Quality of Life

Elk Grove is home to families that enjoy a superior quality of life at a cost that is more affordable than the nearby San Francisco area. Residents benefit from award-winning schools, good paying jobs, an array of affordable housing options, world-class cultural amenities and access to an abundance of recreational opportunities.

Elk Grove Community Services District

The Elk Grove Community Services District (CSD) is committed to enhancing the quality of life for those residing, doing business and visiting the Elk Grove community.  The District provides fire and emergency medical services and parks and recreation services to the Elk Grove community.  Specifically, the Department of Parks and Recreation manages park facilities, provides recreational, educational and social enrichment programs and activities, and coordinates special events held throughout the District.  Since 1985, the CSD has expanded from 6 to over 80 parks – offering more than 700 acres of parks, trails, open spaces and landscape corridors in Elk Grove.  Projects such as the Laguna Creek Parkway and the Park “Quality of Life” Awareness Program have earned the Department local and national honors and recognition – the American Greenways Award and several “Awards of Excellence” from the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS).

Recreation and Sports

Locally, Elk Grove offers many opportunities for recreation with more than 18,000 acres of seasonal wetlands and wildlife preserves.  Within these abundant open spaces residents can enjoy canoeing, boating, hiking, fishing, bird watching as well as wildlife viewing.  The American River Parkway contains 5,000 acres of recreation along both sides of the River for 30 miles and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has more than 1,000 miles of waterways.  Additionally, within a short drive of Elk Grove, visitors and residents can experience unparalleled scenic beauty and recreational opportunities.  To the east are Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.  To the west are the San Francisco Bay Area, the Napa Valley Wine Country, the great coastal redwood forest, and the beaches and rugged shores of the Pacific Ocean.  Sports enthusiasts can cheer for their favorite team just a short drive into Sacramento when they visit ARCO Arena to see the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs.  Additionally, baseball fans will love visiting Raley Field to celebrate America’s favorite sport where they can see the AAA Sacramento River Cats play ball.

Seasonal Wetlands and Wildlife Preserves

• Laguna Creek Parkway, a 13-mile waterway featuring wetlands, open space, walking and riding trails, fishing and bird watching.
• Stone Lakes Refuge is on the western edge of Elk Grove, a narrow stretch of floodplain, was recently dedicated as a National Wildlife Refuge comprised of 3,000 acres along the Pacific Flyway.
• Cosumnes River Preserve is on the southern edge of Elk Grove, a riparian habitat running along the Cosumnes River.