What Is The Capital Of California?

Hollywood is probably the first city that leaps to mind when someone asks, "What is the capital of California?" Even though Hollywood is the capital of the movie business, it is not the capital of California. That honor goes to Sacramento.

Also known as the "River City" because the American and Sacramento Rivers intersect there, Sacramento became the home of the California legislature in 1854 and the permanent state capital in 1879. It was the perfect place to symbolize California, with its strategic location as the westernmost stop for the First Transcontinental Railroad and the Pony Express.

During the gold rush, the glint and glitter of Sacramento's gold mines attracted pioneers with dreams of hitting pay dirt – much like Hollywood now attracts people with dreams of striking it rich in the movies. Even though California has suffered from debilitating budget deficits, gold mines in the foothills of Sacramento still produce riches, symbolic of the high hopes inspired by the state.

As the capital of California, a large portion of Sacramento residents work for state government, but the city also nurtures many business sectors, including information technology, healthcare, higher education and transportation, says the City of Sacramento website.

You probably expect sunny weather in the capital of California, but Sacramento exceeds all expectations. In fact, the Sacramento Sister Cities brochure brags a 78% rate of sunny weather every year and only 58 days of rain on average from November to March and light showers in April.

Given the diversity of California's population, it should come as no surprise that the state capital of Sacramento participates in the Sister City Program, forging relationships with several international cities, including Manila, Phillipines, and Matsuyama, Japan. The program creates opportunities for Sacramento to participate in international diplomacy.

Even though two of California's most famous governors – Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger – got their starts in Hollywood, they governed from the capital building in Sacramento. Hollywood may be the place where silver screen dreams come true, but Sacramento is the place where California keeps the business of big dreams open for business. Next time someone asks what the capital of California is, think of Sacramento first.