Carmichael · CA
Carmichael Colony, Carmichael: Neighborhood Guide
This is the part of Carmichael where Daniel Carmichael first sold 10-acre tracts in 1909, now a county Neighborhood Preservation Area.
What is Carmichael Colony?
Carmichael Colony is the name for the oldest planned part of Carmichael, and it means two things today. It is the land Daniel W. Carmichael sold as farm tracts starting in 1909. It is also a zoning overlay. Sacramento County adopted the Carmichael Colony Neighborhood Preservation Area on July 17, 2002.
The two Carmichael Colony boundaries do not line up exactly. The county draws its preservation area on its own map, and the 1909 colony lines cover more ground. For any address, the county's Land Use Regulation Library shows whether a parcel sits inside the preservation area.
Talk With Maggie About Carmichael Colony
How did Carmichael Colony grow up?
The Carmichael Chamber of Commerce's history page gives the original lines of Colony No. 1. It ran from Lincoln Avenue on the north to San Juan Avenue on the east, with the American River and the Deterding Ranch on the south and Fair Oaks Boulevard on the west. The Deterding Ranch later became Ancil Hoffman Park.
The chamber says Carmichael laid out his colonies in 10-acre tracts and sold them for $1,500 each, with 10 percent down. The Colony No. 1 land had been part of the Rancho San Juan grant made to Joel P. Dedmond in 1844.
Buyers in Carmichael Colony organized early. The Online Archive of California holds the records of the Carmichael Improvement Club, formed in 1913 in the newly settled Carmichael Colonies. The chamber dates telephone service in the area to 1915.
Ten-acre orchard tracts did not stay ten acres. Over the next century many Carmichael Colony tracts were split into home lots, so one street can hold a ranch house on a small lot next to a much larger parcel. The county's own findings for the preservation area note varied home types, lot sizes and architecture.
What does the Carmichael Colony preservation area do?
The county ordinance aims to keep Carmichael Colony's semi-rural character by holding today's land use density and traffic patterns. Its findings describe narrow roads, dense vegetation and wildlife. They also note that the area is mostly single-family homes mixed with agricultural, rural, open space and flood easement uses.
The Carmichael Colony ordinance does not rewrite the zoning. Each parcel keeps the uses and development standards of its underlying zone. What changes is the review. The county must formally notify the Carmichael Colony Neighborhood Association before it approves a rezoning, use permit, subdivision map, parcel map or variance. Owners within 500 feet get notice too, and the hearing body has to find the project consistent with the ordinance's intent.
Lot splits still happen inside Carmichael Colony. A 2008 county filing for a parcel on Panama Avenue, zoned RD-5 inside the preservation area, proposed dividing about 0.58 acre into two lots.
What kind of homes are in Carmichael Colony?
Carmichael Colony homes are mostly detached single-family houses on lots of very different sizes, according to the county's findings. Census figures are not published for the colony itself. Across all of Carmichael, the Census Bureau's 2024 survey put the median home's build year at 1970.
Older Carmichael Colony homes on bigger lots raise a few repeat questions. Is there room for a second unit? Were past additions permitted? Where does the sewer line run? We pull the county's permit history and zoning for the parcel before a buyer writes an offer.
How do you get around Carmichael Colony?
Fair Oaks Boulevard, the colony's old western line, is the main road toward Sacramento and toward Fair Oaks. Sutter Avenue and San Juan Avenue cross the area, and Lincoln Avenue marks the colony's northern edge.
Green space sits close to Carmichael Colony. Jensen Botanical Garden, founded in 1958 by Charles C. Jensen, is at 8520 Fair Oaks Boulevard. The Carmichael Recreation and Park District lists Sutter-Jensen Community Park, a 10.8-acre site near Sutter and Hollister avenues, with a concrete trail linking it to the garden.
Which school district serves Carmichael Colony?
Carmichael Colony is served by San Juan Unified School District. Confirm the assigned school with the district directly.
What should buyers and sellers in Carmichael Colony know?
Buyers who want to split a Carmichael Colony lot, add a unit or change a use should plan on the neighborhood association hearing about it. Ask the county how the preservation area applies to the parcel before you count on a plan. Start with our guide to buying a home in Carmichael.
Sellers in Carmichael Colony often own a large, older lot, and that changes who the buyer is. Some buyers want the land and the trees. Others are pricing in a remodel. Surroundings prices each home from nearby sales, because Maggie's MetroList data does not break out ZIP 95608. Read selling your home in Carmichael for the plan.
If you are comparing streets near Carmichael Colony, see Carmichael Creek, a second preservation area along the river, and Del Dayo near Harrington Way. The Carmichael area guide covers the rest. When you are ready, talk with Maggie about Carmichael Colony.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Carmichael Colony?
Carmichael Colony No. 1 ran from Lincoln Avenue south to the American River, and from Fair Oaks Boulevard east to San Juan Avenue, according to the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce. The county's preservation area uses its own map, so check a specific parcel.
When was Carmichael Colony founded?
Daniel W. Carmichael began selling Carmichael Colony tracts in 1909. The chamber says the land was laid out in 10-acre tracts priced at $1,500 each.
What is the Carmichael Colony Neighborhood Preservation Area?
It is a Sacramento County zoning overlay adopted July 17, 2002. It aims to keep the area's semi-rural character by holding current density and traffic patterns, while each parcel keeps its underlying zoning.
Can I split a lot in Carmichael Colony?
Sometimes. The preservation area does not ban parcel maps, but the county must notify the Carmichael Colony Neighborhood Association and find the split consistent with the ordinance. Ask the county about your parcel first.
What school district serves Carmichael Colony?
Carmichael Colony is served by San Juan Unified School District. Confirm the assigned school with the district directly.
Is Carmichael Colony the same as Carmichael Creek?
No. Both are county Neighborhood Preservation Areas in Carmichael. Carmichael Creek was adopted in 1988 and covers its own area between Sutter Avenue and the river.
How much are homes in Carmichael Colony?
No published figure covers Carmichael Colony alone. Maggie's MetroList data does not break out ZIP 95608, so we pull comparable sales on your street before naming a price.
The method
How we do it in Carmichael Colony
More of Carmichael
Ready to make your move with Surroundings?