Home to about 177,250 residents, El Dorado County has both economic prosperity and great natural beauty.  

Sacramento is just 25 miles west of El Dorado Hills (the county’s easternmost community) and an economic powerhouse for the region. Rapid economic growth has powered the pace of urban development in upscale El Dorado Hills and community input has made it a fantastic place to live, with superb public parks and facilities.
Further east, tourism, logging, and vineyards and wineries provide the majority of the local income.  

Spanning from Folsom Lake in the east to Lake Tahoe in the west, and crossing the Sierra Nevadas in the process, El Dorado County offers its residents almost unlimited recreational activities, from water sports in the lakes and the American River to winter sports, hiking, biking and horseback riding in the mountains. 

California’s historic Gold Rush began here, at the American River near Coloma, and many charming remnants of this colorful past still remain in the County, including the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and the historic towns of Coloma and Placerville (the county seat).  

Just east of Placerville is Camino, a pretty town with many historic buildings that is surrounded by apple orchards, and just south stand many superb award winning wineries. Friendly Shingle Springs is under 15 miles from Placerville.  

South Lake Tahoe is the commercial center of the eastern Sierras and tourists come from around the world to enjoy the stunning scenery and world-class recreation found here.  

Location
El Dorado County sits in the heart of California’s Gold Country, directly east of Sacramento County, south of Placer County and north of Amador County. Running from Folsom Lake in the west to the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, South Lake Tahoe, and the Nevada border in the east, El Dorado County is an area of great natural beauty and agricultural range.  

Geography/Terrain
Covering about 1,805 square miles, El Dorado County is a beautiful natural region, with Folsom Lake and dry rolling foothills on its western border and Lake Tahoe and the towering peaks of the Sierra Nevada on its eastern edge. Driving east along SH-50 from Sacramento, you will pass through prime agricultural and winegrowing lands and historic gold rush towns (including Placerville, the county seat), before climbing up into the Sierra foothills, passing through the El Dorado National Forest and entering the mountain pass. The sparkling waters of Lake Tahoe meet you on the far side.  

Distance to 3 closest major cities
El Dorado County’s eastern border begins at Lake Folsom and the community of El Dorado Hills, which are both about 25 miles east of downtown Sacramento (California's State Capitol). Placerville, the county seat, is about 40 miles east of Sacramento.  

The community of South Tahoe sits on El Dorado County’s easternmost border and Carson City, Nevada (the State Capitol) is about 15 miles west of here. Reno, Nevada is about 50 miles northeast of South Tahoe. Placerville is about 45 miles west of South Tahoe. 

San Francisco, California is about 80 miles southwest of Sacramento and about 120 miles southwest of Placerville. 

Jobs
El Dorado County is a prosperous region, with a wide economic base and a good range of job opportunities. Suburban communities like El Dorado Hills and nearby Sacramento support commerce and business, and California’s Capitol is home to a wide range of government and supportive services. California State University at Sacramento draws academics to the region, as do the numerous additional higher education facilities there. 

One of California’s primary agricultural regions, west El Dorado County agribusinesses produce fruit, vegetables, and wine grapes.  

Eastern El Dorado County has viticulture and wineries, charming towns like Placerville, and of course the Sierras and Lake Tahoe. Tourism is thriving here and hospitality and retail businesses do very well. Television and film companies often film in this part of the country and use the many supportive local facilities (extras, catering, hire gear and the like). Part of the Sierras has been set aside for the logging industry and an extensive Christmas tree industry.

Housing
El Dorado County offers a great deal of diversity in both lifestyle and real estate. To the west, in and around El Dorado Hills, new real estate and shopping centers are springing up in response to the region’s increasing popularity, while to the east growth is continuing at a more sedate pace. Gated ranch communities are plentiful here, offering security, scenic beauty, and an outdoor lifestyle. Steady (and sometimes rapid) property price increases ensure that El Dorado County is a smart place to invest in real estate. 

Further east, charming small towns, wineries and agricultural and ranch properties are the norm. There are many gated communities with beautiful landscaping and fine homes, and many of these are equestrian in character, with horseback riding trails and stables. Homes range from historic to contemporary; single family dwellings to apartments. In Placerville, a lovely Gold Rush town and the county seat, properties sell for about $240,000 to $900,000; in the surrounding countryside prices range from about $250,000 to well into the millions for large ranch properties.
Some of the nicest gated ranch communities include Auburn Lake Trails, an equestrian community between Auburn and Placerville (which has hiking and riding trails, a golf course, swimming and tennis, and homes priced from $400,000), Greenstone Country in Placerville (an equestrian community with trails and lakes, where homes start in the $700,000s), and Milton Ranch equestrian community in Shingle Springs. Also in Shingle Springs is the Royal Equestrian Estates, with riding trails, beautiful landscape and elegant homes priced from the $900,000s, and Shadow Hawk, with large 10-acre properties and homes priced from the $800,000s. Sunridge Meadows in El Dorado Hills is an extremely prestigious ranch community, with spectacular views, riding trails and an arena, and custom built homes starting in the $900,000s.
Lake Tahoe on the easternmost border of El Dorado County is one of the most sought after spots in California and real estate prices reflect this. Buyers may choose an elegant waterfront home on a large property, an upscale condominium or apartment, or a more affordable property without a lake view.
 

Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf 

Stretching from the shores of Folsom Lake in the west to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe in the east, El Dorado County is a recreational paradise.
Residents may enjoy the full range of water sports on the lakes and the American River (near Sacramento), and mountain sports in the Sierras. Winter brings skiing, snowboarding and the like, and summer mountain bike riding (some of the best in California), horseback riding, and hiking. The world famous Rubicon Trail draws off-road enthusiasts from around the world.
 

Stretching from the shores of Folsom Lake in the west to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe in the east, El Dorado County is a recreational paradise.
Residents may enjoy the full range of water sports on the lakes and the American River (near Sacramento), and mountain sports in the Sierras. Winter brings skiing, snowboarding and the like, and summer mountain bike riding (some of the best in California), horseback riding, and hiking. The world famous Rubicon Trail draws off-road enthusiasts from around the world. 

Equestrian pursuits are big in the county, which has a high number of horse ranches, stables, breeders and trainers. The Western States Trail system in the Sierras is famous to equestrians around the world and home to the annual Tevis Cup Race, an exciting and challenging endurance ride that sees horses and their riders cover 100 miles in 1 day. 

Towns are well equipped, with ample parks, ball fields, aquatic centers, and wilderness areas, and nearby Sacramento is well known for its pro and college sports teams. Residents love their golf and there are many fine courses to play throughout the county, including Cold Springs Country Club in Placerville, the scenic Lake Tahoe Golf Course, and the prestigious Serrano Country Club in El Dorado Hills. 

Special Attractions/Events
Thanks to its strong local economy and glorious geographical location, El Dorado County is becoming an increasingly popular place to live. Exciting year-round recreational and sporting opportunities combine with historic Gold Rush sightseeing (including the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and Placerville’s “Gold Bug Mine”, the only working mine in California that is open to visitors) and commemorative events, world class wine tasting, thriving local arts, drama and music, agricultural festivals, and great community fairs, farmers markets and events, to make life in El Dorado County friendly, fun, and fulfilling! 

From Square Dancing on a Thursday night in Placerville to the annual County Fair, there’s always something fun to get out and do in El Dorado County. Local equestrian events like the Folsom Pro Rodeo and the Auburn Wild West Stampede are great places to celebrate community.  

Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
One of California’s earliest counties, El Dorado was created in 1850 at the time of statehood.  

California’s first gold was discovered here in 1848, by James W. Marshall at Coloma, and soon hopeful prospectors were arriving from around the world to try their luck. This gold producing region soon came to be known as El Dorado after the famed mythical land of Spanish legend. (Translating to "the gilded one" in English, “El Dorado” was a land of plenty where gold and precious stones lay around for the taking and wines flowed from public fountains.) 

Charming remnants of Gold Rush history are all around you in El Dorado County.
The Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park between Auburn and Placerville marks the place where Marshall first discovered gold and is a lovely place to picnic and enjoy the American River. There is an excellent Gold Rush museum at the Visitor’s Center and a number of historic buildings, including the original Sutter’s Mill tailrace. 

Nearby Placerville (the county seat) is a charming town with many historic homes and buildings and its original Gold Rush era Main Street still intact. Rural Coloma is another historic community and one that enjoys a prosperous but low-key tourist trade. There are several lovely old churches in town and couples often choose to come here to get married. 

PLACERVILLE -- Nestled in the heart of the Gold Country, Placerville is known for being above the fog line and below the snow line. 

Its elevation is about 1,700 feet, which puts it beyond the tule fog that sometimes hits the Central Valley during the winter. And generally speaking, snow rarely drops to the elevation of Placerville. 

Once known as Hangtown because of its 1849 reputation for justice, Placerville is steeped in Gold Rush lore and ambience, particularly in the historic downtown area.  

A small town of 9,600, Placerville has all the advantages of a small community, yet still providing access to the Sacramento metropolitan area.
Outdoor recreation is the highlight in the Placerville area, with ample opportunities for boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, rafting and more.  

Located on U.S. Highway 50, the city is about 46 miles from Sacramento and 60 miles from South Lake Tahoe. Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, which stretches to the Nevada stateline.
 

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