City (pop., 2000: 407,018), capital of California, U.S. It is located in the Central Valley , where the Sacramento and American rivers meet.
First settled in 1839 as New Helvetia by gold rush . The present city was laid out in 1848 and named for the river. It became the state capital in 1854 and prospered as a transportation and agricultural centre. It was the terminus of the first California railroad in 1856 and the western terminus of the Pony Express in 1860. A ship canal completed in 1963 made the city a deepwater port. The city's main industries, in addition to government services, include food processing, printing, and aerospace products. It is the site of several institutions of higher learning.