Sacramento, CA Road Trips

Sacramento is in the southern Sacramento Valley, the northern half of the vast 450-mile (720 km) long California Central Valley, one of the world's most productive agricultural areas. While the Central Valley is mostly rural, Sacramento and its urban area seemingly arise abruptly from the surrounding farmland, a sight that is particularly notable to those driving from the west on Interstate 80 or from the south on Interstate 5 or Highway 99. Once considered a typical Central Valley backwater with the distinction of hosting the state capitol, Sacramento's growth has skyrocketed since the late 20th century due increased investment from both local and state governments to bring related jobs to the city, which in turn has attracted think tanks and other research-related sectors such as healthcare and food science. The city has a population of about 520,000 as of 2020 and almost 2.7 million in the metropolitan area. Besides Sacramento County, the metropolitan area also includes the counties of Yolo, Placer, El Dorado, Sutter, Yuba, and Nevada. The pace of life is somewhat slower than in other large Californian cities, and the people are generally warm and friendly. According to Time magazine, Sacramento is the most diverse city in the USA. The city used to be an affordable place, but it suffered from the San Francisco Bay Area's dot com rise and fall, and real estate went from undervalued to overvalued. The market is correcting itself, so property values in most neighborhoods have leveled off while others are dropping to more reasonable valuations.

1 California State Capitol, 10th and L Streets, ☏ +1 916-324-0333. M–F 8AM–5PM, Sa Su 9AM–5PM. The California State Capitol Museum includes the historical state capitol building and the surrounding 16 square city blocks, known as Capitol Park. Inside, tours of the capitol, its legislative chambers, and its restored historic offices are available daily. Outside, the public is free to visit the many gardens, memorials, and monuments throughout the 40-acre park's grounds. You can get a view up to the Capitol from the Tower Bridge at the southern end of Old Sacramento. Despite what the official website says, as of 2017 it is possible to enter the building carrying large bags (they must go through airport-style security though). Free. (updated Dec 2018) 2 Sutter's Fort, 2701 L St, ☏ +1 916-445-4422. Tu–Su 10AM–5PM. Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is the oldest restored fort in the United States. Built by John Sutter in 1840s, the fort now hosts a collection of pioneer and early California artifacts. Self-guided audio tours are available. Adult $5, youth $3, child 5 & under free. (updated Dec 2018) 3 State Indian Museum, 2618 K St (next to Sutter's Fort), ☏ +1 916-324-0971. 10AM–5PM. Contains displays of Native Californian basketry, beadwork, clothing and exhibits about the ongoing traditions of various California Indian tribes. Adults $3, youth $2, children 5 & under free. 4 Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St (an easy 20-minute walk west from the Capitol building or 15-minute walk south from Old Sacramento), ☏ +1 916-808-7000, [email protected].

1 Certified Farmers' Market, ☏ +1 916-688-0100. The bounty of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley can be found at various certified farmers' markets throughout the metropolitan region. Each venue is unique, with some selling dairy, meat, and seafood in addition to produce, crafts, and artisan items. Second Saturdays Art Walk (monthly). Art galleries in midtown Sacramento open on the second Saturday of each month from 6PM to 9PM Garage parking is available for $2 on 17th Street between Capitol and L Street, and local restaurants stay open a little late for the art walk crowd. Concerts in the Park (weekly, May through August). Each summer, a free outdoor concert is held on Friday nights from 5PM to 9PM at Cesar Chavez Park, located at 10th and J Streets. Sacramento Capitol City Jazz Festival (late May). An annual affair over the Memorial Day weekend. Bands come from all over the world to play this gig. You can hear everything from Billie Holiday to Scott Joplin to Paco Gatsby in venues set up throughout Sacramento. Venues are concentrated in Old Sacramento and in hotels near the Convention Center. River rafting. late May through September. In the heat of the summer, self-guided raft trips along the Lower American River are popular (this is leisurely floating, not whitewater rapids). Inflatable rafts can be rented from companies along Sunrise Boulevard and floated down to River Bend Park, a 6-mile trip that takes 3 to 4 hours depending on river flows. Shuttle service is available to return rafters to the start point.

The diversity of Sacramento is not only reflected in its various neighborhoods but also in the food choices you can find here. The places in the central district tend to be more trendy and hip while food establishments in their respective neighborhoods reflect the tastes of their residents. Finding unique fare in suburban Sacramento, northeast of the city limits, can be difficult as many of the establishments are dominated by national or large regional chains. 2 Jack's Urban Eats, 1230 20th St (Midtown at 20th Street and Capitol Avenue), ☏ +1 916 444-0307. A modern-day diner with a retro feel, Jack's grills and roasts meats for sandwiches and salads and offers comfort food side dishes like mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, and garlic fries. Additional locations in the greater metropolitan area. (updated May 2015) 3 Luigi's Pizza Parlor, 3800 Stockton Blvd, Oak Park, ☏ +1 916 456-0641. A long-time Sac institution, still churning out tasty pizzas. Pizzas $12-20. 4 Crepeville, 1730 L St, ☏ +1 916 444-1100. Serves a unique menu of fresh, delicious, and healthy alternatives to fast-food. Other locations in the Curtis Park neighborhood and outlaying Davis. 5 Pieces Pizza by the Slice, 1309 21st St (near the corner of 21st and Capitol), ☏ +1 916 441-1949. A tiny little place with extraordinary stuffed-crust pizza. Open until 2:30AM on weekends, Pieces is a very popular spot to load up on carbs after a late-night weekend pub crawl. Several different combinations are offered, and the staff is also happy to build your pizza to order.

Nightlife in Sacramento is vibrant if you know where to look. Stay in Downtown or Midtown. This is where most tourists are anyway. The upscale clubs and lounges tend to be on or near J Street. Just around the corner is the Capitol Garage which typically has guest DJs on Saturday and a $5 cover in a laid back atmosphere. Nearby is the Crest Theater, an independent historic movie theater that boasts art deco design. In the summer you can catch the French Film Festival here as well as the Trash Film Orgy, an all-night spectacle of old B movie flicks where locals gather in their cheesiest costumes. On most days of the year, however, the Crest is the place to catch foreign and independent films as well as traveling stand-up comedy and music acts. On 16th and R Street. you'll find the popular bar R15. This is a trendy bar/restaurant (Cafe Bernardo is attached) that has an urban industrial feel. Despite being trendy the prices are very affordable with $2 Pabst on tap and $1 pool tables. They also boast couches and big screens where you can play Xbox for free with a couple of friends. R Street corridor offers Shady Lady Saloon, R15 Bar, and restaurants. Another popular club is Mix Downtown with stiff cover charges and dress code as well, but Mix attracts an older crowd than District 30 and less pretentious crowd than the Park. On 10th and S Street, you'll find the popular indie-rock venue Old Ironsides. Local and traveling indie-rock talent showcase their music here.

Visitors to Sacramento should be aware that hotels in the downtown area charge more on weekday and major event stays than weekends as a lot of business travelers come during the weekdays close to the central business district. 1 Greens Hotel, 1700 Del Paso Blvd, ☏ +1 916-921-1736, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Eco-conscious and environmentally-friendly green products and housekeeping practices, and event meeting space. (updated Feb 2026) 2 HI Sacramento, 925 H St (at 10th St), ☏ +1 916-668-6631, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Dormitory beds start at $28 for adults, $10 for children under 18. Private rooms start at $57. (updated Feb 2026) 3 Homewood Suites by Hilton, 3001 Advantage Way, ☏ +1 916-263-9510, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. An all-suite hotel with fully-equipped kitchens. Complimentary hot breakfast daily, dinner with beer and wine Monday-Thursday, and high-speed Internet. (updated Feb 2026) 4 TownePlace Suites (Sacramento Suites), 1784 Tribute Rd, ☏ +1 916-920-5400. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Feb 2026) 5 Vagabond Inn Executive Sacramento (Old Town), 909 Third St. (across I street from the train station), ☏ +1 916 446-1481, fax: +1 916 448-0364. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Architecture is a bit institutional, but rooms are comfortable with microwaves and refrigerators throughout. Complimentary breakfast is quite extensive (self-service waffle irons), and the people are nice. Ideal location for rail travelers and those interested in Old Sac.

1 Sacramento International Airport (SMF IATA). It is the main airport for Sacramento, located 10.5 mi (16.8 km or 15 minutes) northwest of downtown along Interstate 5 at the Airport Boulevard exit (Exit #528). Non-stop air service is available from Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, and all regions of the United States including intrastate flights from all major airports in Southern California. (updated Apr 2020) Nonstop flights are available with: Terminal A: Air Canada Express, American/American Eagle, Delta/Delta Connection, JetBlue & United/United Express. Terminal B: Aeromexico, Alaska/Horizon Air, Boutique, Contour, Frontier, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, & Volaris. Taxis from the airport to downtown are estimated at $34 one-way. Bus service to downtown (from Yolobus) runs hourly from 5:30AM to 10:20PM weekdays and 8:20AM to 10:20PM weekends. The fare is $2.25 and the buses do not make change. 42A runs clockwise and 42B runs counterclockwise. Be sure to get on the correct bus: 42A goes to Sacramento, 42B comes from Sacramento and goes to Davis via Woodland. SacRT offers express service to the airport with Route 142 providing service every 30 minutes to and from Downtown Sacramento. For international flights, you may be better off flying into or connecting from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). From there, take the BART subway to Oakland and then Greyhound, Amtrak or Flixbus to Sacramento. 2 Sacramento Valley Station, 401 I St.

Sacramento is fairly easy to navigate due to the numbered and lettered streets, especially in the central district which is laid out in a grid. Numbered streets run north and south while lettered streets run east and west. South of the city center (bounded by Broadway, Front Street, and Alhambra Boulevard), the streets are named "Avenue" when the lettered streets run out. Historic Old Sacramento, the Riverfront, and the California State Railroad Museum are all within an easy 5-minute walk of the train station. The Capitol building is a pleasant 15-minute walk from Old Sacramento. Sacramento has been called the tree city, due to the density of street trees present. This makes for a pleasant walk anyone in Central Sacramento. However, the moment that you try to get out of the central core, the distances go up, and you're just trudging through suburbs that have much less shade. The wide, flat, tree-lined streets make cycling a relaxing way to get around Downtown and Midtown Sacramento. Most streets in the grid have bike lanes, and bike routes through the city are clearly marked. Traveling by bike also means avoiding expensive and hard-to-find parking. Additionally, the region is connected with the American River Bike Trail, one of the gems of outdoor recreation for the city. For more information about bike infrastructure and advocacy in Sacramento, check out the SABA website. While many bike rental options exist in the city, the region officially supports private bike share rentals by Lime bike. Usage is as easy as downloading the app and locating the nearest bike.

Downtown has a lot of one-way streets which can be confusing and are not always well marked so look at the direction in which cars are parked. Sacramento is generally a safe place to visit. As with any other urban area, no matter where you are, stay safe. Be aware of your surroundings, lock your car doors, don't carry a large amount of cash, and don't wear flashy clothing or jewelry. As with other large metropolitan areas, there are neighborhoods that deserve more caution than others at night. Be cautious while in the following areas: South Sacramento Area—especially at night. It has been cleaned up but there are still rough patches especially around Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Fruitridge Road, Franklin Boulevard, Mack Road, and Meadowview Road. North Highlands — Watt Avenue between Roseville Road and I-80 can be unsafe at night. The motels at Longview Drive and I-80 are among the worst in the north Sacramento area and are best avoided. Del Paso Heights used to be of the worst crime infested areas in the Sacramento Region, but has attracted numerous galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Stay safe, but there's no reason to avoid it.