Natomas is a community in northwestern
Sacramento
)
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, 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 sove ...
of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
North Natomas was historically an agricultural area on the floodplains of the Sacramento River, but grew quickly starting in the mid-1990s with extensive residential development, office park, and retail construction. South Natomas developed predominantly as residential subdivisions from 1950 to 1980, but in 1982, amended its community plan to permit 2.4 million square feet of new office parks along I-5.
As a major center of employment, retail and entertainment facilities, Natomas is recognized as one of Greater Sacramento's most important
edge cities
''Edge city'' is a term that originated in the United States for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban residential or ru ...
(suburban economic centers) by Joel Garreau, 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
, name_etymology =
, image = American River CA.jpg
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, image_caption = The American River at Folsom
, map = Americanrivermap.png
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, map_caption ...
, west of the Natomas East Main Drain, and east of the
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River ( es, RÃo Sacramento) 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†...
. The neighborhood school district is
Natomas Unified School District
Natomas Unified School District is located in northwestern Sacramento, California. It is the main school district of Natomas, a neighborhood of Sacramento. Chris Evans is the Superintendent. William Young is the Deputy Superintendent of Admin ...
.
Major features
ARCO Arena is the major feature of the Natomas area of Sacramento previous home of the Sacramento Kings. The
Sacramento International Airport
Sacramento International Airport is located northwest of Downtown Sacramento in Sacramento County, California, United States and covers . It serves the Sacramento Metropolitan Area, and it is run by the Sacramento County Airport System. The ...
is within the bounds of Natomas as defined by Sacramento County, but it is several miles away from the largely populated area of Natomas. Natomas is the closest portion of the city to the airport. Thus, 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
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south 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 through the states of Californi ...
,
Interstate 80, 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. Jack rabbits, birds of prey, and other wildlife romp in the undeveloped fields adjacent to the developed portions.
Government
Natomas is represented by Angelique Ashby, 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 ...
, Steve Hansen, the District 4 representative on the Sacramento City Council, and Jeff Harris, 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, Sacramento is split into five distri ...
.
In the
California State Legislature, Natomas is in and in .
In the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, 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, anchored by Target, Best Buy, Michael's, TJ Maxx and Burlington, Natomas Marketplace, anchored by Walmart and Home Depot, the Park Place 2 Shopping Center, and more. Northgate Blvd. 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
edge cities
''Edge city'' is a term that originated in the United States for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban residential or ru ...
, 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 country, ...
.
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
Natomas High School is a high school in the Natomas Unified School District located in the Natomas neighborhood of Sacramento. It is located at 3301 Fong Ranch Road. The school mascot is Nelly the Nighthawk.
History
Opened in 1997, the school i ...
.
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 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 is moving 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 Commerce Way near the old Sleep Train Arena 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, former Mayor of Sacramento (South Natomas)
* Brian Maienschein
Brian Maienschein (born May 22, 1969) is an American attorney and politician currently serving in the California State Assembly, representing the 77th district, encompassing parts of northeastern San Diego since 2012. Prior to serving in the st ...
State Assemblyman from San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
(Natomas Crossing)
* Richard Pan, medical doctor and first assemblyman elected to actually have a permanent residence in Natomas area (Natomas Park)
* Blanca Rubio
Blanca Estela Rubio (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician serving in the California State Assembly since 2016. She is a Democrat representing the 48th Assembly District, encompassing parts of the eastern San Gabriel Valley, includi ...
, State Assemblywoman from Baldwin Park (Natomas Park)
* Susan Rubio, State Senator from Baldwin Park (Westlake)
* Nessma Wali-Ali, Typhus Vaccination Recipient Natomas (North Natomas)
Former
*Karen Bass
Karen Ruth Bass (; born October 3, 1953) is an American politician, social worker and former physician assistant who is serving as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Bass had previously served in the U.S ...
, Congresswoman, and former Speaker of the Assembly from Los Angeles (South Natomas)
* John J. Benoit, California State Senator from Palm Desert
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs, northeast of San Diego and east of Los Angeles. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census. The city has been ...
(Willowcreek)
*Mike Bibby
Michael Bibby (born May 13, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played professionally for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He last served as the head coach for Hillcrest Prep Academy in Phoenix, ...
, former NY Knicks and 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 Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
point guard owned 2 different homes (Westlake)
*John B. T. Campbell III
John Bayard Taylor Campbell III (born July 19, 1955) is an American politician who served as a United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from California from 2005 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
, Congressman from Newport Beach, he lived in Natomas while he served in the state legislature. (Sundance Lake).
*Dave Cogdill
David Ellis Cogdill Sr. (December 31, 1950 – July 23, 2017) was a Republican politician who was the California State Senate Republican Leader, a post he held for 10 months from 2008 until he was replaced by State Senator Dennis Hollingswort ...
, former Senate Minority leader lived in a house in North Natomas
* Joe Coto, State Assemblyman from San Jose and former Superintendent of Schools in Oakland (South Natomas)
*DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wil ...
, former 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 Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
basketball player and all-star center, lived in the Westlake neighborhood of North Natomas.
* Robert Dutton
Robert Dale Dutton (October 13, 1950 – July 23, 2022) was an American politician of the Republican Party. After serving two years as a State Assemblyman for the 63rd district, from 2002 to 2004, Dutton served as a State Senator represent ...
, California State Senator from Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Cucamonga was a 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 grant formed parts of pr ...
(Heritage Park)
*Michael D. Duvall
Michael Dobbins Duvall (born June 14, 1955) is a Republican Party (United States), Republican politician and a former member of the California State Assembly. Duvall was first elected as the Assemblyman for California's 72nd State Assembly distri ...
, former California State Assemblyman from Yorba Linda lived in a house in the Gateway West neighborhood
* Alexander Gonzalez, president at Sacramento State University
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is the eleventh oldest school in the 23-campus California ...
(Westlake)
*Tom Harman, former State Assemblyman, State Senator and Attorney General Candidate owned three houses in the Willowcreek neighborhood.
* Jerry Hill, California 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 ...
, Assemblywoman from San Diego (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 Di ...
, California State Senator from Diamond Bar
Diamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2010 census it had a population of 55,544, and in 2019 the population was estimated to be 55,720. It is named after the "diamond over a bar" branding iron re ...
(Gateway West)
*Jay LaSuer, Republican Assemblyman from San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
co-owned a house with Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy in the Willowcreek neighborhood.
*Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of '' The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM r ...
, Conservative Commentator used to live in South Natomas
* Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets player (eventually moved to Midtown)
*Dennis Mountjoy – former Republican Assemblyman from Monrovia
Monrovia () is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2008 census had 1,010,970 residents, home to 29% of Liberia’s total population. As th ...
co-owned a house with Assemblyman Jay LaSuer in the Willowcreek neighborhood.
*Eric Musselman
Eric Musselman (born November 19, 1964) is an American college basketball coach who is the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas. He is the former head coach of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors of the ...
, former 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 Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
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 neighborhood)
* Jose Solorio, State Assembly member from Santa Ana (Willowcreek)
* Cameron Smyth
Cameron Smyth (born August 19, 1971) is a Republican politician who served in the California State Assembly. He succeeded Keith Richman who was term-limited.
Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Smyth served on the Santa Clarita ...
, State Assembly member from Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17t ...
(Regency Park)
* Beno Udrih
Beno Udrih (born July 5, 1982) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player who serves as a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. He previously played in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Buck ...
, former Sacramento Kings basketball player (Gateway West)
*Corliss Williamson
Corliss Mondari Williamson (born December 4, 1973) is an American basketball coach and former basketball player who played for four teams during his 12-year NBA career. He last served as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. His nickname i ...
, retired Sacramento Kings basketball player
*Eric The Actor
Eric Shaun Lynch (March 11, 1975 – September 20, 2014), once known as Eric the Midget and later 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, i ...
, Wack Packer from the Howard Stern Show
References
External links
Natomas Unified School District
North Natomas Public Library
North Natomas Transportation Management Association
Reclamation District 1000
South Natomas Public Library
South Natomas Transportation Management Association
The Natomas Buzz
{{authority control
Populated places in the Sacramento metropolitan area
Neighborhoods in Sacramento, California
Edge cities in the United States