Why aren’t all Sacramento population signs updated? Which one is right?
Sacramento: population 466,488?
Don’t worry, you haven’t traveled back in time to 2010 — Sacramento’s population has grown since then. And you’re not the only one confused.
Steve Chanecka, a Sacramento resident, asked The Bee’s service journalism team, which answers direct questions for our community: “I see the population signs for the City of Sacramento from all directions and it is 466,000 thereabouts. Now, the city population is roughly 533,000. Why aren’t the signs updated?”
Not all signs are outdated — the one on Tower Bridge, for example, is up-to-date. But it’s not the same story for all.
What’s going on with the ones that aren’t right? Will they be updated to reflect the most recent U.S. Census, which was done three years ago?
How outdated is the data on the current Sacramento population signs?
The Sacramento population signs on the side of the highways as you enter the city that are outdated show that the population is 466,488. This data is from 2010, according to the city of Sacramento website. The population was 524,943 at the time the 2020 Census was conducted.
The most recent data collected in July 2022 shows that Sacramento’s population now estimates about 528,000 residents.
Gabby Miller, a city spokeswoman, and Dennis Keaton from Caltrans District 3, both said they were unsure who is responsible for updating which signs (some fall within the city; others are located on highways).
Why haven’t the Sacramento signs been updated?
Keaton said Caltrans District 3 typically updates the signs as needed.
“There (have) been more pressing matters like the wildfire damage in recent years in other counties within our district. Those signs have had priority,” Keaton said.
District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating state roadways in the counties of Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba.
In 2022, the Mosquito Fire burned through nearly 77,000 acres in both El Dorado and Placer counties from September to October.
“More urgent pending sign orders are scheduled ahead of the population updates,” Keaton said.
Keaton said the district has plans to update the the city of Sacramento’s population signs once they have fixed the signs affected by fires.
“There already is an installation order to update all population signs for the city of Sacramento,” Keaton said. “Some final details are being worked on with the sign shop before the final completion.”
Though updating the population signs is on Caltran’s to-do list, Keaton said it could be more than several weeks before work begins.
Keaton said he was unsure why the Tower Bridge sign was updated, when others were not “other than the sign was done from the scheduling.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
