Where to go and where to stay
in Contra Costa County.
Visiting Contra Costa County
Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito - Hercules,
Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga,Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond,
San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek.
Contra Costa County
was incorporated as one of the original 27 counties of the State of California, in 1850.
The county seat of Contra Costa County is Martinez.
Antioch
Antioch is the Gateway to
the Delta, located on the banks of the San Joaquin River in Northern California; just off
Highway 4.
Antioch
Dunes National Wildlife Refuge:
Surrounded by development and industry, the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge
supports the last known populations of the endangered Antioch Dunes evening primrose, the
Contra Costa wallflower, and the Lange's metalmark butterfly.
Contra Costa County Fair:
The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds is located at 1201 West 10th St., Antioch.
Brentwood
Brentwood was founded in
1878 when the San Pablo and Tulare Railroad came through East Contra Costa.
Brentwood Chamber of
Commerce:
Graced by breathtaking views of Mt. Diablo, Brentwood is home to over 47,000 residents who
enjoy the city's parks, recreation centers, and local establishments.
Clayton
Clayton was founded in 1857
and initially expanded to exploit the mining of coal and later copper.
Concord
Concord, the largest city
in Contra Costa County, is located 29 miles east of San Francisco, adjacent to beautiful
Mt. Diablo. Todos Santos (All Saints) was the original name of the city now called
Concord.
Concord First:
Whether you're looking for information for yourself or the whole family, find fun things
to do and places to go.
Diablo Creek Golf Course:
Home of the First Tee Contra Costa. Located at 4050 Port Chicago Hwy, Concord.
Historical
Buildings in Concord:
Many of the buildings date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. While some remain
private residences, many have been restored and are used as office or commercial
buildings.
Danville
Danville is known for its
small-town atmosphere and its outstanding quality of life; offering the perfect blend of
upscale amenities and small town charm in the 'Heart of the San Ramon Valley'.
Downtown
Danville Historical Walking Tour:
Discover Danville's past with a self-guided walk through the historical downtown district.
El Cerrito
El Cerrito, Little Hill in
Spanish, began to grow as refugees from the 1906 San Francisco eathquake moved to this
side of the Bay (then know as Rust) to live.
Hercules
Hercules is situated on
beautiful San Pablo Bay, midway between San Francisco and Napa. The California Powder
Works company played a key role in the formation of the city when the Hercules plant
opened in 1881 and began producing dynamite.
Lafayette
Lafayette was established
after Elam Brown led a fourteen family wagon train through the Donner Pass and ought a
3,329 acre Mexican land grant, called Rancho Acalanus, in 1847.
Martinez
Martinez was a gold rush and shipping boomtown. Early settlers of the
county bought, sold, and shipped their goods here. One of them even created the popular
drink known as the 'Martini'.
Moraga
Moraga is named after
Joaquin Moraga, the grandson of Joseph Joaquin Moraga who was second in command of the
Anza expedition of 1776, the founder of San Francisco, Mission Dolores and the founder and
first commandant of the Presidio.
Moraga Historical Society:
Established in 1965 to gather and preserve knowledge about the history of the Rancho
Laguna de los Palos Colorados, what is now the Town of Moraga, plus portions of Orinda and
Lafayette.
Oakley
Oakley is one of
California's youngest cities, though Oakley's bountiful agricultural community has a rich
and interesting history. Only an hour's drive from San Francisco, Oakley is situated in
East Contra Costa County along the picturesque California Delta, a fishing and boating
paradise.
Orinda
Orinda is a family-oriented
community in a semi-rural valley on the east side of the Oakland/Berkeley hills in the San
Francisco Bay Area.
Pinole
Pinole is located in the San
Francisco Bay Area, on the shores of San Pablo Bay in West Contra Costa County.
Interstate-80, which traverses the city, connects the San Francisco/Oakland metropolitan
area with Sacramento and points east.
Pinole Historical
Society:
The recorded history of Pinole dates back to the early 1700s when a Spanish commandant,
Don Pedro Fages, led an exploration through Contra Costa.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburg history starts
in 1839, when the Mexican government granted almost 10,000 acres to Jose Antone Mesa and
Miguel Jose Garcia; although the current name wouldn't come into being until 1906, when
Columbia Geneva Steel opened for business.
Old Town Pittsburg:
Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, the beautiful new Old
Town and Marina district is the jewel in the crown of East Contra Costa County.
Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill is
situated in the East Bay Area of San Francisco. Centrally located along Interstate 680, it
is blessed with a strong sense of community and small town charm, yet boasts a vibrant
downtown area that attracts thousands of visitors.
Pleasant
Hill Farmers' Market:
Open every Saturday from May through November - Crescent Drive at Downtown Plaza.
Richmond
Richmond is located 16
miles north-east of San Francisco, directly across San Francisco Bay.
In 1823, Don Francisco Castro was given 17,000 acres of land in Contra
Costa, which became known as Rancho San Pablo. The city of Richmond was established on a
portion of Castro's land grant about seventy years after his death.
Richmond Convention & Visitors
Bureau:
Stay in Richmond and visit the entire Bay Area including San Francisco, the Wine Country
and Sausalito and Muir Woods, all without packing and unpacking.
San Pablo
San Pablo is located in
West Contra Costa County off Interstate 80, minutes away from the Bay Area cultural
centers of Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco.
San Ramon
San Ramon first atracted
American settlers in 1850, when Leo and Mary Jane Norris purchased 4,450 acres of land
from Jose Maria Amador; who owned the 16,000 plus acre Rancho San Ramon.
Many of San Ramon's founding families are remembered today because
their names grace various canyons, hills and streets.
Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek was first
known as 'The Corners'; where the two roads leading from Pacheco and Lafayette converged.
Today those 'corners' are at the intersection of Mt. Diablo Boulevard and North Main
Street.
California
Travel Notes:
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stay and what to see is made easier with insider tips and hand-selected California links,
by dedicated editors and visitors to TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel.
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