Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program
1984 to 2002 TIME SERIES
Roseville and South Placer County
In this Image
Changes in this area are predominantly conversions from dryland farming (yellow) and grasslands/grazing land (brown) to urban (red). Much of the grey area is low-density residential development on the grassy and oak-studded foothills. Information on these changes was gathered from air photos, local comments, and field reconnaissance. Area shown is approximately 9 miles east-west and 14 miles north-south.
Placer County has been among the 'Top Ten Urbanizing Counties' as mapped by FMMP between 1994 and 2002. Growth in Urban land has averaged over 2,500 acres per biennial map update since 1984.
A brief history of south Placer County
Placer County is located about 15 miles northeast of Sacramento, and its name came from the Spanish word for sand or gravel deposits containing gold. Gold mining was a major industry through the 1880s, but gradually the new residents turned to farming, harvesting timber and working at the Roseville switching yards of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Most of the towns grew up along the railroad, which roughly parallels the route of Interstate 80. The map above shows a number of communities in south Placer including Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Loomis and Granite Bay.
South Placer contains most of the county's 234,400 residents and is growing faster than California as a whole, with the population of Roseville increasing by nearly 70% and Rocklin nearly 90% between 1990 and 2000. Job growth in the 1990's has accelerated since major computer companies located in the area. Additionally, population is increasing with the development of the active adult communities of Sun City Roseville and Lincoln Hills (located at the western and northern edges of the map above).
Most of the irrigated farmland in this area is located to the northeast side of the map, centered around Loomis, where a foothill fruit-growing industry grew up in support of both local population and rail-shipping opportunities. The remainder of the area has traditionally been used for either dry farmed grain or grazing.
California Department of Finance | Placer County
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