In 1909, real estate developer Daniel Webster Carmichael subdivided the 2,000 acres of land that is know today as Carmichael. The community is considered a thriving, desirable suburb of Sacramento and features many homes on large lots. Several large shopping centers serve the neighborhood including nearby Arden Fair Mall and Country Club Plaza which is undergoing a major remodeling, the upscale Pavilion’s Mall and Town & Country Village with its Friday morning farmer’s market. Smaller strip malls offer shoppers in the area a variety of specialty shops.

Many people choose Carmichael for its beauty and close proximity to the American River, which flows behind many Carmichael neighborhoods. The area consists of older neighborhoods with pockets of new housing developments. There is little growth in the area because vacant land is scarce.

Many neighborhoods are within minutes of the river’s bike trail, jogging paths and fishing spots. Ancil Hoffman Park, pride of the community, is a lush nature preserve with a championship golf course, parklands and the 77-acre Effie Yeaw Nature Center.