Folsom, California | |
|---|---|
 Historic Sutter Street | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Distinctive by Nature"[1] | |
 Location of Folsom in Sacramento County, California | |
  Folsom, California Location in the contiguous United States | |
| Coordinates:38°40′20″N121°9′28″W / 38.67222°N 121.15778°W /38.67222; -121.15778 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Sacramento |
| Incorporated | April 20, 1946[2] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sarah Aquino[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 30.15 sq mi (78.09 km2) |
| • Land | 27.88 sq mi (72.21 km2) |
| • Water | 2.27 sq mi (5.88 km2) 7.53% |
| Elevation | 220 ft (67 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 80,454 |
| • Rank | 86th in California |
| • Density | 2,886/sq mi (1,114/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 95630, 95671, 95763 |
| Area codes | 916/279 |
| FIPS code | 06-24638 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277516,2410516 |
| Website | www |
Folsom is a city in northeasternSacramento County, California, United States. A 2025 population estimate puts the city's population at 92,577 residents.[7]
TheNisenan tribe ofNative Americans had long inhabited the area.[8] TheGold Rush of 1849 broughtviolence, disease and overwhelming loss for the tribes.[9]
Joseph Libbey Folsom purchasedRancho Rio de los Americanos from the heirs ofSan Francisco merchantWilliam Alexander Leidesdorff, and laid out the town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking their fortune in theSierra Nevada foothills. Though few amassed a great deal of wealth, the city prospered due to Joseph Folsom's lobbying to get a railway to connect the town withSacramento. Joseph died in 1855, and Granite City was later renamed Folsom in his honor. The railway was abandoned in the 1980s[10] but opened up as the terminus of theGold Line ofSacramento Regional Transit District'slight rail service in 2005. A few former gold-rush era towns are located in and around Folsom, includingPrairie City,Salmon Falls, andMormon Island.
Folsom included a significantChinese American community when it was firstincorporated, but arsonists burned Folsom'sChinatown in March 1886, driving Chinese Americans out of town.[11]
The establishment ofFolsom Prison came in 1880, when theLivermore family made an agreement with the state to donate land for the prison in exchange for prison labor. They planned to build ahydro-electric dam from theAmerican River for a sawmill. Though the sawmill did not work out, the Livermores soon realized that the natural force of running water could provide enough power to transmit to Sacramento, and theFolsom Powerhouse, now aNational Historic Landmark,[12] was opened. At the time it was opened, it had the longest overhead run of electricity (22 miles) in the country. The powerhouse operated until 1952.
Folsom Dam was built in 1956, providing flood control and water rights for the Sacramento Valley and createdFolsom Lake. The dam is located on the southwest corner of the lake. The lake is an estimated 4.8 miles (7.7 km) fromGranite Bay to the most southern point ofFolsom Lake.
Folsom is home toFolsom Lake College,Folsom High School,Vista del Lago High School and a historic downtown district. Folsom is also home to the largest private employer in the Sacramento area,Intel.
The Folsom Plan Area allows the construction of 11,000 homes resulting in 25,000 additional residents enlarging the city of Folsom by one-third. The planned community development area of 3,250 acres (1,320 ha) south of Highway 50 includes additional housing, schools and parks along with office and commercial buildings.[13][14]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.2 square miles (78 km2), of which, 27.9 square miles (72 km2) of it is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) of it (7.53%) is water.[4] Folsom is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
Carpenter Hill in Folsom has the highest elevation in Sacramento County, at 831 feet (253 meters).[15]
Folsom's climate is characterized by long, hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters.
| Climate data for Folsom, California (Folsom Dam), 1981–2010 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 54 (12) | 61 (16) | 65 (18) | 72 (22) | 81 (27) | 89 (32) | 94 (34) | 94 (34) | 88 (31) | 79 (26) | 62 (17) | 54 (12) | 74 (23) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38 (3) | 43 (6) | 46 (8) | 48 (9) | 52 (11) | 58 (14) | 61 (16) | 60 (16) | 58 (14) | 54 (12) | 44 (7) | 39 (4) | 50 (10) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.70 (94) | 4.63 (118) | 4.65 (118) | 1.74 (44) | .67 (17) | .38 (9.7) | .06 (1.5) | .11 (2.8) | .62 (16) | 1.46 (37) | 3.96 (101) | 3.83 (97) | 25.80 (655) |
| Source:[16] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 609 | — | |
| 1950 | 1,690 | — | |
| 1960 | 3,925 | 132.2% | |
| 1970 | 5,810 | 48.0% | |
| 1980 | 11,003 | 89.4% | |
| 1990 | 29,802 | 170.9% | |
| 2000 | 51,884 | 74.1% | |
| 2010 | 72,203 | 39.2% | |
| 2020 | 80,454 | 11.4% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 92,577 | 15.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[17] | |||
Folsom is part of theSacramento metropolitan area.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[18] | Pop 1990[19] | Pop 2000[20] | Pop 2010[21] | Pop 2020[22] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 9,490 | 22,387 | 38,500 | 48,009 | 44,972 | 86.25% | 75.12% | 74.20% | 66.49% | 55.90% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 547 | 2,896 | 3,086 | 4,080 | 3,342 | 4.97% | 9.72% | 5.95% | 5.65% | 4.15% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | N/A | 172 | 237 | 289 | 269 | N/A | 0.58% | 0.46% | 0.40% | 0.33% |
| Asian alone (NH) | N/A | 1,003 | 3,693 | 8,917 | 15,742 | N/A | 3.37% | 7.12% | 12.35% | 19.57% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | N/A | N/A | 93 | 156 | 185 | N/A | N/A | 0.18% | 0.22% | 0.23% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 314 | 99 | 112 | 439 | 494 | 2.85% | 0.33% | 0.22% | 0.61% | 0.61% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | N/A | N/A | 1,249 | 2,249 | 4,947 | N/A | N/A | 2.41% | 3.11% | 6.15% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 652 | 3,245 | 4,914 | 8,064 | 10,503 | 5.93% | 10.89% | 9.47% | 11.17% | 13.05% |
| Total | 11,003 | 29,802 | 51,884 | 72,203 | 80,454 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census reported that Folsom had a population of 80,454. The population density was 2,885.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,114.1/km2). The racial makeup of Folsom was 58.7%White, 4.2%African American, 0.5%Native American, 19.7%Asian, 0.3%Pacific Islander, 5.4% fromother races, and 11.1% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.1% of the population.[23]
The census reported that 92.5% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 7.2% were institutionalized.[23]
There were 28,336 households, out of which 36.9% included children under the age of 18, 58.0% were married-couple households, 4.7% werecohabiting couple households, 23.3% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 22.8% of households were one person, and 10.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63.[23] There were 20,246families (71.4% of all households).[24]
The age distribution was 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% aged 18 to 24, 27.2% aged 25 to 44, 28.8% aged 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males.[23]
There were 29,574 housing units at an average density of 1,060.7 units per square mile (409.5 units/km2), of which 28,336 (95.8%) were occupied. Of these, 68.0% were owner-occupied, and 32.0% were occupied by renters.[23]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 19.2% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 75.3% spoke only English at home, 5.8% spokeSpanish, 7.9% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 9.4% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.5% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 94.6% were high school graduates and 54.7% had a bachelor's degree.[25]
The median household income was $139,263, and theper capita income was $61,008. About 3.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line.[26]
At the2010 census Folsom had a population of 72,203. The population density was 2,971.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,147.2/km2). The racial makeup of Folsom was 53,627 (74.3%) White, 4,140 (5.7%) African American, 427 (0.6%) Native American, 9,000 (12.5%) Asian, 173 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 1,818 (2.5%) from other races, and 3,018 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,064 persons (11.2%).[27]
The census reported that 65,243 people (90.4% of the population) lived in households, 188 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6,772 (9.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 24,951 households, 9,796 (39.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,399 (57.7%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 2,195 (8.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,006 (4.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,150 (4.6%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 137 (0.5%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,788 households (23.2%) were one person and 1,930 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61. There were 17,600 families (70.5% of households); the average family size was 3.13.
The age distribution was 17,570 people (24.3%) under the age of 18, 5,344 people (7.4%) aged 18 to 24, 23,022 people (31.9%) aged 25 to 44, 19,358 people (26.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 6,909 people (9.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.9 males.
There were 26,109 housing units at an average density of 1,074.4 per square mile, of the occupied units 17,442 (69.9%) were owner-occupied and 7,509 (30.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 47,982 people (66.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,261 people (23.9%) lived in rental housing units.
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According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[28] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | Employees | Percentage of Total City Employment |
| 1 | Intel Corporation | 6,318 | 17.80% |
| 2 | California State Prison, Sacramento | 1,469 | 4.14% |
| 3 | Folsom Cordova Unified School District | 1,112 | 3.13% |
| 4 | Folsom State Prison | 1,069 | 3.01% |
| 5 | Mercy Hospital of Folsom | 755 | 2.13% |
| 6 | California ISO | 638 | 1.80% |
| 7 | City of Folsom | 452 | 1.27% |
| 8 | SAFE Credit Union | 355 | 1.00% |
| 9 | Micron Technology, Inc. | 350 | 0.99% |
| 10 | Costco | 300 | 0.85% |
The total Folsom labor force is 35,500, approximately 59.6% of the total adult population asset of around 59,740.[29]
The city operates the Folsom Public Library, located in the Georgia Murray Building.[30]
Livermore Community Park is located in Folsom and offers sports facilities and a water park.[31] Folsom also boasts over fifty miles of trails,[32] including the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail, Folsom Parkway Rail Trail, Lake Natoma Trail, and Oak Parkway Trail. The 32-mileAmerican River Bike Trail, which starts in Sacramento, runs through Folsom along Lake Natoma.[33] Bridges located in Folsom include Lake Natoma Crossing, the Rainbow Bridge, the Historic Truss Bridge, and Folsom Lake Crossing.[34] There is also a pedestrian bridge over East Bidwell Street that opened on November 6, 2010, as part of a new segment on the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail. Another bridge was built over Folsom Lake Crossing in 2014 as part of theJohnny Cash Trail, a public art experience and bike trail honoring the singerJohnny Cash, which was opened on October 14, 2017.[35]
Folsom also includes part of theFolsom Lake State Recreation Area, which is popular for hiking, boating, fishing, and biking, and a major attraction in the Sacramento region.
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Folsom is inthe 6th senatorial district, represented byRepublican Roger Niello, and inthe 7th Assembly district, represented byRepublican Josh Hoover.[36]
Located withinCalifornia's 3rd congressional district, Folsom is represented in theU.S. House of Representatives byRepublicanKevin Kiley.[37]
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 52.2%22,254 | 45.3%19,303 | 2.6%1,099 |
| 2016 | 46.6%15,123 | 46.1%14,964 | 7.3%2,376 |
Folsom Lake College is a public community college which is part of theLos Rios Community College District.
Folsom Cordova Unified School District operates public schools in Folsom and Rancho Cordova. The two high schools areFolsom High School andVista del Lago High School. The two middle schools are Folsom Middle School and Sutter Middle School.[38]
TheSacramento Regional Transit District extended thelight rail train system to Folsom via an extension to theGold Line in October 2005, providing direct service toDowntown Sacramento. Regional Transit also operates the Folsom Stage Line, a public bus service within the city of Folsom.[39]
In February 2020, 75 project customers, including the City of Folsom, received permanent federal water contracts for the Central Valley Project.[40][41]
The song "Folsom Prison Blues" byJohnny Cash is aboutFolsom State Prison.
Crespano del Grappa, Italy[42]
Jiaohe City, China[42]
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Municipalities and communities ofSacramento County, California,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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