Sacramento developed around Sutter’s Fort during the California Gold Rush.
John Sutter established Sutter’s Fort near the Sacramento River in 1839. The settlement that grew nearby became a major supply and transportation center after gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. Thousands of fortune seekers passed through Sacramento on their way to mining regions in the Sierra Nevada.
Sacramento became California’s permanent capital in 1854 after the state government moved among several locations, including San Jose, Vallejo, and Benicia. Its river connections and central position helped support its role as a political and commercial center.
The city is located where the Sacramento and American rivers meet. Sutter’s Fort is now a state historic park, while Old Sacramento preserves buildings and streets associated with the Gold Rush-era river port.