Downtown Sacramento is the original city grid west of 16th Street, between the American River, the Sacramento River, and Broadway. It holds the State Capitol, Golden 1 Center, Downtown Commons, Old Sacramento, and the Railyards redevelopment. Housing here means condominiums, lofts, and apartments rather than single-family homes.
- State Capitol and Capitol Park
- Golden 1 Center and Downtown Commons, opened 2016
- Old Sacramento waterfront and California State Railroad Museum
- Crocker Art Museum, founded 1885
- Railyards redevelopment with stadium and medical center underway
- Light rail and Amtrak at Sacramento Valley Station
Living in Downtown Sacramento
Downtown Sacramento is where the capital does its work and its largest venues sit. The Capitol and Capitol Park occupy the blocks around 10th and L streets, state offices fill much of the grid, and Golden 1 Center opened in 2016 at Downtown Commons on the former Downtown Plaza site, with the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Valley Station, and the waterfront all within walking distance.
K Street, reopened to traffic in 2011 between 8th and 12th streets, holds restaurants, the Crest Theatre, and the Downtown Commons shops. Old Sacramento sits on the river side of Interstate 5, its post-1852 buildings housing the California State Railroad Museum, restaurants, and shops, with the Delta King riverboat at the waterfront and the Tower Bridge crossing to West Sacramento.
Housing in Downtown Sacramento: high-rises, lofts, and condominiums
Downtown’s residential stock is almost entirely attached housing: condominiums in newer towers, lofts in converted commercial buildings, and apartments. Buyers who want a yard typically look to Midtown Sacramento, Land Park, or East Sacramento.
The Residences at the Sawyer are condominiums above the hotel at Downtown Commons, steps from Golden 1 Center. Older office and warehouse buildings have been converted to loft condominiums, and newer mid-rise buildings offer units with secured parking and shared roof decks.
The Railyards and what is changing downtown
The Sacramento Railyards is a roughly 244-acre former Southern Pacific shops site immediately north of downtown and the largest redevelopment underway in the central city. The plan includes thousands of housing units, a Kaiser Permanente medical center, a new courthouse, a stadium for Sacramento Republic FC, and reuse of the historic Central Shops.
Infrastructure and stadium work are underway, the Kaiser medical center has broken ground, and Sacramento Valley Station anchors the south end of the site. Expect several years of construction on the north side of the grid.
Parks, culture, and getting around downtown
Capitol Park surrounds the State Capitol with mature trees and gardens, the Crocker Art Museum at Third and O streets, founded in 1885, is the oldest art museum in the western United States, and the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail begins at Discovery Park just north of downtown.
Downtown is the most transit-connected neighborhood in the region. The Gold Line begins at Sacramento Valley Station and runs east to Folsom, the Blue Line heads south toward Cosumnes River College, and the Green Line serves the River District. Sacramento Valley Station is where Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor boards for the Bay Area, Interstate 5 runs along the western edge with connections to Interstate 80, Highway 50, and Highway 99, and many residents walk or bike to work in the Capitol complex.
What to know before buying in Downtown Sacramento
Condominium rules, parking, and construction are the practical issues downtown. Nearly every residence has a homeowner association, and dues, reserves, and rental policies vary widely between buildings. Review the reserve study, budget, pending special assessments, and rental restrictions, and confirm deeded or assigned parking in writing, since it is not universal.
Event nights at Golden 1 Center bring traffic and crowds to the blocks around Downtown Commons, and the Railyards will be an active construction zone for years, so walk the block at different times before you commit. West Sacramento across the Tower Bridge offers newer attached and detached housing a short distance from the core.
Buying or selling in Downtown Sacramento
Nick Sadek Sotheby’s International Realty works with downtown buyers and sellers from its Sacramento office on Fair Oaks Boulevard and its Roseville, Woodland, and Nevada City offices. Agents who follow the condominium market can compare buildings and read association documents with you, and sellers reach relocating buyers through the Sotheby’s International Realty global network.
Search current listings, find out what your home is worth, meet our agents, or contact us. See the Sacramento County hub.
Downtown Sacramento homes for sale
Live Downtown Sacramento listings from MetroList will display here once the property search is connected.
Browse Downtown Sacramento listingsPrefer to talk it through? Call 916.784.7444 and an agent will send you a curated list.
Questions buyers ask about Downtown Sacramento
Are there single-family homes in Downtown Sacramento?
Very few. Downtown’s residential stock is condominiums, lofts, and apartments, including residences above the hotel at Downtown Commons and conversions of older commercial buildings. Buyers who want a detached home with a yard usually look to Midtown, Land Park, or East Sacramento nearby.
What is the Railyards project in downtown Sacramento?
The Railyards is a roughly 244-acre former Southern Pacific shops site north of downtown being redeveloped with housing, a Kaiser Permanente medical center, a courthouse, a Sacramento Republic FC stadium, and reuse of the historic Central Shops. Stadium work is underway, and construction will continue for several years.
Does Downtown Sacramento have light rail?
Yes. The Gold Line starts at Sacramento Valley Station and runs east through downtown to Historic Folsom, the Blue Line runs south to Cosumnes River College, and the Green Line serves the River District. Sacramento Valley Station also serves Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor trains to the Bay Area.
What should I check before buying a downtown condominium?
Review the homeowner association budget, reserve study, pending special assessments, rental restrictions, and insurance. Confirm whether parking is deeded, assigned, or leased. Visit the building on an arena event night to gauge noise and traffic, and ask about construction timelines on nearby Railyards parcels.
Ask a Downtown Sacramento agent
Tell us what you are looking for in Downtown Sacramento, or what you are thinking of selling, and a local agent will follow up.