The Rio Linda/Elverta community is located on part of the Rancho Del Paso Mexican land grant of 1844.

In 1910, a Fruit Land Company of Minneapolis acquired 12,000 acres (49 km2) of the Grant and in 1912 the area was subdivided.

Renamed Rio Linda in 1913, it was known as "Dry Creek Station", a flag stop for the Northern Electric Railroad, renamed the Sacramento Northern Railway after joining the San Francisco–Sacramento system to improve service the Sacramento Valley.

By 1920, poultry farming had proved to be feasible in the area which was advertised throughout several Eastern states during the 1920s.

The Sacramento Northern Railway stopped commuter services in 1940, redirecting focus to freight in the wake of World War II.

An association was formed between Rio Linda and Elverta in 1942 as the area became more well known for its excellent poultry production.

[3] Steady growth throughout the second half of the 1900s aided by its proximity to the Sacramento metropolitan area and an urban exodus known as white flight from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s.

[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.9 square miles (26 km2), all land.

The soil type of the area consists primarily of hard pan made up of silted clay and fine sands.

There were 5,129 housing units at an average density of 517.9 per square mile (200.0/km2), of which 3,475 (72.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,317 (27.5%) were occupied by renters.

In the California State Legislature, Rio Linda is in the 8th Senate District, represented by Democrat Angelique Ashby, and in the 6th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Maggy Krell.