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Sacramento, California

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Why Host a Meeting in Sacramento?

Sacramento Skyline

Sacramento's vibrant downtown area, paired with its historic Old Sacramento district, make this capital city an ideal locale for both business and recreation. Sacramento attracts more than six million visitors each year and is conveniently located in the center of Northern California, just hours away from tourist hotspots San Francisco, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. After making many strides towards becoming a more eco-friendly city, Sacramento has been given several notable accolades including a position on SustainLane's 2006 list of top sustainable cities and recognition as a city "on the verge" of becoming a top 4 worldwide leader according to Fast Company's "Fast Cities 2007."

Memorial Auditorium

With a prime location in the heart of downtown, the Sacramento Convention Center welcomes over one million visitors and more than 600 events every year. The center offers 31 meeting rooms and 384,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space to accommodate a variety of group sizes. It also provides access to the historic 3,800-seat Memorial Auditorium and 272-seat Jean Runyon Little Theater located directly across the street. To top it all off, all conventions and exhibitions hosted at the Sacramento Convention Center are certified "green." Planners and corporations who elect to hold their meetings in Sacramento's Convention Center are invited to use the nationally recognized Green-e symbol in all printed material in order to increase attendee awareness of the green initiative.

Planners will find numerous hotels located in downtown Sacramento and its surrounding areas including the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, the Sheraton Grand Sacramento, the Courtyard by Marriott-Sacramento Airport and Hawthorn Suites, to name just a few. Over 2,500 hotel rooms can be found in the downtown area alone. With a plethora of options, planners are sure to find accommodations to meet their needs regardless of budget restrictions or location requirements.

Bolstered by its annual events such as the Sacramento Film and Music Festival in the summer and West Coast Brew Fest in the spring, the vibrant scene in Sacramento is full of unique venues. From a murder mystery dinner to a champagne brunch, any type of event on the Sacramento RiverTrain is sure to be unforgettable. A kid's dream come true during the day, FairyTale Town transforms at night into a sophisticated and majestic outdoor venue for dinners and receptions under twinkling lights. The historic Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento has several rooms for dinners and parties, including the 250-seat Outdoor Courtyard and the Golden Eagle Room for up to 150 guests.

Interstate 80, U.S. Highway 50, Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 99 all offer direct routes to Sacramento, making it easily accessible by car from any direction. With more than 150 flights available a day at Sacramento International Airport, the city is also easily reached by air. Direct flights service more than 52 cities including Atlanta, Chicago and Denver.

Sacramento is home to several colleges and universities, including California State University at Sacramento and the University of Sacramento, and serves as a branch location for both the National University of California and University of Southern California. Notable businesses headquartered in Sacramento include Blue Diamond Growers, California Air Resources Board, California Conservation Corps and California Architects Board. Situated where the Sacramento River meets the American River, Sacramento is a major shipping center and is responsible for the transportation of fruits, vegetables, wheat, rice and other goods throughout the Sacramento Valley. As a result, food processing has long been a staple of Sacramento's economy.

Sacramento Key Area Facts

Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Convention Center: Sacramento Convention CenterSacramento Convention Center
Sacramento Convention Center
Airports: Sacramento International Airport (SMF)

Population 2,104,974 Destination Type Listings
Hotels 230 • Golf destination
Hotel Rooms 50,000 • Historic destination
Unique Venues 140 • Smoke free restaurants
Restaurants 200  

Additional Sacramento Information / History

Located in the center of Northern California and nestled among the American and Sacramento rivers, the city of Sacramento spans 99 square miles and is located just 90 miles northeast of San Francisco and 383 miles north of Los Angeles. Its nearly 100 square miles are home to over two million people, a diverse mix of African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander and Latino residents. With its edges sprawling to the Sierra Nevada foothills, the city's location offers a mild, low humidity climate, with an average year-round high of 75°F and average year-round low of 51°F.

As the capital city of California, Sacramento boasts a unique blend of cosmopolitan flair and historic charm. Sacramento, first settled in 1839, was the locale of the California Gold Rush, which began on the banks of the Sacramento River in 1849. During this time the city served as a major distribution site, as well as the terminus for riverboats, stage coaches, the Pony Express and the First Transcontinental Railroad. Sacramento is currently one of the fastest growing regions in the United States.

True to its wealth of history, one of the city's notable attractions is
 Old SacramentoOld Sacramento
Old Sacramento, a 28-acre town of historic buildings, museums, monuments, shops and restaurants that has been preserved to reflect life in the mid-1800s. Sutter's Fort State Historic ParkSutter's Fort State Historic Park
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park is home to the oldest restored fort in the United States, while the California State Capitol MuseumCalifornia State Capitol Museum
California State Capitol Museum boasts an unrivaled collection of hundreds of paintings, statues, murals and furniture pieces that portray California's history.

California State Railroad Museum

Known for its expansive arts scene, Sacramento has more than 40 art galleries and dozens of museums. A few of the most notable include the Crocker Art MuseumCrocker Art Museum
Crocker Art Museum, the oldest public art museum west of the Mississippi River, as well as the California State Railroad Museum, the largest museum of its kind in North America. Evening entertainment ranges from lively jazz clubs such as Sky Bar to more subdued atmospheres like that of Biba, which offers some of the best Italian in the city and live piano nightly.

Mild temperatures welcome visitors to enjoy Sacramento's more than 1,000 miles of waterways. The nearby American River offers world-class whitewater rafting, or, for the less adventuresome, a great opportunity to relax and enjoy riverfront dining such as that at the Pilothouse, found on the third deck of historic Delta King Riverboat. The city also offers more than 540 acres of municipal golf courses, as well as 120 city parks that cover more than 2,000 acres.

Sacramento Climate Information

Sacramento enjoys a Mediterranean climate of mild temperatures year-round, dry summers, little humidity and abundant sunshine. Spring and fall bring average temperatures in the mid-70s, while the summer months months have temperatures reaching highs of over 90°F. The average year-round temperature high is 75°F, while the average year-round low temperature is 51°F.

Sacramento experiences an average of 18 inches of rain per year with January seeing the most precipitation and July, the least. The best time to visit Sacramento is in the spring or fall, which bring mild temperatures and very little rainfall.

Sacramento Climate Information Chart
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High -°F 70 76 88 93 105 115 114 109 108 101 87 72
Avg High -°F 53 60 64 71 80 87 93 91 88 78 64 53
Avg Low -°F 38 41 43 46 50 55 58 58 56 50 43 38
Rec Low -°F 20 23 26 32 34 41 48 48 43 35 26 18
Rainfall - in. 3.7 2.8 2.6 1.2 0.4 0.1 -- 0.1 0.3 0.9 2.2 2.8