Natomas is a community in the northwestern section of the city of

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Natomas is generally divided into two areas by

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...

: North Natomas and South Natomas. North Natomas was historically an agricultural area on the

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...

s of the

Sacramento River The Sacramento River () is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River D ...

, but grew quickly starting in the mid-1990s with extensive residential development,

office park A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typically ...

, and retail construction. South Natomas developed predominantly as residential subdivisions from the 1950s to the 1980s, but in 1982, amended its community plan to permit 2.4 million square feet of new office parks along

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels thro ...

. As a major center of employment, retail and entertainment facilities, Natomas is recognized as one of Greater Sacramento's most important

edge cities An edge city is a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban, residential or rural area. The term was popularized by the 1991 boo ...

(suburban economic centers) by

Joel Garreau Joel Garreau (born 1948) is an American journalist, scholar, and author. In 1981, Garreau published '' The Nine Nations of North America''. In 1991, he published '' Edge City: Life on the New Frontier''. In 2005, he published ''Radical Evoluti ...

, who popularized the term.Chapter 11: "The List: Edge Cities Coast to Coast" in Natomas is generally defined as south of the Sacramento County line, north of the Garden Highway and the

American River The American River is a List of rivers of California, river in California that runs from the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento. Via the Sacramento River, it ...

, west of the

Steelhead Creek Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or Columbia River redband trout (''O. m. gairdneri'', also called redband steelhead). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific ...

, and east of the

. The neighborhood school district is

Natomas Unified School District Natomas Unified School District is located in northwestern Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacrament ...

Major features

ARCO Arena ARCO Arena (known as Power Balance Pavilion from 2011 to 2012 and Sleep Train Arena from 2012 until 2022) was an indoor arena located in Sacramento, California, United States. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Sacramento Kings of the Nation ...

(later Sleep Train Arena) was a major feature of the Natomas area of Sacramento and was the previous home of the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

, who have since moved to the

Golden 1 Center Golden 1 Center is an indoor arena in downtown Sacramento, California, United States. It sits partially on the site of the former Downtown Plaza shopping center. The publicly owned arena is part of a business and entertainment district called ...

in downtown Sacramento. The arena was torn down in 2022. The

Sacramento International Airport Sacramento International Airport is an international airport located in Sacramento, northwest of Downtown Sacramento in Sacramento County, California, United States and covers . It serves the Sacramento Metropolitan Area, and it is run by th ...

is within the bounds of Natomas as defined by Sacramento County, but it is several miles away from the largely populated area of Natomas. Since Natomas is the closest portion of the city to the airport, there are many hotels located throughout the Natomas area. Natomas is a historical flood plain and is therefore subject to flooding. Another feature of this area is the ease of access to

, and the northern portion of Highway 99's route through Sacramento, making it a desirable living area for workers who commute. Natomas is also home to a variety of outdoor spaces, including bike trails and parks. One of the newest additions is North Natomas Regional Park. Although it is being completed in phases, it is home to a water spray area for kids, grassy fields, playgrounds, ball fields, picnic areas, two dog parks (one for little and another for big dogs), asphalt and concrete paths for walking and riding, and a permanent farmers' market structure.

Jackrabbit Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The genu ...

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

, and other wildlife romp in the undeveloped fields adjacent to the developed portions.

Government

Natomas is represented by Lisa Kaplan, the District 1 representative on the

Sacramento City Council The Sacramento City Council is the governing body of the city of Sacramento, California. The council holds regular meetings at Sacramento City Hall on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm, with exceptions for holidays and other special cases. Sacramento's city co ...

, and Karina Talamantes, the District 3 representative on the Sacramento City Council as well as by Phil Serna, the District 1 representative on the

Sacramento County Board of Supervisors The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is the five-member governing board of Sacramento County, California. Like all other counties in California, with the exception of the City and County of San Francisco, California, San Francisco, Sacramen ...

. In the

California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...

, Natomas is in and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Natomas is in . The Natomas Basin Conservancy serves as plan operator for the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan. It acquires and manages habitat land for the benefit of the 22 special status species covered under the plan.

Economy

Natomas is a retail and entertainment hub for the metropolitan area, including The Promenade at Sacramento Gateway, Natomas Marketplace, and the Park Place Shopping Center, with many smaller shopping centers scattered throughout the region. Northgate Boulevard is home to further retail businesses and hotels.Google Maps, retrieved July 18, 2019 Natomas is considered, by Joel Garreau who popularized the idea, to be one of the major

, i.e. suburban economic centers, in Greater Sacramento.

Education

Most of the Natomas region is served by the Natomas Unified School District. Small portions are served by

Twin Rivers Unified School District Twin Rivers Unified School District is a school district in McClellan, California, United States. The district office is located at 5115 Dudley Boulevard, McClellan, California. Twin Rivers operates the cleanest school bus fleet in the countr ...

. In South Natomas, elementary schools include American Lakes K-8, Jefferson K-8, Bannon Creek K-8, and Two Rivers Elementary. The main high school is Natomas High School. In North Natomas, elementary schools on include Natomas Park Elementary (established 2000), Witter Ranch Elementary (established 2004), Heron K-8 (established 2006), H. Allen Hight Elementary (established 2008), and Paso Verde K-8 (established 2017). Natomas Middle School is the traditional middle school and Inderkum High School is the main high school.

Charter schools A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

are a very popular option. Firstly, the district runs a dependent charter school in Southwest Natomas named Leroy Greene Academy, a 6–12 college preparatory secondary school. Independent charter school options include the Star Academy (K-5), Leading Edge Middle School (6-8) and Performing Fine Arts Academy (6–12) which are all part of the Natomas Charter School. Star Academy is located on its own campus in Natomas Crossing while the other schools are located at the main Natomas Charter Campus in Natomas Park. There is also Westlake Charter School (K-8) which moved to a new campus in Natomas Park in 2017 and Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Academy (K-12, college prep). NP3 K–5 is located in a temporary location on East Commerce Way near the old ARCO Arena site while the middle school and high school portion are located on Del Paso Road. The Northgate region of South Natomas is served by Twin Rivers Unified School District. Students in these areas are assigned to Grant Union High School in Del Paso Heights. There is also a small portion of North Natomas served by Twin Rivers Unified School District. The elementary school is Regency Park Elementary School. The assigned middle school is Norwood (in the Robla area) and Rio Linda High School but many students do not attend those assigned schools and opt for either NUSD schools or for charter schools.

Notable residents

With the development of Natomas in the 1990s and 2000s, it became a very popular spot for legislators to buy second residences during the real estate boom of the early twenty-first century. Two reasons for its popularity were its relative affordability and proximity to the capitol.

Current

Heather Fargo Heather Fargo (born December 12, 1952) is an American politician who served as mayor and was a former City Council Member of Sacramento, California. She was sworn in as mayor in November 2000, replacing Jimmie R. Yee, and served until December ...

, former mayor of Sacramento (South Natomas) * Brian Maienschein State Assemblyman from

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

(Natomas Crossing) *

Richard Pan Richard Juien-Dah Pan (; born October 28, 1965) is an American Democratic politician and physician who served in the California State Senate from 2014 to 2022, representing the 6th Senate district, which encompassed parts of Sacramento and Yolo ...

, medical doctor and first assemblyman elected to actually have a permanent residence in Natomas area (Natomas Park) * Blanca Rubio, State Assemblywoman from Baldwin Park (Natomas Park) *

Susan Rubio Susan Rubio (born December 25, 1970) is an American politician serving in the California State Senate. She represents the 22nd Senate District in eastern Los Angeles County and is a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to being elected to the Ca ...

, State Senator from Baldwin Park (Westlake)

Former

Karen Bass Karen Ruth Bass (; born October 3, 1953) is an American politician who has served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Bass previously served in the United States House ...

, current Los Angeles mayor and former speaker of the Assembly from

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

(South Natomas) * John J. Benoit, state senator from

Palm Desert Palm Desert is a city in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County, California. The city is located in the Colorado Desert arm of the Sonoran Desert, about east of Palm Springs, northeast of San Diego and east of Los Angeles. The populat ...

(Willowcreek) *

Mike Bibby Michael Bibby (born May 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach at California State University, Sacramento. He played for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He last served as the ...

, former

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

and

point guard who owned 2 different homes (Westlake) * John B. T. Campbell III, congressman from

Newport Beach Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...

, who lived in Natomas while he served in the state legislature (Sundance Lake) * Dave Cogdill, former Senate minority leader (North Natomas) *

Joe Coto Joe Coto (September 4, 1939) is an American educator and politician. Coto served three terms as a member of the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, representing the 23rd district. Early life and education Coto was born in Miami, Ariz ...

, state assemblymember from San Jose and former superintendent of schools in

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

(South Natomas) *

DeMarcus Cousins DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, ...

, former

basketball player and all-star center (Westlake) *

Robert Dutton Robert Dutton may refer to: * Robert Dutton (politician) * Robert Dutton (footballer) * Robert Dutton (engineer) Robert W. Dutton is an American electrical engineer. At Stanford University, he is the Robert and Barbara Kleist Professor of Electr ...

, state senator from

Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County, California, given in 1839 to the dedicated soldier, smuggler and politician Tiburcio Tapia by Mexican governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. The gra ...

(Heritage Park) *

Michael D. Duvall Michael Dobbins Duvall (born June 14, 1955) was a Republican politician and a former member of the California State Assembly. Duvall was first elected as the Assemblyman for California's 72nd District in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008. During ...

, former state assemblymember from

Yorba Linda Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and had a population of 68,336 at the 2020 census. Yorb ...

(Gateway West) *

Eric the Actor Eric Shaun Lynch (March 11, 1975 – September 20, 2014), also known as Eric the Midget and Eric the Actor, was a member of '' The Howard Stern Show's'' Wack Pack. Lynch was, at his peak, tall, weighed , and had various health issues, includi ...

, Wack Packer from ''

The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was radio syndication, nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WINS-FM, WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The sho ...

'' * Alexander Gonzalez, president of

Sacramento State University California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California, United States. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is part of the California State Universit ...

(Westlake) * Jerry Hill, state assemblyman from San Mateo (Willowcreek) *

Shirley Horton Shirley Grasser Horton (July 17, 1952) is a Japanese–American politician who served as the 37th mayor of Chula Vista, California, and in the California State Assembly as a member of the Republican Party. Horton was born in Japan and educated ...

, state assemblymember from

(Willowcreek) *

Bob Huff Robert S. Huff (born September 9, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who was the California State Senate minority leader and Senate Republican leader from January 5, 2012, until August 27, 2015. He represented the Senate's 29th D ...

, state senator from

Diamond Bar Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The 2020 census listed a population of 55,072. It is one of a few cities in California with a majority Asian population (59.24% as of 2020). It is named after the ...

(Gateway West) *

Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative political commentator who was the host of ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nati ...

, conservative commentator (South Natomas) * Kevin Martin,

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

player (eventually moved to Midtown) *

Eric Musselman Eric Musselman (born November 19, 1964) is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head coach at the University of Southern California. He is the former head coach at the University of Arkansas, University of Nevada, Reno, the ...

, former

head coach *

Kenny Natt Kenneth Wayne Natt (born October 5, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player and ex-interim head coach for the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings.

, former Sacramento Kings head coach (Westlake) *

Jose Solorio Jose J. Solorio (born September 28, 1970) is an American politician from California. He was elected to the California State Assembly in 2006 as a Democrat. He represented the 69th Assembly District, which includes the city of Santa Ana and part ...

, state assemblymember from Santa Ana (Willowcreek) * Cameron Smyth, state assemblymember from

Santa Clarita Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-most populous city in Los Angeles County, the 17th-most populo ...

(Regency Park) *

Beno Udrih Beno Udrih (born 5 July 1982) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player who is currently the head coach of the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He previously played in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bu ...

, former Sacramento Kings basketball player (Gateway West) *

Corliss Williamson Corliss Mondari Williamson (born December 4, 1973) is an American basketball coach who serves as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a former player who played for four teams ...

, retired Sacramento Kings basketball player

References

{{Coord, 38.6459, -121.5132, display=title Populated places in the Sacramento metropolitan area Neighborhoods in Sacramento, California Edge cities in the United States