California is a massive slice of land extending from the Pacific Northwest down to the Mexico border.  There’s an ocean on one side, mountains on the other, and a desert in between.

The state’s magnitude and geographical diversity mean California is divided based on region. There’s Southern California, Northern California, and the Central Valley. These areas are then broken down even further. For instance, Southern California is generally divided into three areas: The Greater LA region, the Greater San Diego region, and the Inland Empire.

The state capital of Sacramento is located towards the northern end of the Central Valley. It makes sense to put the state capital in a centralized region, except that’s not exactly true in this case. Consider this interesting fact: Santa Clarita is closer to Phoenix than Sacramento!

Did that tidbit of information just blow your mind? If you want to learn more peculiar stuff about the state capital, keep reading. The following are five interesting facts about Sacramento:

It wasn’t always the state capital.

The capital of California changed many times over the early years. Monterey was the first capital city and remained so while the Spanish ruled the region. The Americans moved the capital to San Jose in 1850, after which things started to get interesting. The capital was moved again in 1852 to Vallejo, but the relocation didn’t last. Later that year, Sacramento became the state capital for the first time, only to see it switch again one year later. Vallejo was once again the capital, followed by Benicia. Then, in 1854, Sacramento became the capital city once again. In 1879, Sacramento was officially made the permanent state capital of California. By the time it was all over, California would have six different capital cities within the span of five years!

It was the birthplace of the Pony Express.

The Pony Express was a mail service operating between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. Given the east-to-west migration of settlers, it’s easy to assume the Pony Express was started in Missouri, but that’s not true. The business was actually launched by Californians motivated to establish a fast and reliable mail service linking them to friends and family back east. While the telegraph soon rendered the Pony Express obsolete, the service remains one of the most widely-recognized symbols of the Old West.

The water supply is plentiful.

Most cities in California are currently dealing with water insecurity, but not Sacramento. The state capital is situated at the intersection of two rivers, providing the region with all the freshwater it needs. Thanks to water purification in Sacramento, citizens enjoy great-tasting water right from the faucet. In fact, the city is at greater risk of floods than droughts or wildfires. The exceptional water supply of Sacramento is yet another reminder of the geographical diversity of California.

Trees are everywhere.

Thanks to an abundance of freshwater, Sacramento also enjoys an abundance of trees. It’s said the only other major city with more trees per capita is Paris. The reason for all the trees is rooted in the original landscape; Sacramento was once known as the “City of Plains” due to the absence of trees in the area. Starting in the mid-19th century, an ongoing effort was made to plant thousands of trees throughout town. Fast forward nearly 200 years later, and Sacramento is now a place where the shade of a tree is easier to find than a parking spot.

The city sits above an old network of abandoned tunnels.

Several major floods hit the city of Sacramento during the second half of the 19th century. The risk of future floods forced city leaders to initiate a radical solution: raise the city up. It sounds hard to believe, but that’s precisely what they did. As a result, the original ground floor of the city is now underground. These abandoned streets and former first floors now form a network of tunnels running underneath the city.

While no longer the biggest state in the Union, California remains a sprawling stretch of land rich in cultural and geographical diversity. Those living in Santa Clarita are encouraged to explore beyond the Greater LA region in order to better appreciate the state. Start with the capital!

Michael Driver is a freelance writer from Texas. When not writing to pay the bills, he loves covering topics related to history, movies, and sports. Michael can be reached at [email protected].