Sacramento Region City Guide · Placer County

Roseville, California

A railroad junction grown into Placer County's largest city

The Vernon Street arch in downtown Roseville, 2013. Image: Noah_Loverbear · CC BY-SA 3.0

By Aaron Rose, Realtor®, eXp Realty of California · Last updated October 18, 2026

Where is Roseville, California?

Roseville is a city in southwestern Placer County at about 150 feet, on the valley floor where Placer County meets Sacramento County. Downtown Sacramento is about 16 miles away (straight-line). The 2020 Census counted 147,773 residents and 57,318 housing units on 44.1 square miles of land, up 24% from 118,788 in 2010. That makes it Placer County's largest city by a wide margin. Interstate 80 and Highway 65 run through it, and Rocklin borders it to the northeast.

County and ZIP: The city is entirely in Placer County. Its three main ZIP areas are 95747 (west, 75,019 residents across the whole ZIP area), 95678 (45,136) and 95661 (32,847). All three are in Placer County; 95678 touches Sacramento County only along a sliver of the boundary. The far northwest edge reaches 95668 (Pleasant Grove), which straddles Placer and Sutter counties. ZIP areas here are Census ZCTAs, which approximate USPS ZIP codes; a mailing city name doesn't always match city limits.

What is the history of Roseville?

Per the city's history by Leonard "Duke" Davis, Central Pacific crews reached their crossing with the California Central Railroad at Grider's ranch on January 29, 1864. The spot was simply called "Junction." O.D. Lambard laid out a town there on August 13, 1864. Several stories explain the name Roseville; Davis calls the wild roses version the most acceptable.

The big change came when the Southern Pacific chose Roseville for its terminal and yards in early 1906. Shops and the roundhouse moved down from Rocklin between 1906 and 1908, and the town boomed. Voters approved incorporation on April 2, 1909, and the first Board of Trustees took office on April 10, 1909, per the Roseville Police Department's history.

The Rail Yard

The railroad is still part of daily life. Union Pacific's J.R. Davis Yard sits in the middle of the city. Union Pacific calls it the largest rail yard west of the Rockies, at about 950 acres, handling roughly 98% of Northern California rail traffic. A 2004 California Air Resources Board study put about two-thirds of the yard in Placer County.

What are Roseville's main neighborhoods?

Downtown and Old Town: The historic core along Vernon Street and the original railroad district holds the Odd Fellows Hall and other early commercial buildings.

Sun City Roseville: A 55+ community of 3,110 homes, per its community association, with golf and open space.

West Roseville and newer plan areas: Most recent growth is in the city's specific plan areas, per city planning pages. West Roseville (adopted 2004) covers 3,162 acres and about 8,792 units. Sierra Vista (2010) covers 2,064 acres and about 8,679 units. Amoruso Ranch (2016) covers 694 acres and about 2,827 units.

Roseville also has its own city-owned power company: Roseville Electric has served the city since 1912 and covers a 43-square-mile territory, per the city.

What amenities and hospitals are in Roseville?

The Maidu Museum & Historic Site (1970 Johnson Ranch Dr.) preserves petroglyphs and hundreds of bedrock mortars left by Nisenan Maidu people. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as the Strap Ravine Nisenan Maidu Indian Site, and the current museum opened in 2010, per the city.

Westfield Galleria at Roseville on Galleria Boulevard is the area's main regional mall. Two major hospitals are in the city: Sutter Roseville Medical Center (1 Medical Plaza Dr.) and Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center (1600 Eureka Rd.).

What schools serve Roseville?

Census/NCES boundaries put most of the city in Roseville City School District for elementary and middle grades. Western neighborhoods fall in Dry Creek Joint Elementary, and a few eastern points fall in Eureka Union. All three feed the Roseville Joint Union High School District, which runs Roseville High (1 Tiger Way), Oakmont High (1710 Cirby Way), Woodcreek High and West Park High, among others. One sampled point on the far western edge fell in Center Joint Unified. District lines don't follow ZIP codes or community names, so buyers should confirm the district and school assignment for a specific address with the Placer County Office of Education or the district office.

How local schools rate in RPR (school ratings in Realtors Property Resource for the City of Roseville, pulled October 18, 2026):

• Merryhill Elementary School (private) (Elementary): A+
• St. Albans Country Day School (private) (Elementary/Middle): A+
• Woodcreek High School (High): A
• Maidu Elementary School (Elementary): A
• Olympus Junior High School (Middle): A
• Roseville High School (High): A
• Diamond Creek Elementary School (Elementary): A-

Ratings are third-party summaries, and district lines don't follow ZIP codes or community names, so confirm the school assignment for a specific address with the district office.

How far is Roseville from Sacramento?

Roseville is about 16 miles (straight-line) from downtown Sacramento via Interstate 80, and about 15.5 miles from Sacramento International Airport.

Interstate 80 runs southwest to Sacramento (about 16 miles straight-line) and northeast to Rocklin (about 4.5 miles) and Auburn (about 16 miles). Highway 65 heads north toward Lincoln. Sacramento International Airport is about 15.5 miles away, and Folsom about 12. Drive times vary by address and traffic, so ask Aaron for a route check from a specific property.

What are homes like in Roseville?

Expect older railroad-era homes near downtown, age-restricted homes in Sun City, and newer master-planned subdivisions in the specific plan areas, where HOA and Mello-Roos/CFD assessments are common due-diligence items. Many homes are served by Roseville Electric rather than PG&E for power.

Home prices right now

The median sold price for a single-family home in Roseville was $627,303 in September 2026. Homes sold at 99.3% of list price after a median of 27 days (114 closed sales).

RPR showed 297 active listings (median list price $675,000, or $325 per square foot), 172 new listings and 110 pending sales in September 2026. That works out to 2.3 months of inventory, which RPR classifies as a seller's market. RPR's median estimated home value is $663,950, up 1.1% over 12 months.

Small markets have few sales each month, so medians can swing; ask Aaron for numbers on a specific area or price range.

Who lives here: Census estimates for the City of Roseville reported by RPR put the population at about 156,000, the median age at 40, median household income at $119,288 and owner-occupied homes at 69% (U.S. Census via RPR, pulled October 18, 2026).

Geography: City of Roseville, single-family, Sept 2026 (RPR). Source: listings and public records via RPR (Realtors Property Resource); pulled October 18, 2026.

How does Roseville compare with nearby towns?

Single-family homes, September 2026. Source: listings via RPR (Realtors Property Resource), pulled October 18, 2026. Where a town had too few sales of its own, its row uses the ZIP code or county shown under its name. "Too few sales" means RPR reported no figure, or the town had under 5 sales, too few for a meaningful median. Towns with few sales can swing month to month.

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