philosopher Cornel West, author J. Maarten Troost, astronaut Stephen Robinson, U.S. Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy, record producer Charlie Peacock, war hero Colonel Greg Reilly and writer Joan Didion. Journalist Mary K. Shell, the mayor of Bakersfield from 1981–1985, and her husband, the then petroleum lobbyist Joe Shell, lived in Sacramento during the 1970s.

In addition to Huntington, Hopkins, Stanford, and Crocker, the city's more successful entrepreneurs have included Russ Solomon (Tower Records), Frank Fat, Buzz Oates (The Buzz Oates Group of Companies) and Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson (Shakey's Pizza).

Actors, singers, rap artists, bands, and other performers with ties to the city can be found under Sacramento entertainers. For sports figures with ties to Sacramento see Sacramento sports figures.

Transportation

Roads and highways

The Sacramento region is served by several highways and freeways. Interstate 80 (I-80) is the major east-west route, connecting Sacramento with San Francisco in the west, and Reno in the east. Business 80 (the Capital City Freeway) splits from I-80 in West Sacramento, runs through Sacramento, and then rejoins its parent in the northwest portion of the city. U.S. Highway 50 also begins its eastern journey in West Sacramento, co-signed with Business 80, but then splits off and heads toward South Lake Tahoe as the El Dorado Freeway.

Interstate 5 (I-5) runs though Sacramento, heads north up to Redding, and then heads south near the western edge of the California Central Valley towards Los Angeles. California State Highway 99 runs through Sacramento, heading closer to the eastern edge of the Central Valley, connecting to Marysville and Yuba City in the north, and Fresno and Bakersfield in the south. California State Highway 160 approaches the city after running along the Sacramento River from Contra Costa County in the south, and then becomes a major city street in Downtown Sacramento before turning into the North Sacramento Freeway, going over the American River to Business 80.

Some Sacramento neighborhoods, such as Downtown Sacramento and Midtown Sacramento are very bicycle friendly as are many other communities in the region. As a result of litigation, Sacramento has undertaken to make all city facilities and sidewalks wheelchair accessible. In an effort to preserve its urban neighborhoods, Sacramento has constructed traffic-calming measures in many areas.

Amtrak service

Amtrak provides passenger rail service to the city of Sacramento. The Sacramento Valley Rail Station is located on the corner of 5th and I streets near the historic Old Town Sacramento and as of April, 2007, is currently undergoing extensive renovations. The station also serves as an Regional Transit light rail terminus.

Amtrak California operates the Capitol Corridor, a multiple-frequency service providing service from the capital city to its northeastern suburbs and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sacramento is also the northern terminus of the Amtrak California San Joaquins route which provide direct multiple-frequency passenger rail service to California's Central Valley as far as Bakersfield; Thruway Motorcoach connections are available from the trains at Bakersfield to Southern California and Southern Nevada.

Sacramento is also a stop along Amtrak's Coast Starlight route which provides scenic service to Seattle via Klamath Falls and Portland to the north and to Los Angeles via San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara to the south.

Amtrak's California Zephyr also serves Sacramento daily and provides service to the east serving Reno, Salt Lake, Denver, Omaha, Chicago and intermediate cities.

The Sacramento Valley Rail Station also provides numerous Thruway Motorcoach routes. One route serves the cities of Marysville, Oroville, Chico, Corning, Red Bluff and Redding with additional service to Yreka and even Medford, Oregon. A second serves the cities of Roseville, Rocklin, Auburn, Colfax, Truckee, Reno and Sparks. The third and final thruway motorcoach route serves Placerville, Lake Tahoe, Stateline Casinos, and Carson City, Nevada. Each of these routes provides multiple frequencies each day.

Sacramento has the 2nd busiest Amtrak station in California and the 10th busiest in the country.

Walkability

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Sacramento 24th most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.

Other transportation options

The city and its suburbs are served by Sacramento Regional Transit District, which ranks as the ninth busiest in the United States. Sac RT is a bus and light-rail system, with 274 buses and light-rail providing service for 58,200 daily passengers. Light-rail lines have recently been expanded east as far as the city of Folsom. Sacramento's light rail system goes to the Sacramento Valley Rail Station, Meadowview RD. in south Sacramento and north to Watt/I-80 where I-80 and Business 80 meet.

Sacramento International Airport handles flights to and from various US destinations (including Hawaii) as well as Mexico, Canada and connecting flights to Europe, Asia, and South America.

Bicycling is an increasingly popular transportation mode in Sacramento, which enjoys a mild climate and flat terrain. Bicycling is especially common in the older neighborhoods of Sacramento's center, such as Alkali Flat, Midtown, McKinley Park, Land Park, and East Sacramento. Many employees who work downtown commute by bicycle from suburban communities on a dedicated bicycle path on the American River Parkway. Sacramento was designated as a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists in September 2006. The advocacy organization Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates co-sponsors the Sacramento Area Council of Governments' May is Bike Month campaign.

There is commuter bus service on two bus lines from Yuba County's Yuba Sutter Transit and also from San Joaquin County on several SMART bus lines.

Sister cities

Sacramento has ten sister cities: Manila/Pasay City, Philippines Chişinău, Moldova Hamilton, New Zealand Liestal, Switzerland Matsuyama, Japan Yongsan-gu, South Korea San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua Bethlehem, Palestine Ahmedabad, India Jinan, China

Media

Television on TV

{|class="wikitable" !Channel !Call Sign !Network |- |3 |KCRA-TV |NBC |- |6 |KVIE |PBS |- |10 |KXTV |ABC |- |13 |KOVR |CBS |- |19 |KUVS-TV |Univision |- |27 |TBA |3ABN |- |29 |KSPX |ION |- |31 |KMAX-TV |CW |- |32 |KSTV-LP |Azteca America |- |33 |KCSO-LP |Telemundo |- |40 |KTXL |Fox |- |58 |KQCA |MyNetworkTV |- |64 |KTFK |Telefutura |}

Sacramento newspapers

The primary newspaper is ''The Sacramento Bee'', founded in 1857 by James McClatchy. Its rival, the ''Sacramento Union'', started publishing six years earlier in 1851; it closed its doors in 1994, with a revival attempt lasting from 2005 to 2009. Writer and journalist Mark Twain wrote for the ''Union'' in 1866. ''The Sacramento Bee'' is the flagship paper of The McClatchy Company, the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States. The ''Sacramento Bee'' has won five Pulitzer Prizes in its history. It has won numerous other awards, including many for its progressive public service campaigns promoting free speech (the ''Bee'' often criticized government policy, and uncovered many scandals hurting Californians), anti-racism (the ''Bee'' supported the Union during the American Civil War and later publicly denounced the Ku Klux Klan), worker's rights (the ''Bee'' has a strong history of supporting unionization), and environmental protection (leading numerous tree-planting campaigns and fighting against environmental destruction in the Sierra Nevada).

''Sacramento Bee''

''Sacramento Business Journal''

''Sacramento News & Review''

''The Sacramento Observer''

''Capitol Weekly''

''Sacramento Today''

Magazines

''Sactown Magazine''

''Sacramento Magazine''

''Sacramento Parent Magazine''

''Comstock's Magazine''

''Government Technology Magazine''

SacramentoGrapevine.com, The local Interactive City Magazine

Submerge Magazine

Outword Magazine

Radio

See also

C. M. Goethe Arboretum

List of mayors of Sacramento

List of Sacramento entertainers

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District

References

External links

Official website

Official tourism website from the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau

Old Sacramento – Official website

Sacramento Wiki

Category:Populated places established in 1839 Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California Category:County seats in California Category:Sacramento metropolitan area Category:Cities in Sacramento County, California Category:Sacramento River Category:State capitals in the United States

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The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The only team in the "big four" sports leagues located in Sacramento, they play their home games in Power Balance Pavilion.

The Kings trace their origins to a local semi-professional team based in Rochester, New York in the early 1920s, making them one of the oldest basketball clubs still in existence. The team joined the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1945 as the Rochester Royals. The Royals defected to the NBL's rival, the Basketball Association of America, in 1948. In 1949, as a result of that year's merger between the NBL and BAA, the Royals became members of the newly-formed NBA. Though the Royals were often successful on the court, they had trouble turning a profit in the comparatively small market of Rochester, and relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1957, becoming the Cincinnati Royals. In 1972, the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, initially splitting its games between Kansas City and Omaha, Nebraska, and taking up the name Kansas City Kings. The team again failed to find success in its market, and moved to Sacramento in 1985.

The team won the NBL championship in 1946 and the NBA championship in 1951. Since 1945 they have won one conference championship and five division championships.

Franchise history

Rochester

The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially started in the city of Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League.

In the early 1920s, the team was a semi-pro group sponsored by a local Seagram's distillery. The team was known as the Rochester Seagrams for over two decades. Pro basketball 1920–1940 folded many a strictly pro operation, but the sponsored Seagrams stayed afloat as others fell by the wayside during the Great Depression. Under the watch of Hall Of Famer Les Harrison, the team grew in talent, hosted increasingly better competition, and became a greater local treasure as years went by.

At the conclusion of World War II, the National Basketball League was returning to success after waiting out the War Years. It was looking to add successful operations to its circuit, and Rochester was a natural candidate. The team had changed its name to the Rochester Pros, and moved to the 4500-seat Edgerton Sports Arena in 1942. Invited to join the NBL for the 1945–46 season, Les Harrison and brother Jack parted ways with sponsor Seagram's, who doubted the team would profit from the jump. The team then held a rename-the-team contest in Rochester's largest newspaper. The winner was 15-year old Richard Paeth for his entry, the "Royals."

Success for the Royals was almost immediate. Founded in 1945 by owner/coach/general manager Les Harrison (Hall of Famer) and his brother and co-owner/business manager Jack Harrison, the team won the NBL championship in 1945–46, its very first year in the circuit. The team was led by Bob Davies, Al Cervi, George Glamack, and Otto Graham, a future NFL Hall of Famer, who, in his only season in professional basketball, won a league championship before moving on to football and leading the Cleveland Browns to ten straight championship games, winning seven. Additionally, the Royals had doubled the original investment of the Harrisons in just one season. Playing numerous exhibitions in addition to the NBL schedule, the team was arguably at its Rochester peak in 1946.

The following season, NBL Governors voted that the regular season "Pennant Winner" would be declared as the official NBL Champion, and the post-season would consist of a separate, non-championship tournament. The Royals finished 31–13 (.705), capturing their second NBL Championship in as many years, but lost in the post-season tournament finals to George Mikan and the Chicago American Gears.

The following season the NBL scrapped their one-year "pennant" experiment, and from that point forward the post-season playoffs would determine the NBL Champion. The Royals again finished with the league's best overall record at 44–16, but lost to George Mikan's new team, the Minneapolis Lakers, 3 games to 1 in the NBL Finals.

The countless exhibitions, plus the season schedules, had worn the team down by 1948, with injuries figuring in the 1947 and 1948 NBL Finals. The team added Bobby Wanzer, a Seton Hall recruit made by Davies, to replace Cervi, among other roster moves. The team's strong reputation also soon made it part of the NBL – BAA merger.

In 1948, the Royals moved to the Basketball Association of America along with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, and Indianapolis (Kautskys) Jets. A year later, the BAA merged with the remaining NBL teams to become the National Basketball Association.

The move to the BAA took away Rochester's profitable exhibition schedule, and placed it in the same Western Division that Minneapolis was in. Of the two best teams in pro basketball, only one of them could play in the league finals, 1949–1954. Minneapolis, with Mikan, was almost always a little better at playoff time than the Royals. With their smallish arena and now-limited schedule, the Royals became less profitable even as Harrison maintained a remarkably high standard for the team, which finished no lower than second in its division, 1945–1954. He would spend much of the 1950s looking for a buyer for his team as debts mounted.

The Royals won the NBA title in 1951 by defeating the New York Knickerbockers 4 games to 3. It is the only NBA championship in the franchise's history to date. But the victory did not translate into profit for the franchise. The roster completely turned over in 1955, with only Wanzer remaining, and the team moved to the larger Rochester Memorial. Now a losing team filled with rookies, the Royals still did not turn a profit. Meanwhile the NBA was putting pressure on Harrison to sell or relocate his team to a larger city. With this in mind, the 1956–57 season was the Royals' last in Rochester.

The Royals' twelve-year stay in Rochester featured the services of nine future members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, one member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a Hollywood Walk of Famer: Al Cervi, Bob Davies, Alex Hannum, Les Harrison, Red Holzman, Arnie Risen, Maurice Stokes, Jack Twyman, Bobby Wanzer, Otto Graham, and Chuck Connors.

Cincinnati

In April 1957, the Royals were moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, by the Harrison brothers. This move followed a well-received regular season game played at Cincinnati Gardens on February 1 of 1957. The change of venue had been said to have been suggested by Jack Twyman and Dave Piontek, who were two of several roster players on the new Royals from that region. Cincinnati, which had a strong college basketball fan base and no NFL franchise to compete with, was deemed the best choice for the Harrisons. The Royals name continued to fit in Cincinnati, often known as the "Queen City".

During the team's first NBA draft in Cincinnati, the team acquired Clyde Lovellette and guard George King. They teamed with the 1–2 punch of Maurice Stokes and Twyman to produce a budding contender in the team's very first season in the Queen City. Injury to Marshall and the loss of star guard Si Green to military service dropped the team into a tie for second place in the NBA Western Division during the 1957–58 season's second half.

In the season's finale, All-Pro star Maurice Stokes struck his head when he fell after pursuing a rebound. He shook off the effects of the fall, even as he had briefly been unconscious. After Game One in the playoffs three days later, Stokes' head injury was greatly aggravated by airplane cabin pressure during the flight back to Cincinnati for Game Two. He suffered a seizure and was permanently hospitalized, a tragedy that greatly shook the team. Stokes, a tremendous talent who could play center, forward and guard, was 2nd in the NBA in rebounds and 3rd in assists, a double-feat only Wilt Chamberlain has matched for a full season. Without Stokes, the team nearly folded.

Fellow All-Star Twyman rose to All-Pro level the next two seasons for Cincinnati, even as the team posted two 19-win seasons. The 1958–59 Cincinnati team featured five rookies, with Lovellette, King and other key players having left the team in the wake of Stokes' tragic injury. The Harrisons, under pressure to sell to a local group, sold to a local ownership headed by Thomas Woods. The fact that Stokes was simply dumped by the team and the new ownership infuriated many.

Jack Twyman came to aid of his teammate and even legally adopted Stokes. Raising funds for Stokes' medical treatment, Twyman helped his fallen teammate until his death in April, 1970. The 1973 feature film ''Maurie'', which co-starred actors Bernie Casey and Bo Svenson, later dramatized their story.

Shooting often for the beleaguered team, Twyman was the second NBA player ever to average 30 points per game for a full NBA season. Both Twyman and Stokes were later named Hall of Famers.

In 1960, the team was able to land local superstar Oscar Robertson. Robertson led a team that included Twyman, Wayne Embry, Bob Boozer, Bucky Bockhorn, Tom Hawkins and Adrian Smith over the next three seasons. The Royals reversed their fortunes with Robertson and rose to title contender. An ownership dispute in early 1963 scuttled the team's playoff chances when new owner Louis Jacobs booked a circus for Cincinnati Gardens for the week of the playoff series versus the champion Boston Celtics (The Royals had to use Xavier University's home Schmidt Field House). Jacobs, an aloof owner, would prove no ally to the team's title hopes.

In late 1963, another local superstar, Jerry Lucas, joined the team. The Royals rose to second-best record in the NBA. From 1963–66, the Royals contended strongly against Boston and the Philadelphia 76ers, but fell short of their title hopes. The team's star players throughout the 1960s were Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas. Robertson met with individual success, averaging a triple-double in 1961–62 and winning the Most Valuable Player award in 1964. Robertson was a league-leading scorer and passer each season. Lucas was Rookie Of the Year in 1964, led the league in shooting, and later averaged 20 rebounds per game over three seasons. Both were All-NBA First Team selections multiple times.

The Royals were an also-ran throughout the era anyway. The team failed to keep promising players and played in the tough NBA East division, dominated by the Boston Celtics, even as a Baltimore team played in the West Division for three years, denying the team likely visits to the NBA Finals.

In 1966, the team was sold to a pair of brothers named Max and Jeremy Jacobs. That same season, the Royals began playing some of their home games in neutral sites such as Cleveland (until the Cavaliers began play in 1970), Dayton & Columbus, which was the norm for the rest of the Royals tenure in the Queen City.

New coach Bob Cousy, a loyal Boston Celtic, traded Lucas in 1969. Robertson was traded to Milwaukee in 1970, where he would immediately win an NBA title. The declining franchise left Cincinnati shortly thereafter, moving to Kansas City in 1972.

Kansas City/Omaha

The Royals were renamed the Kings because Kansas City already had the Royals baseball team. The basketball team agreed to change its nickname, even though it had used the name for 25 years before the baseball team was established. The team initially divided its home games between Kansas City and Omaha until 1975, when it abandoned the Omaha market. During that time the team was officially called the "Kansas City-Omaha Kings". The team netted a new superstar in Nate Archibald, who led the league in scoring and assists. Both "Kings" and "Royals" would have fit in Kansas City, due to that city being host to the American Royal livestock show.

While still in Cincinnati, the Kings introduced a most unusual uniform design, which placed the player's surname below his number. The design remained intact through the first several seasons of the team's run in Sacramento, even when the shade of blue on the road uniforms was changed from royal blue to powder blue, and the script "Kansas City" which adorned the road jerseys was scrubbed after the move in favor of a repeat of the "Kings" script on the home shirts. The Kings' back jersey template was later adopted by the WNBA and the NBA Development League, as well the NBA during the All-Star Game since 2006.

The Kings had some decent players throughout. Tom Van Arsdale, the shooting forward, "Jumpin" Johnny Green, and Matt Guokas helped Archibald in the first year in Kansas City. Toby Kimball was a fan favorite. Jimmy Walker teamed with Archibald as the Kings made the playoffs the second year. Sam Lacey, an effective passing center, became one of the most dependable players in the league. Archibald became the first player to lead the league in scoring and assists in the first season in Kansas City. However, the management traded Archibald, and wasted high draft picks. Bob Cousy gave way to Phil Johnson, who was fired midyear in 1977 and replaced by Larry Staverman, a player on the team on two separate occasions when it was in Cincinnati and who later became the Cleveland Indians groundskeeper.

The Kings finally achieved some success in their new home when they hired Cotton Fitzsimmons as coach. Coach Fitzsimmons won the Midwest Division in 1978–79 with rookie point guard Phil Ford. Kansas City was led by shooting guard Otis Birdsong, strong on both offense and defense, all around shooting forward Scott Wedman, and passing center Sam Lacey, who had a trademark bank shot. They also drew an average of 10,789 fans to Kemper Arena that season, the only time during their tenure in KC that average attendance was in five figures. The Kings made the playoffs in 1979–80 and again in 1980–81, despite finishing the regular season at 40–42. The Kings made a surprise run in the NBA Playoffs, reaching the Western Conference Finals. Big Ernie Grunfeld played the point in this run, as KC used a slow half court game to win the first two rounds. Power forward Reggie King had a remarkable series, dominating the opposition.

However, a series of bad luck incidents prevented the team from building on its success. Ted Stepien, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers lured Wedman and Birdsong away with big contract offers, the roof literally fell in at Kemper Arena because of a severe storm, forcing the team to play most of the 1979–80 season at Municipal Auditorium, and the ownership group sold the team to Sacramento interests for just eleven million dollars. The general manager was fired in a bizarre scandal in which he was found to be reusing marked postage stamps. When the Kings rehired Joe Axelson as general manager, they brought back the man who had previously traded superstars Oscar Robertson, Norm Van Lier, Nate Archibald and Jerry Lucas, and used the third pick in the ABA dispersal draft on Ron Boone. Axelson would stay on after the Kings left Kansas City where, in their last game ever, fans wore Joe Axelson masks. Axelson later would say he hoped his plane would never touch down in Kansas City.

Axelson later would be the first general manager in the history of sports to fail with the same franchise in four different cities: Cincinnati, Kansas City, Omaha and Sacramento. He would not be fired for good until he rehired as coach Phil Johnson, whom he had fired in midseason in Kansas City ten years before. The Kings also had the misfortune of entering this period competing with the Kansas City Comets for the winter sports dollar, when the Comets were led by marketers—the Leiweke brothers. Their final season, 1984–85, resulted in a dismal 31–51 record as fans stayed away from Kemper Arena in droves, with average attendance of just 6,410. The most notable moment of this season lives in infamy, when New York Knicks standout Bernard King suffered a devastating knee injury on March 23. The writing was on the wall for Kansas City.

Move to Sacramento

The Kings moved to their current home of Sacramento, California in the 1985–86 NBA season, with their first Sacramento season ending in the first round of the Western Conference 1986 NBA Playoffs. However, they saw little success in subsequent years, and the team did not make the playoffs again until the 1996 NBA Playoffs in the 1995–96 NBA season. Some of their failure was attributable to misfortunes such as the career-altering car crash suffered by promising point guard Bobby Hurley and the suicide of Ricky Berry; some was attributed to poor management such as the long tenure of head coach Garry St. Jean and the selection of "Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison with the first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. Current Kings television broadcaster Jerry Reynolds and NBA legend Bill Russell were among the early coaching staff.

1993–1996

The early 1990s were difficult for the Kings. Sacramento was known for having strong fan support, and while they won over 60% of their home games, the team struggled on the road, going 1–40 on the road in a single season. The Kings made the playoffs in 1996 largely due to the efforts of star player Mitch Richmond but they did not see postseason success. The team was eventually sold to the Maloof Family, who finally changed the direction of the team.

In 1994, the Kings radically changed their look, adopting a new color scheme of purple, silver, black and white. This color scheme was later adopted by another team in California called the "Kings", the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, a few years later. The Kings' previous look had dated back to their last season in Cincinnati.

1997–1999

The Kings began to emerge from mediocrity with the draft selection of Jason Williams, the signing of Vlade Divac, and the trade of Mitch Richmond for Chris Webber prior to the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. These acquisitions coincided with the arrival of Peja Stojakovic, who had been drafted in 1996. Each of these moves was attributed to general manager Geoff Petrie, who has won NBA Executive of the Year twice. Following these acquisitions, the Kings improved and became perennial playoff contenders. Led by new head coach Rick Adelman, and aided by former Princeton head coach and Kings assistant Pete Carril, the so-called "Princeton offense" impressed others for its quick style and strong ball movement. Some criticized the Kings for their poor team defense, Williams's "flash over substance" style of play with its many turnovers, and Webber's failure to step up in important match-ups. Still, they quickly garnered many fans outside of California, and even around the world, many of which were drawn to Williams' and Webber's talent. Despite their successes, they were still a young team and were ultimately defeated by more experienced teams in the playoffs, losing to the Utah Jazz in 1999 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.

2000–2005

Following the 1999–2000 season, the Kings traded starting small forward Corliss Williamson to the Toronto Raptors for defensive shooting guard Doug Christie. Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber proved to complement each other well, and as the Kings continued to improve, their popularity steadily rose, culminating in a February 2001 ''Sports Illustrated'' cover story entitled "The Greatest Show On Court" with Williams, Christie, Stojakovic, Webber, and Divac gracing the cover. In 2001, they won their first playoff series in twenty years, defeating the Phoenix Suns three games to one, before being swept in four games by the Los Angeles Lakers, who eventually won the NBA championship.

In July 2001, starting point guard Jason Williams was traded to the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies for point guard Mike Bibby. The trade solved the Grizzlies' need for an exciting, popular player to sell tickets after transplanting to a new city, while the Kings sought more stability and control at the point guard position. This move was complemented by the re-signing of Webber to a maximum-salary contract, securing the star power forward over the long term.

With the addition of Bibby, the Kings had their best season to date in 2001–02. The team finished with a league-best record of 61–21, winning 36 of 41 games at home. The Kings would go on to play the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, and in a controversial series, lose in seven games, one game away from the NBA Finals. The 2002 Sacramento Kings are widely considered one of best teams to never win an NBA Championship, because they were "screwed" in game 6 as Donaghy's testimony says.

After winning another division championship by going 59–23 in 2002–03, the Kings lost Webber to a knee injury in the playoffs, and they ultimately lost to the Dallas Mavericks in a seven game series. Webber's knee required major surgery. Although he returned mid-season in 2003–04, he had lost some of his quickness and athleticism; the Kings ended the season with a playoff defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games.

The 2004–05 season marked more change for the Kings, who lost three of their starting players from the 2002 team. In the off-season of 2004, Divac signed with the rival Lakers, giving Brad Miller the starting spot at the center position. Early in the season, Christie was traded to the Orlando Magic for shooting guard Cuttino Mobley, and in February, Chris Webber was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for three forwards (Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas, and Brian Skinner). The Kings ultimately lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Seattle SuperSonics. The 2005 off-season continued with more changes, with the Kings trading fan-favorite Bobby Jackson for Bonzi Wells and acquiring free agent forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

2005–2011

The 2005–06 season started off poorly, as the Kings had a hard time establishing team chemistry. Newcomers Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim made major contributions early in the season, but both were injured and missed a significant number of games. As the Kings' dismal season continued, the Maloofs decided to make a major move.

Popular sharpshooting small forward Peja Stojakovic was traded for Ron Artest, long known for his volatile temper. With Artest in the lineup, the Kings had a 20–9 record after the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend, which was the second best post-All-Star break record that season. The Kings finished the regular season with a 44–38 record, which placed them 4th in the Pacific Division. The Kings were seeded 8th in the Western Conference playoffs, and were matched up in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs eliminated the Kings 4 games to 2.

The 2006 off-season began with the announcement that head coach Rick Adelman's contract would not be renewed. The Kings named Eric Musselman as Adelman's replacement.

In 2006–2007, the disappointing play of the Kings was coupled with the distraction of legal troubles. Coach Eric Musselman pleaded no contest to DUI charges early in the season, while star Ron Artest got in trouble for neglect of his dogs, and was later accused of domestic assault. The Kings relieved Artest of basketball duties, pending investigation, then later reinstated him. The Kings finished the 2006–07 NBA season with an overall record of 33–49 (their worst in 9 years) landing them in fifth place in the Pacific Division. They posted a losing record (20–21) at home for the first time since 1993–94. Their season included a seven game losing-streak that lasted from January 4 to January 19. Consequently, the Sacramento Kings missed the 2007 NBA Playoffs, the first time in eight seasons. Musselman was fired on April 20, 2007. The Kings' future appeared to rest on the shoulders of breakout star Kevin Martin, who was a leading candidate for 2007 NBA Most-Improved Player of the Year.

The 2007 off season was a time of change for the Kings. Head coach Eric Musselman was replaced by former Kings player, Reggie Theus. The Kings selected center Spencer Hawes as the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. In addition to these changes, the acquired center-forward Mikki Moore from the New Jersey Nets. Kevin Martin signed a contract worth $55 million, extending his period with the team for five more years. However, the Kings also lost some key players over the off-season, with backup point guard Ronnie Price leaving for the Utah Jazz, and Corliss Williamson retiring.

The team claimed fourth-year point guard Beno Udrih off waivers from Minnesota. Udrih quickly assumed the starting point guard job, as Bibby was injured. It was announced on February 16, 2008 that the Kings had traded longtime point guard Bibby to the Atlanta Hawks for Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2nd round draft pick. The move was presumably made mostly to clear space under the salary cap. Bibby was the last remaining player from the Kings team that had reached the Western Conference Finals back in 2002.

The Kings improved by 5 games and finished the 2007–08 season with a 38–44 record, missing the playoffs by a bigger margin (12 games) than the previous season (8 games). They went 26–15 at home and 12–29 on the road. After selling out every home game since 1999, the Kings during the 2007–08 season sold out only three games at ARCO Arena (against the Celtics and Lakers) with attendance averaging 13,500 fans per home game, almost 4,000 below capacity.

Following a quiet 2008 off-season, it was confirmed on July 29, 2008 that the Kings would trade forward Ron Artest and the rights to Patrick Ewing, Jr. and Sean Singletary to the Houston Rockets in exchange for former King Bobby Jackson, Donté Greene, a future first round draft pick, and cash considerations for Rashad McCants and center Calvin Booth.

Reggie Theus was fired in the middle of the 2008–09 season, giving way to Kenny Natt as the interim head coach. The Kings continued to struggle under Natt, ending up with the NBA's worst record for the 2008–09 season at 17–65. On April 23, 2009, Kings' Vice President Geoff Petrie announced the firing of Natt and his four assistants, Rex Kalamian, Jason Hamm, Randy Brown and Bubba Burrage.

With the worst record of the 2008–09 season, the Sacramento Kings had a 25% chance of obtaining the first overall pick in the NBA draft. Overall, the Kings had a 64.3% chance of obtaining one of the top three picks in the NBA draft and could not draft any lower than number four overall. Unfortunately, the Kings failed to make it into the top three picks and ended up with the fourth selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Along with new head coach Paul Westphal, thumb | upright|180px |Omri Casspi the Kings selected Memphis combo guard Tyreke Evans with the 4th overall pick. With the 23rd pick, the Kings selected Omri Casspi from Israel.

On April 27, 2010 Tyreke Evans was the first Sacramento era player to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Tyreke Evans also became the 4th player in NBA history, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James, to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game for the whole season as a rookie.

On June 24, 2010, the Kings selected DeMarcus Cousins, a power forward-center from the University of Kentucky, as the 5th pick of the 2010 NBA Draft. The Kings also selected Hassan Whiteside, a center from Marshall University, as the 33rd pick of the 2010 NBA Draft.

The 2010-2011 season was marked with much uncertainty towards the end of the season. Frustrated by the lack of progress towards an arena and dwindling profits from other businesses, the Maloofs were seeking an immediate relocation of the franchise to Anaheim. The move seemed a certainty towards the end of the year, as Grant Napear and Jerry Reynolds tearfully signed off at the final home game vs. the LA Lakers.

In the 2011 NBA draft the Sacramento Kings traded for the draft rights of Jimmer Fredette in a three team deal with the Charlotte Bobcats and the Milwaukee Bucks also involving John Salmons, Shaun Livingston, Beno Udrih, Corey Maggette, and Stephen Jackson. This deal lands Sacramento the most popular player in the draft in hopes of boosting tickets for the next up-coming years.

2011–2012: Final Year in Sacramento?

''More information on the possible Kings move to Anaheim: 2011–12 Sacramento Kings season''

On February 19, 2011, NBA commissioner David Stern admitted that the Kings and officials in Anaheim had discussions about a team relocation. It was later found that the organization went as far as to file for a name change to the "Anaheim Royals", among others. The Maloofs prepared to make their case for relocation in an NBA Board meeting in New York, in what many expected to simply be a formality.

In a surprise announcement, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson announced during a presentation to the NBA that Ron Burkle, a billionaire associate of former United States President Bill Clinton and Democratic Party fundraiser, wanted to buy the Kings and keep them in Sacramento. Johnson also pledged some $10 million from local businesses as a show of support from Sacramento. This, along with the overwhelming show of support from the fans, may have swayed Stern and the relocation committee to tell the Maloofs to withdraw their relocation plans.

The Maloof family as well as the NBA have stated that the Kings will stay in Sacramento for the 2011-12 NBA season. Similar to a situation with the Seattle SuperSonics, both parties have stated that the franchise will relocate to Anaheim, California or elsewhere for the 2012-13 NBA season unless the city of Sacramento can provide a long term solution concerning a new arena. Currently the city has plans for an arena and are awaiting a 100-day analysis of funding options for the arena.

Kings Mascot

Since autumn of 1998, the official Kings mascot is Slamson the Lion. Previous to Slamson (1985 to 1998), the Kings mascot was "The Gorilla."

Season-by-season records

Home arenas

Edgerton Park Arena (1945–1955)

Rochester War Memorial (1955–1957)

Cincinnati Gardens (1957–1972)

Kansas City Municipal Auditorium (1972–1974)

Omaha Civic Auditorium (1972–1978)

Kemper Arena (1974–1985)

ARCO Arena I (1985–1988)

Power Balance Pavilion (formerly ARCO Arena II) (1988–present)

Players of note

Current roster

Basketball Hall of Famers

Nate Archibald (Cincinnati/Kansas City/Omaha)

Al Cervi (Rochester)

Bob Davies (Rochester)

Jerry Lucas (Cincinnati)

Lester Harrison (Franchise founder, Rochester)

Arnie Risen (Rochester)

Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati)

Maurice Stokes (Rochester/Cincinnati)

Jack Twyman (Rochester/Cincinnati)

Bobby Wanzer (Rochester)

Martin Ybera (La Salle)

FIBA Hall of Famers

Vlade Divac (Sacramento)

Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati)

Retired numbers

#1 Nate Archibald, G, 1970–76 (1970–72 Cincinnati, 1972–76 Kansas City)

#2 Mitch Richmond, G, 1991–98

#4 Chris Webber, F, 1998–2005

#6 (Sixth Man) – The Fans of Sacramento, 1985–present

#11 Bob Davies, G, 1948–55 (all in Rochester)

#12 Maurice Stokes, F, 1955–58 (career-ending injury in team's first season in Cincinnati)

#14 Oscar Robertson, G, 1960–70 (all in Cincinnati)

#21 Vlade Divac, C, 1998–2004

#27 Jack Twyman, F, 1955–66 (1955–57 in Rochester, 1957–66 in Cincinnati)

#44 Sam Lacey, C, 1970–81 (1970–72 in Cincinnati, 1972–81 in Kansas City)

Archibald and Robertson were named two of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996.

The 2005 Sacramento Monarchs WNBA Champions banner, as well as the Monarchs 2006 Western Conference Champions banner, also hang from the rafters of Power Balance Pavilion.

Individual awards

NBA MVP of the Year

Oscar Robertson – 1964

NBA Rookie of the Year

Maurice Stokes - 1956

Oscar Robertson - 1961

Jerry Lucas - 1964

Phil Ford - 1979

Tyreke Evans – 2010

NBA Sixth Man of the Year

Bobby Jackson – 2003

NBA Coach of the Year

Phil Johnson - 1975

Cotton Fitzsimmons - 1979

NBA Executive of the Year

Joe Axelson - 1973

Geoff Petrie - 1999, 2001

All-NBA First Team

Oscar Robertson - 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969

Jerry Lucas - 1965, 1966, 1968

Nate Archibald - 1973, 1975,1976

Chris Webber – 2001

All-NBA Second Team

Maurice Stokes - 1956, 1957, 1958

Jack Twyman 1960, 1962

Jerry Lucas - 1964, 1967

Oscar Robertson - 1970

Nate Archibald - 1972

Phil Ford - 1979

Otis Birdsong - 1981

Mitch Richmond - 1994, 1995, 1997

Chris Webber - 1999, 2002, 2003

Peja Stojakovic - 2004

All-NBA Third Team

Mitch Richmond - 1996, 1998

Chris Webber – 2000

NBA All-Defensive First Team

Doug Christie – 2003

NBA All-Defensive Second Team

Norm Van Lier - 1971

Brian Taylor - 1977

Scott Wedman - 1980

Doug Christie – 2001, 2002, 2004

NBA Rookie First Team

Jerry Lucas - 1964

Ron Behagen - 1974

Scott Wedman – 1975

Phil Ford – 1979

Kenny Smith – 1988

Lionel Simmons – 1991

Brian Grant – 1995

Jason Williams – 1999

Tyreke Evans - 2010

DeMarcus Cousins - 2011

NBA Rookie Second Team

Travis Mays - 1991

Walt Williams - 1993

Tyus Edney – 1996

Hedo Turkoglu – 2001

See also

Pete Carril

References

''The Rochester Sports Project'', by Douglas Brei

External links

Sacramento Kings official web site

SCSR / Cincinnati Royals

}}

Category:National Basketball Association teams Category:Sports clubs established in 1945 Category:Basketball Association of America teams Category:National Basketball League (United States) teams Category:Basketball teams in Sacramento, California Category:Basketball teams in California

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Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Name	DeMarcus Cousins
Team	Sacramento Kings
Position	Center
Number	15
Draft round	1
Draft pick	5
Draft year	2010
Draft team	Sacramento Kings
Career start	2010
Height ft	6
Height in	11
Weight lbs	270
Nationality	American
Birth date	August 13, 1990
Birth place	Mobile, Alabama
High school	LeFlore High School,Mobile, Alabama
College	Kentucky
Highlights	NBA All-Rookie First Team (2011) }}

DeMarcus Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball at the University of Kentucky.

High school career

Cousins was named to the 2009 McDonald's All-American Team. He had 14 points and 8 rebounds. Cousins also played in the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit at the Rose Garden in Portland and the Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden where he scored 10 points for the black team. Cousins led LeFlore to the Alabama class 6A Final Four against Hillcrest that beat Austin High School to progress to the state championship; falling short to future college teammate Eric Bledsoe and Parker High School.

College career

Cousins first committed to Alabama-Birmingham on February 28, 2008 but never signed a letter of intent because he wanted to be released if UAB's head coach, Mike Davis, left for another school. Cousins decomitted from UAB and committed to Memphis on March 9, 2009. He reopened his recruitment after then Memphis coach John Calipari was hired at Kentucky. On April 7, 2009, Cousins decided to follow John Calipari to Kentucky. He signed his Letter of Intent on April 15. At Kentucky, Cousins averaged 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Led by Cousins and John Wall, the Wildcats reached the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

NBA career

2010–11 (Rookie season)

On April 7, 2010, Cousins announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the fifth overall pick. On July 7, 2010, Cousins signed his rookie contract with the Kings. The contract is worth about $7 million the first two years with a team option for the third and fourth years. Cousins was named the Rookie of the Month for July. Cousins was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team at the end of the 2010-2011 season.

NBA statistics

Regular season

|- | align="left" | 2010–11 | align="left" | Sacramento | 81 || 62 || 28.5 || .430 || .167 || .687 || 8.6 || 2.5 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 14.1 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 81 || 62 || 28.5 || .430 || .167 || .687 || 8.6 || 2.5 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 14.1

Awards/Honors

College

2009–10 SEC Freshman of the Year

High school

2009 McDonald's All-American team selection

2009 Jordan Brand High School All-American team selection

See also

2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

References

External links

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:People from Birmingham, Alabama Category:American basketball players Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Alabama Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Sacramento Kings draft picks Category:Sacramento Kings players

de:DeMarcus Cousins es:DeMarcus Cousins fr:DeMarcus Cousins it:DeMarcus Cousins he:דמרקוס קאזינס ja:デマーカス・カズンズ pl:DeMarcus Cousins ru:Казинс, Демаркус simple:DeMarcus Cousins tr:DeMarcus Cousins

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Serge Ibaka
position	Power forward
height ft	6
height in	10
weight lb	235
team	Oklahoma City Thunder
number	9
nationality	Congolese/Spanish
birth date	September 18, 1989
birth place	Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
draft round	1
draft pick	24
draft year	2008
draft team	Seattle SuperSonics
career start	2007
teams	CB L'Hospitalet (LEB) (2007–2008)Ricoh Manresa (2008–2009)Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–present) }}

Serge Jonas Ibaka Ngobila (born September 18, 1989), commonly referred to as Serge Ibaka, is a professional Spanish basketball player of Congolese origin, playing the power forward position for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. Ibaka was drafted by the Thunder's former incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He is referred to as Air Congo by his teammates. Serge is the 3rd youngest among 18 siblings.

Early life

Ibaka was born in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. Both his mother and his father were basketball players. His father played at the Republic of Congo and with the Congolese national team, and his mother played for the Democratic Republic of Congo. He started playing basketball at a very young age with his first club, Avenir du Rail, using the sport as an escape amongst his mother's untimely death and his father's imprisonment during the Second Congo War.

Transition to the NBA

He was selected by the Seattle Supersonics with the 24th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He became the first player from the Republic of Congo to be selected in the draft, although the Oklahoma City Thunder (the team that inherited the Sonics' place in the NBA) agreed to keep him in Europe. He then signed a three year contract with Ricoh Manresa from the ACB League in Spain, keeping the option to leave for the NBA after each season. In the ACB, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 block in 16 minutes per game.

In July, 2009, the Oklahoma City Thunder paid the buyout, and signed him to a two year contract with two more optional seasons.

Ibaka, who spoke no English when he first arrived in the NBA, depended on the help of teammate Moses Ehambe to translate for him. After a lengthy, dedicated year of learning English in addition to the NBA game, Ibaka now speaks a total of four languages: Lingala (native language), French, Spanish, and English.

Although coming to the NBA as a raw talent, Ibaka has managed to become a starter in the Thunder rotation. Ibaka is often used for his energy in the paint, whether on defense or rebounding. In his first NBA season, Ibaka played 18.1 minutes per game in 73 games, averaging 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. His blocks average led all rookies in the 2009-2010 season, and he ranked number 20 overall. In the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, he played in 6 games, averaging 25.5 minutes, 7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. His 7 blocks in game two in Los Angeles was a record (youngest player to have 7 blocks in playoff game).

On February 19th, 2011, Serge Ibaka participated in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He began the contest with a dunk from the free-throw line. In the second round, Ibaka grabbed a stuffed animal from the rim with his mouth and dunked in one motion. On April 23, 2011 Serge Ibaka perhaps had one of his best games to date in a playoff game against the Denver Nuggets. Ibaka scored 22 points with 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Internationally, Ibaka plays for the Spain national basketball team as he was granted Spanish citizenship on July 15, 2011.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | align="left" | 2009–10 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 73 || 0 || 18.1 || .543 || .500 || .630 || 5.4 || .1 || .3 || 1.3 || 6.3 |- | align="left" | 2010–11 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 82 || 44 || 27.0 || .543 || .000 || .750 || 7.6 || .3 || .4 || 2.4 || 9.9 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 155 || 44 || 22.8 || .543 || .333 || .710 || 6.6 || .2 || .4 || 1.9 || 8.2

Playoffs

|- | align="left" | 2010 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 6 || 0 || 25.5 || .571 || .000 || .700 || 6.5 || .3 || .3 || 2.0 || 7.8 |- | align="left" | 2011 | align="left" | Oklahoma City | 17 || 17 || 28.8 || .462 || .000 || .825 || 7.3 || .2 || .2 || 3.1 || 9.8 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 23 || 17 || 27.9 || .483 || .000 || .800 || 7.1 || .2 || .3 || 2.8 || 9.3

References

External links

Serge Ibaka wins the 2008 ACB Concurso de mates (Dunk contest)

NBADraft.net Profile

DraftExpress Profile

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Liga ACB players Category:Bàsquet Manresa players Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Expatriate basketball people in the United States Category:Expatriates in Spain Category:People from Brazzaville Category:Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Category:Republic of the Congo basketball players Category:Republic of the Congo expatriate sportspeople Category:Oklahoma City Thunder players Category:Republic of the Congo people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent Category:Naturalised citizens of Spain Category:Spanish people of Republic of the Congo descent

ca:Serge Ibaka de:Serge Ibaka es:Serge Ibaka fa:سرج ایباکا fr:Serge Ibaka hr:Serge Ibaka it:Serge Ibaka lv:Seržs Ibaka ln:Serge Ibaka ja:セルジ・イバカ pl:Serge Ibaka ru:Ибака, Серж sr:Серж Ибака sh:Serge Ibaka

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Russell Westbrook
position	Point guard
height ft	6
height in	3
weight lb	187
team	Oklahoma City Thunder
number	0
nationality	American
birth date	November 12, 1988
birth place	Long Beach, California
college	UCLA (2006–2008)
high school	Leuzinger High School
draft round	1
draft pick	4
draft year	2008
draft team	Seattle SuperSonics
career start	2008
team1	Oklahoma City Thunder
years1	2008–present
highlights	NBA All-Star () All-NBA Second Team () NBA All-Rookie First Team () }}

Russell Westbrook (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. He was drafted by the Thunder's former incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics, which later relocated from Seattle, Washington to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Westbrook was also a member of the 2010 United States national team.

Early years

Westbrook was born in Long Beach, California to parents Russell Westbrook and Shannon Horton. He has one younger brother, Raynard, and has said that he admires former Los Angeles Lakers great Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

At Leuzinger High School, Westbrook led the team to a 25-4 overall record and to a CIF-SS Div. I-AA quarterfinal playoff appearance during his senior year. He averaged 25.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.3 assists. He also connected on 57 three-pointers and made 76.0 percent of his free throws. He collected 14 double-doubles, scored 30 or more points on eight occasions and registered a career-best 51 points at Carson on January 6, 2006. He did not attract too much attention from top college basketball programs until Ben Howland offered him a scholarship to play for the UCLA Bruins after Jordan Farmar declared for the NBA Draft. He was a high school teammate of current Golden State Warriors forward Dorell Wright while attending Leuzinger High School.

College

In his two years of playing for the UCLA Bruins, wearing #0, the team advanced to the Final Four each year. He was a teammate and dorm roommate of current Minnesota Timberwolves player Kevin Love. The Bruins lost to Memphis, 78-63, in 2008 and to Florida, 76-66, in 2007. 1 34

College !! Year	! GP !! GS !! SPG !! BPG !! RPG !! APG !! PPG !! FG%!! FT%!! 3P%
2006-07 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team	UCLA	2006-07	36	|	0.4	0.02	0.8	0.7	3.4	.457%	.548%	.409%
2007-08 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team	UCLA	2007-08	39	|	1.6	0.2	3.9	4.3	12.7	.465%	.713%	.338%

NBA career

Rookie season

He was selected 4th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics (later known as the Oklahoma City Thunder due to sale of team and relocation). He signed with the team on July 5, 2008 along with D. J. White. He played with fellow Bruin Earl Watson on the Thunder team.

Westbrook was named the Western Conference Rookie of the month for December and February. In December, Westbrook averaged 15.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 5.1 RPG. In February, Westbrook averaged 20.6 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 6.1 RPG.

On February 1, 2009, Westbrook scored a career-high 34 points in an overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings. He made 7 of 18 field goals and 20 of 22 free throws. His 20 free throws were the most by a Kings opponent since the franchise relocated to Sacramento, California.

He was also a candidate for the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest but lost in fan voting to Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers.

On March 2, 2009 Westbrook recorded a triple double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He was the first rookie to do so since Chris Paul in the 2005-06 season, and the third rookie player in Sonics/Thunder franchise history: Art Harris 1968-69 and Gary Payton in 1990-91.

He finished fourth in the 2008/09 NBA Rookie of the Year voting behind Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls), O. J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies) and Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets). Westbrook was named to the NBA's all-rookie first team, along with fellow UCLA classmate Kevin Love, who was named to the second team.

Second and third seasons

On November 12, 2010, his 22nd birthday, Westbrook achieved a career-high 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists against the Portland Trail Blazers. 14 days afterward, November 26, Westbrook upped his career-high in points to 43, to go with 8 rebounds and 8 assists, against the Indiana Pacers. Less than a month later, on December 1, 2010, he scored 38 points with 9 assists and achieved a new career-high 15 rebounds in a triple-overtime win over the New Jersey Nets, a game played without Thunder co-star Kevin Durant due to injury trouble.

Westbrook was chosen as a Western Conference reserve for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game.

International Career

Senior National Team

In 2010 he took part in the FIBA World Championships held in Istanbul, Turkey. He played a pivotal role off the bench with his hustle and energy. USA won gold for the first time since 1994.

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Personal

In a July 2008 article, the ''Daily Oklahoman'' reported that when he was asked about his relationship with Brian Westbrook, Russell Westbrook responded that they were not related.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 82 || 65 || 32.5 || .398 || .271 || .815 || 4.9 || 5.3 || 1.3 || .2 || 15.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 82 || 82 || 34.3 || .418 || .221 || .780 || 4.9 || 8.0 || 1.3 || .4 || 16.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 82 || 82 || 34.7 || .442 || .330 || .842 || 4.6 || 8.3 || 1.9 || .4 || 21.9 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 246 || 229 || 33.9 || .421 || .274 || .816 || 4.8 || 7.1 || 1.5 || .3 || 17.8

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 6 || 6 || 35.3 || .473 || .417 || .842 || 6.0 || 6.0 || 1.7 || .2 || 20.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2011 | style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma City | 17 || 17 || 37.5 || .394 || .292 || .852 || 5.4 || 6.4 || 1.4 || .4 || 23.8 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 23 || 23 || 37.0 || .410 || .317 || .850 || 5.5 || 6.3 || 1.5 || .3 || 23.0

Triple-doubles

! Number	! Date	! Opponent	! Box Score	Point (basketball)>Points	Rebound (basketball)>Rebounds	Assist (basketball)>Assists	! Steals	! Notes
1		vs. Dallas Mavericks
2		at. Minnesota Timberwolves
3		vs. Atlanta Hawks
4		vs. Orlando Magic
5		vs. Washington Wizards
5(PO)		vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Awards and recognition

2010-11 All-NBA Second Team

2011 NBA All-Star

2009 NBA All-Rookie First Team

2008 Collegeinsider.com All-Defensive Team

2008 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and Third-Team All-Conference

Third-team Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West selection

Third-team All-State, first-team All-CIF Division I and two-time Most Valuable Player of the Bay League honors

Scout.com rated Westbrook as the No. 2 shooting guard in the West and one of the top 25 shooting guards in the nation

See also

2006-07 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

2007-08 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

References

External links

NBA.com : Russell Westbrook Info Page

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:American basketball players Category:Basketball players from California Category:UCLA Bruins men's basketball players Category:Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Category:Oklahoma City Thunder players Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:Point guards Category:United States men's national basketball team members

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