Davis

Davis is a college town built around UC Davis, one of the UC system's flagship research universities with around 40,850 enrolled students as of 2023. The university isn't just a background presence — it shapes the entire personality of the city. Farmers markets, sustainability politics, bike infrastructure, craft beer culture: all of it traces back to having a major research university anchored here.

The city leans progressive, environmentally conscious, and outdoorsy. Here's the thing: Davis was the first city in the United States to paint standardized bike lanes, back in 1967, and that founding energy never left. The city's logo is a highwheel bike.

The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame sits in Central Park next to the Saturday farmers market.

More bikes exist in Davis than people. Expect roundabouts designed specifically for cyclists, bike-only bridges and tunnels, and a culture where pedestrians genuinely need to learn cyclist traffic rules to survive crosswalks near campus. The city also has a strong farm-to-fork identity, fed by its agricultural research roots and proximity to the Sacramento Valley's farmland.

Lock your bike with a solid U-lock, not a cable lock. Bike theft is the number one property crime in Davis. Locals use two locks.

Losing a bike here is basically a rite of passage you want to skip.. Show up to the Saturday Farmers Market at Central Park early. It runs year-round, rain or shine, and by 10am it gets crowded.

Locals bring blankets, grab breakfast from the vendors, and treat it as a social event as much as a shopping trip.. At bike roundabouts, yield to cyclists already in the circle and signal when exiting. First-year UC Davis students famously crash into each other for the first few weeks of fall quarter.

Don't be that person.. The Whole Earth Festival (WEF) is alcohol-free and drug-free. The vibe is community craft market meets environmental activism.

Don't show up expecting a beer garden.. During Picnic Day (the UC Davis open house), the entire city operates under a no-open-container rule citywide, and Safety Enhancement Zones with doubled fines are in effect from Friday evening through Sunday morning. The city doubled police presence for 2026..

The farmers market at Central Park also happens on Wednesday evenings during warmer months — less crowded than Saturday, great for catching live music.. If you're borrowing or renting a bike, register it with UC Davis TAPS. Abandoned unclaimed bikes get auctioned off in October and early May — a surprisingly good deal for budget shoppers.

Davis is generally one of the safer college towns in California. Violent crime is significantly lower than the national average — Nextdoor data puts Davis's violent crime rate at 6.52 versus a national average of 13.

84. The realistic concern is property crime, particularly bike theft. It's common, it happens in broad daylight, and even locals lose bikes regularly.

Always use a solid U-lock, lock to a fixed rack, and don't leave bikes unattended for long periods in busy areas. Downtown and student-dense streets near campus have more petty theft and vandalism than quieter residential zones. Mace Ranch and West Davis neighborhoods consistently rank among the safest.

During Picnic Day (April 18, 2026), the city implements Safety Enhancement Zones with doubled fines and a citywide no-open-container rule from Friday evening through Sunday morning — enforcement is serious, and the city doubled its police presence for 2026 after incidents at prior events. Outside of major event weekends, Davis feels calm and walkable at night.