West Sacramento’s post office opened in 1915, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 22% of U.S. towns · #439 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of West Sacramento was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Its Register listing is the Washington Firehouse. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1907 on, and the census since 1970.
From West Sacramento’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How West Sacramento began
When was West Sacramento founded?
1915
The West Sacramento post office opened in 1915, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1987. Two smaller post offices, Washington (1854) and Bryte (1915), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 12,002 in 19702020 census: 53,915111 years
How historic is West Sacramento?
C−
More historic than 22% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first West Sacramento post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1987.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives West Sacramento’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Sacramento is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #439 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Sacramento’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so West Sacramento’s 0.2 sits near the middle of its state (65% of California towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1987.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about West Sacramento’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost post offices, old corners and places now gone
West Sacramento’s post office has been open since 1915. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Washington
1854–1856
Broderick
1893–today
Bryte
1915–1957
West Sacramento
1915–today
18501940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BroderickBryteBryte Mobile Home ParkCapitol City Recreational Vehicle and Mobile Home ParkCapri Mobile Home ParkCasa Mobile Home ParkEl Rancho Mobile ParkGarden Acres Mobile Home ParkLovdalMikonPeethillRiverside Mobile Home ParkRiverviewSkylark Mobile Home ParkTrails End Mobile Home ParkWalnut Trailer VillaWest Sacramento Trailer ParkWestwind Estates
Gone or out of use
El Rancho Drive-Inlocale
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Help out
Start West Sacramento’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how West Sacramento’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of West Sacramento. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1907Davisville sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of West Sacramento.
In 1844, John Schwartz, a Flemish traveler, was the first Euro-American to permanently settle in the area of West Sacramento, which at that time was part of Mexico. He built a shack on the west bank of the Sacramento River six miles (9.7 km) south of its connection with the American River. John, with the help of his brother George, founded a salmon fishery along the river. In addition to the fishery, they also found the soil to be fertile and began farming and raising livestock. The announcement of the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 brought a multitude of miners to the region. This also coincided with the end of the Mexican–American War.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The West Sacramento post office opened in 1915, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1987.
How does West Sacramento rank for history?
West Sacramento is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #439 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in West Sacramento?
One place: the Washington Firehouse (listed 2017).
How old are the homes in West Sacramento?
3% of West Sacramento’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1987.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
c. 1930
2012
2012
2012