Welcome to the UC Davis!

UC Davis is centrally-located in the delta region of Northern California: 15 miles from Sacramento, 40 miles from the wine country of Sonoma and Napa Valley, 60 miles from the San Francisco Bay Area, and 100 miles from Lake Tahoe. For outdoor enthusiasts, the ocean and mountains are both within a two-hour drive. Davis is also renowned for its bicycles: there are more than 100 miles of bike paths on campus and in the city.

Here's some information to use in conjunction with the Graduate Student Handbook to get you situated in Davis. This is not an exhaustive resource by any means, but we hope it can get you started. Another great resource about all things Davis is The Davis Wiki.

The City of Davis

Vitals:
Area Code: 530
County: Yolo
Zip Code: 95616 and 95618
Population (2000): approx. 60,000

Geography: Davis is flat - as is most of the California Central Valley.
Nearest Lake: Lake Berryessa
Nearest River: Sacramento River

Temperature:
It is rainy and mild here in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. Click on the following link for the yearly highs and lows for Davis.
http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/climo-monthly-graph.html?locid=95616

Transportation

Airports:

The Davis Airporter or the Supershuttle can be reserved to take you to and from the airport.

Buying Cars:
Cars are expensive in California, due to strict emissions standards and high taxes. On the bright side, cars tend to last longer and run better due to the mild climate.

Department of Motor Vehicles:
There is a DMV office located in Davis at 505 Pole Line Rd. and another one located in Woodland at 825 East St.

The price of Gas:
Gas prices in California are typically higher than any other state on the continental USA - this is due to higher emission standards and taxes.

Parking on Campus:
Parking on campus is prohibitively expensive. Expect to pay $6.00 for a one-day visitors' pass. If you park your car illegally on campus and you WILL get a ticket. Tickets are at least $30 a pop, and they WILL give you multiple tickets.

Parking Permits:
These can be obtained form TAPS (Transportation and Parking Services)

Bussin':
UC Davis has the only student-run bus service in the nation: Unitrans. We have some double-decker busses that have been imported from London and almost all of the busses are red. It costs a dollar to ride from anywhere in Davis to anywhere in Davis. Undergraduates ride for free, but Graduates must pay (this is because Graduate students do not pay the same fees for services in their tuition as the Undergrads.) More information and an online schedule can be found on their website.

Last but not least Bicycles!!!
We love our bikes in Davis.
This bike map will get you familiar with the rules of the road, where to find bike paths and general safety information.

Lock your bike!!!It WILL be stolen / dismembered if you don't. Tips for bike theft prevention can be found on the TAPS website.

For more Bicycle information from stores to trails and the locations of free air -
Visit these sites:
Davis Wiki - Biking

TAPS - Biking

Everyday Living in Davis

Shopping:
Food - there are plenty of Grocery stores in Davis. Each section of Davis boasts at least one.
Specialty Food - For those looking for more than a run of the mill grocery store, Davis has a Food Co Op, an Asian Food Market (Kim's Mart at 636 4th St.), and an International Food Market (1760 E. 8th St). Also, some middle eastern items can be found at County Road 32b at the Yolo Fruit Market.

General Goods - For general goods and Sundries, ACE hardware (G St.) or one of the drug stores: either Rite Aid or Longs are your best bets in the city of Davis. If you'd like to go to a larger discount store or home improvement store you will have to leave town.
Nearest Target: Woodland
Nearest Home Depot: Woodland or Natomas
Nearest Lowes: Dixon or Vacaville
Nearest Wal-Mart: Woodland or Dixon
Nearest Substantial Shopping Mall: Arden Fair, Sacramento or K Street Mall, Sacramento
Nearest IKEA: West Sacramento

Pets:
Veterinarians: There is no lack of Veterinarians in Davis. Throw a rock and you will probably hit one.
Animal Control: If you need to get your dog a license, or adopt a homeless pet to be your best friend, the Yolo County Animal Shelter and the Yolo County SPCA are located off of the Gibson Rd. Exit of 113 in Woodland at: 2500 East Gibson Rd. (530) 668-5280
Dog Park: The official no-leash dog park is located

Post Office:
Corner of 5th and Poleline and on 3rd and D. There is also a small post office with limited services in the Memorial Union on campus.

Photocopying services:
Kinkos, Officemax, Navin's, Quick Copy.

Hospital
There is one full service hospital with an emergency room in Davis:
Sutter Davis
2000 Sutter Place (located off Covell west of Hwy 113)
530-756-6440
There are also hospitals in Woodland and Sacramento.
Woodland Healthcare
1325 Cottonwood Street, Woodland, CA
530-662-3961
and
UC Davis Health System
2315 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA
800-282-3284