Sacramento Valley National Cemetery

Sacramento Valley National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Dixon, California. VA lists it as open for burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Sacramento Valley National Cemetery

Sacramento Valley National Cemetery is the seventh national cemetery built in California and the 124th in the national cemetery system.

Like many lands in the western United States, the Homestead Act of 1862 facilitated the settlement of the site of what is now the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery. In the late 1860's, the site consisted of nine separate parcels, which were subsequently acquired by private citizens through preemption (an individual's right to settle land first and pay for it later) and homestead claims. During the 20th century, these separate parcels were gradually consolidated under one owner. The site was continuously used as farmland from the 1860's until it was purchased by the National Cemetery Administration in 2004. Crops raised on the property at the time of NCA's purchase included corn, alfalfa, beans, squash, and peppers.

The Union Pacific Railroad, formerly the Southern Pacific Railroad, and prior to that the Central Pacific Railroad, intersects the southeastern corner of the property. In May 1869, the famous golden spike was driven in Promontory Summit, Utah, to symbolically mark the completion of the "First Trans-Continental Railroad," connecting Omaha, Nebraska, to Sacramento. However, the rail network did not actually reach the Pacific Ocean until the completion of the Central Pacific Railroad, connecting San Francisco and Sacramento in November of that year.

The First Trans-Continental Railroad linked the West Coast with the existing railroad network in the eastern United States, and contributed dramatically to the economic development and population growth of California. The Southern Pacific Railroad leased the Central Pacific railroad in 1885; over time, the Southern Pacific Railroad grew into a massive railway network throughout the Western and Southwestern United Sates, stretching down from Portland, Oregon to New Orleans. The Southern Pacific Railroad was acquired by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996.

Sacramento Valley National Cemetery opened for burials in 2006, and was formally dedicated on April 22, 2007.

Monuments and Memorials Sacramento Valley National Cemetery features a memorial pathway lined with a variety of memorials that honor America's veterans. As of 2017, there are 9 memorials here.

Notable interments

The National Cemetery Administration lists these people of note buried at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, with section and site where recorded.

Directions

From Sacramento: Take I-80 West approximately 28 miles to Exit 60, Midway Rd. Turn left onto Midway Rd. and the cemetery will be 1.3 miles on the right.

From Sacramento International Airport: The cemetery is 33 miles (53 km) from Sacramento International Airport (SMF). Take Interstate 5 North towards Woodland. Merge onto 113 South towards Davis. Take Interstate I-80 West. Take Exit 59 "Meridian Rd/Weber Rd". (DETOUR for unusable bridge at exit 60), Turn left onto Weber Rd. Travel 1.1 miles, then turn left on Lewis Road. Follow Lewis Road to the "T" at Midway Road. Take a right on Midway Road and the cemetery will be 1.2 miles on the right.

Flowers and grounds rules

Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves and in the gravel, areas surrounding the columbarium and memorial walls at any time and will be removed once they become unsightly. In addition, all items placed on gravesites can be removed to accommodate grounds maintenance to include removal of artificial flowers. Floral pickup is conducted every Wednesday of each month along with daily pick up of faded or unsightly arrangements and other items.

Cemetery furnished temporary flower cones are available and located throughout the cemetery in specially marked containers.

Who can be buried at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Sacramento Valley National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Sacramento Valley National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Sacramento Valley National Cemetery directly at 707-693-2460.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under California law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in California and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Benicia Arsenal Post Cemetery, Benicia, CA: 29 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Mare Island Naval Cemetery, Vallejo, CA: 31 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, CA: 53 mi, closed to new in-ground burials