In another thread someone said if I live at higher elevations in my zip (95747) it's zone 8/9 but lower elevations are 14. I'm not sure how to figure that out. :(

Check your Sunset Western Garden book for the difference between the climate zones. If you don't have one, they are not expensive and more than worth the cost. (About $20-25 new, down to $1 or so for older editions from used book stores. The older editions are fine, they just don't have some of the currently offered plants listed and some may be under older names)

The online site does include some of the climate zone information, but the book is a little more detailed in explaining. If you are on the border for several zones, you may experience some of the characteristics for both climate zones, where one may be more influential some years, and the other dominate otherwise (similar to how El Nino can alter weather during certain years).

Thanks.

Still looking for tree advice.

Maybe bronze loquat, eriobotrya deflexa? Some of the tree sites on the web say it has innocuous fruit, but I've never seen any. This isn't the edible kind of loquat. It is evergreen, relatively small, clean, somewhat fast growing. I'm not sure if your area is suitable for it but it might be worth investigating.

How about a Chinese Pistache? Will do well in your area.

Sorry, I left your tree question for others to address because you and I have different landscape design style methods and vary in our ideas about plant aesthetics. :)

Gyr I'm open to any and all suggestions.

cakbu, I was really considering Chinese Pistache til I found out it has one of the most allergenic pollens of all trees.

Birch
Honeylocust
Japanese snowbell tree ( Styrax japonica )
Purple-leaf Plum

Never one to hold back an opinion.........purple leaf plums are crap trees - put those out of your mind :-) And birches have issues in hot climate locations like the Sacramento area, are not at all drought tolerant and are falling prey to bronze birch borers all across the country.

In your location, you really need to be considering very drought tolerant plants and few, if any, that you have considered/listed/mentioned are very drought tolerant at all. And some will require regular, routine irrigation if they hope to thrive at all.

Here's a couple of listings for you to consider:

Drought Tolerant Trees for Northern California

Sacramento Tree Guide - you can sort by size, water needs and deciduous or evergreen

[Top Ten California Native Plants[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/10-top-california-native-plants-trees-and-grasses-stsetivw-vs~29024144)

Water-wise Shrubs List

Water-wise Tree List

Note that the last two contain some plants I would not consider to be very drought tolerant even in my PNW very mild summer droughts - I wouldn't include any Japanese maples or the smokebush, for example. And just as an FYI, saucer magnolias are neither evergreen, very drought tolerant and are quite messy, especially when their flowers go over.

I did find "Duraheat River Birch" listed on a local nursery website. Looked it up. Looks nice, very tempting. Some sites say it gets 20' wide, some say 25'-35' wide. Now I know that's an eventual width, but that is a really off range. Anyone have one of these and can offer insight? Hubby isn't too fond of the peeling bark look. Does that peel off and make a mess? That might make it a no-go.

Never mind. I liked it but then found out it can be quite a mess and should be kept away from property lines, hardscape, and fences...

And the common name of river birch should indicate something.........again, this is NOT a smart tree choice for a hot, dry climate!!

You have not mentioned how much shade you hope to get. Chilopsis is a very pretty low water tree but it does not have a dense canopy.