Folsom, California - Wikipedia

City in California, United States City in California, United States

Folsom, California
City
Historic Sutter Street
FlagSealLogo
Motto: "Distinctive by Nature"[1]
Location of Folsom in Sacramento County, California
Folsom, CaliforniaLocation in the contiguous United States
Coordinates: 38°40′20″N 121°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	Justin Raithel[3]
Area[4]
• 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[5]	220 ft (67 m)
Population (2020)[6]
• 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.ca.us

Folsom is a city in northeastern Sacramento County, California, United States. A 2025 population estimate puts the city's population at 92,577 residents.[7]

History

[edit]

The Nisenan tribe of Native Americans had long inhabited the area.[8] The Gold Rush of 1849 brought violence, disease and overwhelming loss for the tribes.[9]

Joseph Libbey Folsom purchased Rancho Rio de los Americanos from the heirs of San Francisco merchant William Alexander Leidesdorff, and laid out the town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking their fortune in the Sierra 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 with Sacramento. 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 the Gold Line of Sacramento Regional Transit District's light rail service in 2005. A few former gold-rush era towns are located in and around Folsom, including Prairie City, Salmon Falls, and Mormon Island.

Folsom included a significant Chinese American community when it was first incorporated, but arsonists burned Folsom's Chinatown in March 1886, driving Chinese Americans out of town.[11]

The establishment of Folsom Prison came in 1880, when the Livermore family made an agreement with the state to donate land for the prison in exchange for prison labor. They planned to build a hydro-electric dam from the American 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 the Folsom Powerhouse, now a National 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 created Folsom Lake. The dam is located on the southwest corner of the lake. The lake is an estimated 4.8 miles (7.7 km) from Granite Bay to the most southern point of Folsom Lake.

Folsom is home to Folsom 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]

Geography

[edit]

According to the United 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]

Climate

[edit]

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)
Average precipitation 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]

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

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 the Sacramento metropolitan area.

2020

[edit] Folsom, California – Racial and ethnic compositionNote: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

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 or Alaska 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%

The 2020 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% from other 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% were cohabiting 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 20,246 families (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% spoke Spanish, 7.9% spoke other Indo-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 the per capita income was $61,008. About 3.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line.[26]

2010

[edit]

At the 2010 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%) were opposite-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.

Economy

[edit]

Top employers

[edit]

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]

Arts and culture

[edit]

The city operates the Folsom Public Library, located in the Georgia Murray Building.[30]

Parks and recreation

[edit]

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-mile American 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 the Johnny Cash Trail, a public art experience and bike trail honoring the singer Johnny Cash, which was opened on October 14, 2017.[35]

Folsom also includes part of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, which is popular for hiking, boating, fishing, and biking, and a major attraction in the Sacramento region.

Looking east from Lake Natoma Crossing Bridge. Historic Folsom is on the right.

Government

[edit]

In the California State Legislature, Folsom is in the 6th senatorial district, represented by Republican Roger Niello, and in the 7th Assembly district, represented by Republican Josh Hoover.[36]

Located within California's 3rd congressional district, Folsom is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Republican Kevin Kiley.[37]

Presidential election results in Folsom[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

See also: Government of Sacramento County, California

Education

[edit]

Folsom Lake College is a public community college which is part of the Los Rios Community College District.

Folsom Cordova Unified School District operates public schools in Folsom and Rancho Cordova. The two high schools are Folsom High School and Vista del Lago High School. The two middle schools are Folsom Middle School and Sutter Middle School.[38]

Infrastructure

[edit]

The Sacramento Regional Transit District extended the light rail train system to Folsom via an extension to the Gold Line in October 2005, providing direct service to Downtown 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]

Notable people

[edit]

• Britani Bateman – actress, singer, and cast member on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
• Shadrack Biwott – American long-distance runner
• Jake Browning – Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
• Peter Camejo – Green Party activist
• McKenzie Forbes – WNBA player for the Los Angeles Sparks
• Spider Jorgensen – Major League Baseball player
• Aspen Ladd – MMA fighter currently fighting in UFC
• Brennan Poole – NASCAR driver
• Jordan Richards – free agent safety
• Jonah Williams – Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman

In popular culture

[edit]

The song "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash is about Folsom State Prison.

The 2025 film No Address (film) included several scenes filmed on location in Folsom.

Sister cities

[edit]

• Crespano del Grappa, Italy[42]
• Jiaohe City, China[42]

References

[edit]

1. ^ "City of Folsom, California". City of Folsom, California. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
2. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
3. ^ "City Councilmembers". City of Folsom. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
4. ^ a b "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
5. ^ "Folsom". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
6. ^ "QuickFacts: Folsom City, CA".
7. ^ "Folsom Soars: Leading California In Population And Housing Growth – Folsom Times". July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
8. ^ Folsom Historical Society (September 15, 1999). Folsom, California. Arcadia. ISBN 9781439610190.
9. ^ "The Gold Rush Impact on Native Tribes". American Experience. PBS. Retrieved November 20, 2023 – via PBS.org.
10. ^ "Nimbus to Folsom". AbandonedRails.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
11. ^ "3.9.1.1". Folsom Dam Road Access Restriction: Environmental Impact Statement. US Department of Interior. April 2005. p. 3.9-2.
12. ^ "List of NHLs by State - National Historic Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
13. ^ "Folsom, CA - Folsom Plan Area". folsom.ca.us. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
14. ^ Bizjak, Tony (May 21, 2018). "Thousands of long-awaited homes are coming to Folsom. Here's what you should know". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
15. ^ Camponovo, Megan (June 7, 2020). "A residential intersection in Folsom is the highest point in Sacramento County". FOX 40.
16. ^ "FOLSOM DAM, CALIFORNIA - Climate Summary". www.wrcc.dri.edu.
17. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
18. ^ "07553445v1chApt6ch002.pdf" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
19. ^ "California: 1990, Part 1" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
20. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Folsom city, California". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
21. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Folsom city, California". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
22. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Folsom city, California". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
23. ^ a b c d e "Folsom city, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
24. ^ "Folsom city, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
25. ^ "Folsom city, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
26. ^ "Folsom city, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
27. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Folsom City". census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
28. ^ City of Folsom CAFR 2020
29. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Folsom city, California". www.census.gov. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
30. ^ "Library Locations & Hours". Folsom Public Library. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
31. ^ "Livermore Community Park". folsom.ca.us. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
32. ^ "Trails and Bikeways | Folsom, CA". www.folsom.ca.us. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
33. ^ Viall, Tim (August 30, 2021). "Folsom, a scenic and historic river city, beckons travelers". The Stockton Record. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
34. ^ "Folsom History | Folsom, CA". www.folsom.ca.us. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
35. ^ "Johnny Cash Trail | Folsom". Folsom Cash Art Trail. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
36. ^ "Final Maps | California Citizens Redistricting Commission". Retrieved September 4, 2025.
37. ^ a b "Dave's Redistricting". Retrieved June 25, 2023.
38. ^ "Home - Folsom Cordova Unified School District". www.fcusd.org. February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
39. ^ "SacRT About Us".
40. ^ Boxall, Bettina (February 29, 2020). "Westlands Water District gets permanent U.S. contract for massive irrigation deliveries". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
41. ^ "Bureau of Reclamation Completes First Group of Congressionally-Mandated California Central Valley Project Contract Conversions". Sierra Sun Times. March 2, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
42. ^ a b "Folsom, CA - Sister Cities". www.folsom.ca.us. city of Folsom. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.

External links

[edit] Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Folsom.

• Official website

Places adjacent to Folsom, California
Orangevale, Placer County (Granite Bay) Folsom Lake El Dorado County (El Dorado Hills) Fair Oaks, Orangevale Folsom El Dorado County (El Dorado Hills) Gold River, Rancho Cordova Cosumnes Unincorporated Area (Sacramento County) Cosumnes Unincorporated Area (Sacramento County)

v t e Folsom, California
Schools	Folsom Cordova Unified School District Folsom High School Vista del Lago High School
Colleges and universities	Los Rios Community College District Folsom Lake College
Landmarks	California State Prison, Sacramento Folsom Dam Folsom Depot Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park Folsom State Prison Folsom Prison Blues
This list is incomplete.

v t e Municipalities and communities of Sacramento County, California, United States
County seat: Sacramento
Cities	Citrus Heights Elk Grove Folsom Galt Isleton Rancho Cordova Sacramento
CDPs	Antelope Arden-Arcade Carmichael Clay Courtland Elverta Fair Oaks Florin Foothill Farms Franklin Freeport Fruitridge Pocket Gold River Herald Hood La Riviera Lemon Hill Mather McClellan Park North Highlands Orangevale Parkway Rancho Murieta Rio Linda Rosemont Vineyard Walnut Grove Wilton
Unincorporatedcommunities	Locke Paintersville Parkway-South Sacramento Ryde Sloughhouse
Ghost towns	Michigan Bar Mormon Island Norristown Prairie City Sutterville
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v t e Greater Sacramento
Counties	El Dorado Nevada Placer Sacramento Sutter Yolo Yuba
Major city	Sacramento
Citiesandtowns	100k–200k Elk Grove Roseville 25k–100k Antelope Arden-Arcade Carmichael Citrus Heights Davis El Dorado Hills Fair Oaks Florin Folsom Foothill Farms Galt Lincoln North Highlands Orangevale Rancho Cordova Rocklin West Sacramento Woodland Yuba City 10k–25k Auburn Cameron Park Diamond Springs Gardnerville Ranchos (NV) Granite Bay Grass Valley La Riviera Lemon Hill Linda Marysville North Auburn Olivehurst Parkway Placerville Rio Linda Rosemont South Lake Tahoe Truckee Vineyard
Sub-regions	Gold Country Lake Tahoe Sacramento Valley Sierra Nevada Yuba–Sutter area

v t e Sacramento Valley
Counties	Butte Colusa Glenn Placer Sacramento Shasta Sutter Tehama Yolo Yuba
Major cities	Sacramento
Cities and towns100k-250k	Elk Grove Roseville Chico
Cities and towns25k-99k	Antelope Arden-Arcade Carmichael Citrus Heights Davis Fair Oaks Florin Folsom Foothill Farms Lincoln North Highlands Orangevale Paradise Rancho Cordova Redding Rocklin West Sacramento Woodland Yuba City
Cities and towns10k-25k	Auburn Galt Granite Bay La Riviera Linda Magalia Marysville North Auburn Olivehurst Oroville Parkway Red Bluff Rio Linda Rosemont Shasta Lake Vineyard
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