Elk Grove is located in a rapidly growing area of southern Sacramento county. At one time it was mainly agricultural and farming land. Today we still have agriculture mixed together with a sprawling suburban community.

The town of Elk Grove originally was given its name by a Mr. James Hall. There are two stories told about why he gave the town this name. The first one was that he came from a town in Missouri that had the same name. The second story say that the area had so many elk antlers that he said that "this must be an elk grove". We do not know which story is correct.

Mr. Hall and his family came to California in 1850. He opened a hotel on the road between the towns of Stockton and Sacramento. He called his stage stop "The Elk Grove Hotel and Stage Stop". This road was known as Upper Stockton Road. A stage line was established in 1850. This hotel and stage stop was a stop over for the many travelers who traveled this road. Mr. Hall moved to Vallejo and later died in 1876.

In 1868 the Western Division of the Central Pacific Railroad came through about a mile east of Elk Grove. At this new location another hotel was built and it was also named the Elk Grove Hotel. This has caused much confusion to researchers trying to sort Elk Grove's past.