El Dorado Hills, California: An Informational Guide

While sometimes referred to as a city, El Dorado Hills (elevation 768′) is an unincorporated area of El Dorado County. The county's two cities are Placerville (elevation 1,867′) and South Lake Tahoe (elevation 6,237′).

El Dorado Hills is located east of Sacramento, right off Highway 50, and about a quarter of the way to South Lake Tahoe. Cameron Park is just east of El Dorado Hills, and there are beautiful, scenic views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east.

The literal translation of “el dorado” is “the golden” — a double entendre of sorts. The rolling hills take on a golden hue at sunset, and Coloma, where gold was discovered in 1848, lies less than 20 miles away.

For thousands of years before 1820, the Nisenan Maidu people inhabited the area.

Population

El Dorado Hills has experienced rapid growth over the last two decades. The population was 18,016 at the 2000 census. By the 2020 census, it had swelled to 50,547 residents, and the latest American Community Survey estimate (2024 five-year data) puts it at 51,026. The median age in El Dorado Hills is 45.7, per capita income is $75,619, and the median household income is $165,349.

El Dorado Hills Weather

El Dorado Hills has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are warm, arid, and constantly sunny. Winters are cool, with varying amounts of rain year to year. The average high temperature in July and August is in the low 90s.

The coolest months are December and January, with average highs in the low 50s and average lows in the mid-'30s. Below-freezing temperatures are rare in El Dorado Hills because of its low elevation at latitude 38.6857° N.

Residential Real Estate in EDH

El Dorado Hills has almost 17,000 homes and apartments. About 90% of these are single-family homes, and the homeownership rate is over 85%.

The real estate market has been hot for more than two decades. The median home listing price surpassed $1,000,000 in 2022 but has since declined; as of May 2026, Redfin puts the median sale price at about $866,000.

According to RedFin, most people considering a move to El Dorado Hills are from the San Francisco Bay Area. Census Reporter says that owners occupy 87% of housing units.

If you're planning a move or remodel and need somewhere to store your things, there are a handful of local self-storage companies.

Commercial Real Estate

While most residential areas are north of Highway 50, most businesses are south of Highway 50. El Dorado Hills Business Park is 900 acres in size and home to over 200 companies.

The greatest concentration of El Dorado Hills retail businesses is in the nearby Town Center.

Town Center

El Dorado Hills Town Center is the de facto downtown of the community. The area is home to many restaurants and retail shops.

If you're into fitness, El Dorado Hills Sports Club and Orangetheory Fitness are features of the Town Center. There are many other sports and fitness clubs in the area.

El Dorado Hills Schools

There are three school districts in El Dorado Hills. They are:

• Buckeye Union Elementary School District
• Rescue Union Elementary School District
• El Dorado Union High School District

Among the highest-regarded public schools are Lakeview Elementary, near the Lakeridge Oaks neighborhood, and Marina Village Middle, next to the Marina Woods neighborhood.

Recreation

Many recreation options within a short drive of El Dorado Hills exist, especially for those who love outdoor fun. Options include:

• Boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, and swimming on Folsom Lake
• Hiking, running, and mountain biking on foothill trails
• Golfing at the public Empire Ranch Golf Course
• Golfing, swimming, playing tennis or pickleball at the exclusive Serrano Country Club
• Skiing at Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort
• Rafting with friends on the South Fork of the American River

The El Dorado Hills Community Services District (CSD) provides over 450 acres of parks and open space for everyone to enjoy. Parks include the 40-acre EDH Community Park and the 18-acre Promontory Park.

The Apex at Red Hawk Casino + Resort in El Dorado County has an electric karting track, 18 bowling lanes, a golf simulator, and a VR arcade for rainy-day fun.

Farm & Winery Visiting

The Apple Hill Area, just east of El Dorado Hills, has a variety of fruit and vegetable farms worth visiting. The region also has dozens of wineries.

Events in EDH

Many events occur in El Dorado Hills, including the Art, Beer & Wine Festival, the EDH Chamber of Commerce events, and the El Dorado Hills Summer Concert Series.

US Post Office

The ZIP code for El Dorado Hills is 95762. The US Post Office is in the Town Center at 4641 Post St, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762. Its current hours are 10 AM–5 PM, Monday through Friday.

Dining

Both El Dorado Hills and next-door Folsom have some excellent dining choices.

Among several area burrito options, Taqueria El Dorado gets the best ratings. It also offers a wide selection of Mexican grilled food. The restaurant has a lovely outdoor patio with shade umbrellas at each table.

A popular restaurant in the La Borgata Shopping Mall is Sienna El Dorado Hills. For fast food, Cosmic Roosters is local to El Dorado Hills and Folsom. Its fresh chicken menu has heat levels up to S.O.S. (Save Our Souls).

For an extensive list of EDH restaurants, check out Julie Gallaher's Sacramento Top 10 page.

The Closest Major Airport

The closest international airport to El Dorado Hills is Sacramento International Airport (SMF), approximately 40 miles away.

The airport is accessible via Interstate 5 and serves over a dozen airlines, including Aeromexico, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, and United Airlines.

Whether you are planning to move to El Dorado Hills or just visit, plenty awaits you in this family-friendly Sacramento suburb.