Fair Oaks is a small town of roughly 30,000 people in Sacramento County, California. It is bounded on the south side by the American River, on the north side by the city of Citrus Heights, on the west side by Carmichael, and the east side by Orangevale. Fair Oaks is known for its mix of suburban and semi-rural neighborhoods. (Demographics data is available on Wikipedia.)

Fair Oaks' town center is known as Fair Oaks Village, where our Century 21 Noel David Realty office makes its home. The Fair Oaks Theater Festival takes place here, putting on highly entertaining plays every year. The village area is also home to Spring Fest (formerly the Fair Oaks Fiesta), which is a celebration of the residents of the community of Fair Oaks, as well as an annual Dog Walk on the first Saturday in October. This area is known for its chickens, who run wild all over the village. They inhabit the two small parks in the old town area, and can often be seen fighting, begging for scraps, or roosting on the playground equipment. Beloved by some and hated by others, the chickens now have their own festival, the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival.

Other entertainment in Fair Oaks includes the annual Tudor Fayre in Fair Oaks Park; A Taste of Fair Oaks, which is a sampling of local restaurants; Concerts in the Park, held in the Plaza Park Amphitheater in Fair Oaks Village; and the Mac Huss Golf Tournament. For more information about events around Fair Oaks, visit the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce web site or their Calendar of Events.

History

Fair Oaks began in 1895 as a colony of citrus farms before it was further developed by a group of local businessmen called the Fair Oaks Development Company. (One of those businessmen, Valentine S. McClatchy, became the co-owner of the Sacramento Bee.) Cooperating with a group called the Chicago-Fair Oaks Club made up of investors from Chicago, the Fair Oaks Development Company helped set up a water supply, build a bridge across the American River, and bring a railroad line down to the bridge, all of which resulted in rapid growth. By 1906, Fair Oaks had become a typical small town with a post office, hotel, blacksmith, lumber yard, pharmacy, bank, cemetery, newspaper, and several grocers who set up shop along Main Street, just steps away from the present-day Century 21 Noel David Realty office.

In 1932 and 1934, two big freezes hit at the worst time in the Great Depression, and most citrus groves were lost. Fortunately, growth of the defense firm Aerojet helped offset the death of the Fair Oaks citrus industry. Employment at Aerojet dropped over 90% in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but growth in Fair Oaks continued, due to the increased access to Sacramento by Highway 50 and the construction of the Sunrise Boulevard Bridge in 1964. This allowed for both residents of Fair Oaks to more easily find jobs in the surrounding areas and for Sacramentans to conveniently relocate to Fair Oaks.

The former citrus colony transformed into a bedroom community of greater Sacramento.

Education & Community

Public schools in Fair Oaks are part of the San Juan Unified School District. They include Earl LeGette Elementary School, Harry Dewey Fundamental Elementary School, Golden Valley Charter School, Northridge Elementary School, Will Rogers Middle School, John Holst Elementary School, Carnegie Middle School, Del Campo High School, and Bella Vista High School. Private schools include Saint Mel School, Faith Lutheran School, Freedom Christian School, Sacramento Waldorf School, Victory Christian School. (Click here for reviews and other information about all Fair Oaks schools.) Fair Oaks public library is part of the Sacramento County Library system. Parks are maintained by the Fair Oaks Park & Recreation District.

Government & Law

A Community Planning Council, made up of 7 community members, is appointed by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to recommend land-use decisions for Fair Oaks. These recommendations are then sent to the Planning Commission of Sacramento County. The Sacramento County Sheriff provides law enforcement for Fair Oaks. Information about state representatives, senators, and members of the assembly and congress can all be found on the Sacramento County website.


Facts and figures taken from Wikipedia.