Located in the northern part of the California Central Valley, Sacramento is the capital of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. With its intriguing mix of gleaming skyscrapers, hearty Victorian homes, and historic landmarks, Sacramento has been called "a snapshot of Wild West history in a modern, world-class city."

In 1808, Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga discovered and named Sacramento Valley and Sacramento River. "Sacramento" is Spanish for "sacrament," and the name was intended to pay honor to the Roman Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist. Pioneer John Sutter arrived from Switzerland with other settlers in 1839 and established New Helvetia, a trading and agricultural colony centered around Sutter's Fort. He also built Sutter's Mill and established the town of Sutterville. Sutter was involved in a number of endeavors over the next decade, all of them prosperous. However, with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848, his fortune changed. Sutter's son, against his father's wishes, established his own town just a few miles east of New Helvetia to capitalize on the Gold Rush. Sacramento City, named for the Sacramento River, proved to be a commercial success almost instantly while Sutter's own ventures eventually failed.