El Dorado Hills: A Hidden Gem

The region known as El Dorado Hills was first discovered during the gold rush. People were searching for gold and a better way of life for themselves and their families. That is still true today, but the riches being discovered are not gold but rather a gem of a community called El Dorado Hills. Situated at the western end of El Dorado County, midway between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, it is an area that is rapidly growing and becoming a premier community in Northern California.

Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, El Dorado Hills is just 25 miles from Sacramento off Highway 50. The views of the Sacramento Valley and the snow-capped mountains can be seen from many points. Mt. Diablo and Mt. Lassen are often visible. It is a residential community that offers visitors the amenities of shops, services and restaurants.

In the last 20 years, El Dorado Hills has experienced considerable growth. The population has doubled from just more than 10,000 in 1990 to more than 24,000 today. This growth has come from a migration of families from Southern California in the early 1990s and from the Bay Area today. These families are coming because of the quality of life here.

With far-sighted planning, El Dorado Hills has been built around the concept of individual villages that give a sense of neighborhood while helping to preserve the feeling of open space. The master-planned community of Serrano is well known in the region, as are other communities such as The Promontory, Crown Valley, The Summit and South Pointe. The adult community of Versante offers the first adult community in town.

Families are happy to live in an area that retains a less hectic pace and yet offers the amenities of a solid employment base and diversified business services. The El Dorado Hills Business Park is home to several major employers, including DST Output and Blue Shield of California. Intel and Hewlett-Packard are also located nearby.

A variety of recreational activities is available for the individual or the entire family. Local sports clubs are available and welcome children. Many parks are nearby and feature walking paths and picnic areas for that impromptu family outing. El Dorado Hills is also ideally situated with access to Folsom Lake, which has a marina at Brown’s Ravine as well as access to biking, hiking and horse trails, picnicking, swimming, and fishing. Fishing is also a sport that can be found at the American River as it flows through El Dorado Hills. Cyclists use the area as a starting point for road tours and trail riding on the trails along the river and around the lake. Skiing and snow sports are an easy 1 1/2-hour drive.

El Dorado Hills is valued as a “precious commodity.” It is a multifaceted area, a land of diversity and opportunity. It’s an area of great beauty and year-round activity. It is an area growing with the times and offering a wealth of opportunities, not only for families searching for a better place to live, but also for businesses looking for a progressive business environment. When the first families settled here many years ago, they were as far thinking and aware then as we are now. El Dorado Hills is truly a multifaceted gem that is full of riches.

For more information, call the El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce at (916) 933-1335 or visit eldoradohillschamber.org.