Contra Costa County, California
Map
Location in the state of California
California's location in the USA
Statistics
Founded	1850
Seat	Martinez
Largest City	Concord
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	2,078 km² 1,865 km² (720 mi²) 190 km²,
Population  - (2000)  - Density	948,816 474/km²
Time zone	Mountain: UTC-8/-7
Website: www.co.contra-costa.ca.us

Contra Costa County is a suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 948,816. The county seat is Martinez. Seal of the County of Contra Costa. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Image File history File links Map_of_USA_CA.svg‎ File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): California ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... Location of Concord in California. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... 2000 US Census logo The Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... Population density by country, 2006 Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... PST is UTC-8, highlighted in red. ... Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... Though DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... The U.S. state of California is divided into 58 counties. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties/Parishes/Boroughs, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The Twenty-second United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ...

History

Pre-human

In prehistoric times, particularly the Miocene epoch, portions of the landforms now in the area (then marshy and grassy savanna) were populated by a wide range of now extinct mammals, known in modern times by the fossil remains excavated in the southern part of the county. These included pigs the size of the modern rhinoceros and rhinoceri the size of modern pigs. In the northern part of the county, significant coal and sand deposits were formed in even earlier geologic eras. Other areas of the county have ridges exposing ancient but intact (not fossilized) seashells, embedded in sandstone layers alternating with limestone. Layers of volcanic ash ejected from geologically recent but now extinct volcanos, compacted and now tilted by compressive forces, may be seen at the site of some road excavations. This county is an agglomeration of several distinct geologic terrains, as is most of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, which is one of the most geologically complex regions in the world. The great local mountain Mount Diablo has been formed and continues to be elevated by compressive forces resulting from the action of plate tectonics and at its upper reaches presents ancient seabed shale rock scraped from distant sedimentation locations and accumulated by these great forces. The Miocene Epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23. ... The geologic time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... Savanna at Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... FOSSIL is a standard for allowing serial communication for telecommunications programs under DOS. FOSSIL is an acronym for Fido Opus Seadog Standard Interface Layer. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Black Rhino from Howletts Wild Animal Park For other uses, see Rhinoceros (disambiguation). ... The geologic time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... -1... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Mount Diablo State Park is a state park in Contra Costa County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, located south of the town of Clayton and northeast of Danville. ... The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. ...

Native American period

There is an extensive but little recorded human pre-European invasion history in this area, with the present county containing portions of regions populated by a number of native American tribes. The earliest definitively established occupation by modern man (Homo sapiens) appears to have occurred six to ten thousand years ago. However, there may have been human presence far earlier, at least as far as non–settling populations are concerned. The known settled populations were hunter-gatherer societies that had no knowledge of metals and that produced utilitarian crafts for everyday use (especially woven reed baskets) of the highest quality and with graphic embellishments of great aesthetic appeal. Extensive trading from tribe to tribe transferred exotic materials such as obsidian (useful for the making of arrowheads) throughout the region from far distant Californian tribes. Unlike the nomadic native American of the Great Plains it appears that these tribes did not incorporate warfare into their culture but were instead generally cooperative. Within these cultures the concept of individual or collective land ownership was nonexistent. Early European settlers in the region, however, did not record much about the culture of the natives. Most of what is known culturally comes from preserved contemporaneous and excavated artifacts and from inter-generational knowledge passed down through northerly outlying tribes of the larger region. Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) is the scientific name for the human species. ... For alternative meanings see metal (disambiguation). ... Obsidian from Lake County, Oregon Counterclockwise from top: obsidian, pumice and rhyolite (light color) Obsidian is a rock which is a type of naturally occurring glass, produced by volcanoes (igneous origin) when a felsic lava cools rapidly and freezes without sufficient time for crystal growth (see glass transition temperature). ... Kazakh nomads in the steppes of the Russian Empire, ca. ... The Great Plains covers much of the central United States, portions of Canada and Mexico. ...

Spanish colonial

Early interaction of these Native Americans with Europeans came with the Spanish colonization via the establishment of missions in this area, with the missions in San Jose, Sonoma, and San Francisco and particularly the establishment of the Presidio of San Francisco (a military establishment) in 1776. Although there were no missions established within this county, Spanish influence here was direct and extensive, through the establishment of land grants from the King of Spain to favored settlers. Their ranchos were not small farms, but extremely large — a modern county would accommodate only a few of them. With the land came the right to rule over its inhabitants, both native and immigrant laboring individuals and families. The Spanish Missions of California (more simply referred to as the California Missions) comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans, to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier... The Parade Grounds at the Presidio of San Francisco. ...

Mexican provincial

In 1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain. Insofar as ranchero life was concerned in the remote province centered upon San Francisco, little changed. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

The Mexican Revolution led to the confiscation of missions, the beginning of land grants under the Mexican Federal Law of 1824, including 18 in what became Contra Costa County. The smallest unit was one square league, or about seven square miles, or 4,400 acres (18 km²), maximum to one individual was eleven leagues, or 48,400 acres (196 km²), including no more than 4,428 acres (18 km²) of irrigable land. Rough surveying was based on a map, or diseno, measured by streams, shorelines, and/or horseman who marked it with rope and stakes. Lands outside Rancho grants were designated ‘el sobrante,' as in surplus or excess, and considered common lands. The law required the construction of a house within a year. Fences were not required and were forbidden where they might interfere with roads or trails. Locally a large family required roughly 2000 head of cattle and two square leagues of land (fourteen square miles) to live comfortably. Foreign entrepreneurs came to the area in order to provide goods that Mexico couldn’t, and trading ships were taxed. A graphical timeline is available here: Timeline of the Mexican Revolution Many portions of this article are translations of excerpts from the article Revolución Mexicana in the Spanish Wikipedia. ...

The same year, 1824, Rancho Cañada de los Vaqueros was granted to Francisco Alviso, Antonio Higuera, and Manuel Miranda (26,660 acres confirmed in 1889 to heirs of Robert Livermore).

In 1833, the Mexican Decree of Secularization allowed the Mexican government to seize Roman Catholic church lands, including the Missions of California, opening the way for more land grants. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Spanish Missions in California (more simply referred to as the California Missions) comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans, to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans. ...

From 1833-46, three Ranchos San Ramon Mexican land grants were established to Bartolome Pacheco (southern San Ramon Valley) and Mariano Castro (northern San Ramon Valley) (1833, two square leagues), Jose Maria Amador (1834, 1835, four leagues).

In 1834 Rancho Monte del Diablo (present day Concord, California) was confirmed with 17,921 acres (72.5 km²) to Don Salvio Pacheco (born 15 July 1793, died 1876). The Pacheco family settled at the Rancho in 1846 (between the Pacheco shipping port townsite and Clayton area, and including much of Lime Ridge). The boundary lines were designated with stone markers. Clayton was later located on sobrante lands just east of Ranch Monte del Diablo (Mount Diablo). Location of Concord in California. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Pacheco is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Clayton is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Mount Diablo State Park is a state park in California, USA. View of Mt. ...

On 31 July 1834, Rancho Arroyo de Las Nueces y Bolbones aka Rancho San Miguel (present day Walnut Creek), was granted to Dona Juana Sanchez de Pacheco, in recognition of the service of Corporal Miguel Pacheco 37 years earlier (confirmed 1853, patented to heirs 1866; the grant was for two leagues, but drawn free hand on the diseno/map, and reading "two leagues, more or less" as indicated in the diseno, but actually including and confirmed for nearly four leagues or nearly 18,000 acres (73 km²), but only 10,000 acres (40 km²) were ever shown as having once belonged to Dona Juana. July 31 is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1834 (MDCCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Rancho San Miguel is a Neighborhood in Walnut Creek, California. ... Walnut Creek is a regional business center and suburb several miles east of Oakland in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

On 13 October 1835, Rancho Los Meganos was granted, situated in what is now the Brentwood area. 'Meganos' means 'sand dunes.' A "paraje que llaman los Méganos" 'place called the sand dunes' (with a variant spelling) is mentioned in Durán’s diary on May 24, 1817. Two Los Medanos Ranchos were granted, later differentiated as Los Meganos (1835, three leagues or at least 13,285 acres (54 km²)), to Jose Noriega then acquired by John Marsh and Los Medanos (to Jose Antonio Mesa and Jose Miguel Garcia, Pittsburg area, dated 26 November 1839). October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Location of Brentwood in California Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Durán, Ecuador Roberto Duran Jorge Durán Durán Canton Sixto Durán Ballén, former president of Ecuador Samir Duran, a character in the Starcraft universe Duran Duran A European and American 1980s Pop Music Group. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... // John Marsh was born in 1799 in South Danvers, Massachusetts and died in Pacheco, California in 1856. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Bear Flag Republic and the Statehood of California

The situation of Hispanics owning the land would soon end. The beginning of this change happened with the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846. A few settlers from the United States declared a republic, immediately petitioning for statehood. Following the Mexican-American War of 1847 and the ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, California was annexed to the U.S. in 1848, with California being admitted to the Union in 1850. The land titles in Contra Costa County may be traced to multiple subdivisions of a few original Spanish land grants from the King of Spain. Reminders of these grants may be seen the grantee's family names in a few city and town names such as Martinez, Pacheco and Moraga, with their subsequent divisions into large farms and orchards remembered in the names of streets, residential subdivisions, and business parks. A few mansions from the more prosperous farms have been preserved as museums and cultural centers and one of the more rustic examples has been preserved as a working demonstration ranch, Borges Ranch. The first Bear Flag. ... in particular, for the archaizing senses of republic, as a translation of politeia or res publica Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A republic is a form of government maintained by a state or country whose sovereignty is based on popular consent and whose... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia José Mariá Flores Strength 78,790 soldiers 18,000–40,000 soldiers Casualties KIA: 1733 Total dead: 13,271 Wounded: 4,152 AWOL: 9,200+ 25,000... The Mexican Cession (red) and the Gadsden Purchase (orange). ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... Pacheco is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... // Moraga Way view toward Moraga Road. ...

Contra Costa's creation and division

Contra Costa County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. The county was originally to be called Mt. Diablo County, but the name was changed prior to incorporation as a county. The county's Spanish language name means opposite coast, because of its location opposite San Francisco, in an easterly direction, on San Francisco Bay. Southern portions of the county's territory, including the all of the bayside portions opposite San Francisco, and Northern portions of Santa Clara County were given up to form Alameda County in 1853. This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... Santa Clara County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. ... Official website: http://www. ...

Orchards, farms, and ranches

The great rancheros of the Spanish period were divided and sold for agricultural uses, with intensively irrigated farming made possible in some areas by the development of canals that brought water from the eastern riverside portions of the county to the central portion. Other areas could used the more limited water available from local creeks and from wells. Orchards dominated where such water was available, while other, seasonally dry areas were used for cattle ranching. In central parts of the county walnuts were an especially attractive orchard crop, using the thin-shelled English Walnut branches grafted to the hardy and disease-resistant American Walnut root stock. In the Moraga region, pears dominated, and many old (but untended) roadside trees are still picked seasonally by passers by. In eastern county, stone fruit, especially cherries, is still grown commercially, with seasonal opportunities for people to pick their own fruit for a modest fee. // Moraga Way view toward Moraga Road. ...

Railroads

The western termini of several original transcontinental railroad routes have been located in Oakland, in Alameda County, Including Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Santa Fe railroads. From Oakland, there are two primary routes east: This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Alameda County is a suburban county in Californias San Francisco Bay Area. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks UP) (NYSE: UNP), headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting marks SP) was an American railroad. ... The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting marks ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the largest railroads in the United States. ...

• The former Southern Pacific (originally Central Pacific Railroad) line north through Richmond, closely hugging the San Pablo Bay coastline to Martinez, where it crosses Suisun Bay on a drawbridge before proceeding to Sacramento and the crossing of the Sierra Nevada via Donner Pass.
• The former Western Pacific Railroad line which runs east through Niles Canyon, Livermore and over Altamont Pass en route to in a north-easterly direction to Sacramento and the Feather River canyon/Beckwourth Pass crossing of the Sierra Nevada.

The current owner of the Santa Fe Rairoad's assets, BNSF Railway has the terminus of its transcontinental route in Richmond. Originally built by the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad in 1896, the line was purchased by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway shortly thereafter. The line leaves Richmond through industrial and residential parts of West County before striking due east through Franklin Canyon and Martinez on its way to Stockton, Bakersfield and Barstow. The Gov. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... San Pablo Bay is a shallow tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... San Pablo bay with Suisun Bay at upper right Suisun Bay (pronounced sue-soon) is a shallow tidal estuary located in central California of The United States of America. ... Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for Snowy Range) is a mountain range that is almost entirely in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Donner Pass (el. ... Drumhead logos such as these often adorned the ends of observation cars on the Western Pacific Railroad. ... Livermore is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. ... The Altamont Pass is a mountain pass in Northern California, United States, located between Livermore in the Livermore Valley and Tracy in the San Joaquin Valley. ... Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... This article treats the river in California. ... Beckwourth Pass (el. ... The BNSF Railway (AAR reporting marks BNSF), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the four remaining transcontinental railroads and one of the largest railroad networks in North America (only one competitor, the Union Pacific Railroad, is larger in size). ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AAR reporting marks ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the largest railroads in the United States. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in the state of California Coordinates: Country United States State California County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Nickname: Location of Bakersfield, California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Kern County Founded 1869 Government  - Mayor Harvey Hall Area  - City  131 sq mi (339. ... Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ...

These railroads spurred the development of industry in the county throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly driving development of the Standard Oil (now Chevron) refinery and port complex in Richmond. Standard Oil (Esso) was a predominant integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. ... Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is one of the worlds largest global energy companies. ...

There were a large number of short lines in the county between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The rights of way of a number of these railroads also served as utility rights of way, particularly for water service, and so were preserved, and in the late 20th century enhanced as walking, jogging, and bicycle riding trails in the central portion of the county.

Irrigation canals

The Contra Costa Canal, a concrete-lined and fenced irrigation canal still makes a loop through central county and provided industrial and agricultural grade water to farms and industry. While no longer used for extensive irrigation, it is still possible for adjoining landowners (now large suburban lot owners) to obtain pumping permits. Most of this water is destined for the heavy industry near Martinez. As with the railroad rights of way there is now an extensive public trail system along these canals. The Contra Costa Canal is a part of the Bureau of Reclamations Central Valley Project (CVP) located in California. ...

Commuter railroads

The development of commuter railroads proceeded together with the subdivision of farms into parcels. In some cases, such as the development of Saranap, the same developer controlled both the railroad (Sacramento Northern) and the development. These early suburbanization developments were an extension of the earlier development of trolley car suburbs in what are now considered the highly urban environments of the near East Bay. Saranap is an unincorporated residential area within central Contra Costa County, California. ... The Sacramento Northern Railroad was an electrified railroad which ran between Chico and Oakland in northern California. ... A Trolley Car Suburb is a developmental stage of what are now established urban regions in the late 18th and early 19th century. ...

Heavy industry

View of the Shell/Valero Martinez oil refinery

Owing to its extensive waterfront on San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun bays the northwestern and northern segments have long been sites for heavy industry, including the a number of still active oil refineries (particularly Standard Oil in Richmond and Tosco - formerly Shell Oil - in Martinez), chemical plants (Dow Chemical) and a once substantial integrated steel plant, Posco Steel (formerly United States Steel), now reduced to secondary production of strip sheet and wire. The San Joaquin River forms a continuation of the northern boundary turns southward to form the eastern boundary of the county. Some substantial Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta "islands" (actually leveed former marshes) are included in this corner of the county. Image File history File links ShellMartinez-refi. ... Image File history File links ShellMartinez-refi. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... San Pablo Bay is a shallow tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. ... San Pablo bay with Suisun Bay at upper right Suisun Bay (pronounced sue-soon) is a shallow tidal estuary located in central California of The United States of America. ... View of Shell Oil Refinery in Martinez, California. ... The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, USA. In terms of market capitalization, it is the second-largest chemical company in the world, smaller than only DuPont. ... The Pohang Iron and Steel Company, or POSCO (KSE: 005490) (NYSE: PKX) (TYO: 5412 ) (LSE: PIDD), based in Pohang, South Korea, is the third largest steel producer in the world. ... The United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States and Central Europe. ... The San Joaquin River, 330 miles (530 km) long, is the second-longest river in California, United States. ... The Sacramento Delta. ...

Reorientation of the county

Prior to 1903 most travel to central Contra Costa County was by boat or rail to Martinez on the northern waterfront and from there to the industrial areas east along the waterfront as well as farming regions to the south. Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ...

In 1903 the first tunnel through the Oakland hills (now Old Tunnel Road) was built, principally as a means of bringing hay by horse, mule, or ox-drawn wagons from central and eastern agricultural areas to feed the draft animals that provided the power to public and private transportation in the East Bay at the time. The tunnel exited in the hills high above the crossroads of Orinda with the road continuing on to Lafayette, Walnut Creek, and Danville. The road was just wide enough for one car in each direction, and had no shoulders. Stacked hay in Romania Haystacks on stilts in Paddy fields, North Kanara, India Hay is dried grass or legumes cut, stored, and used for animal feed, particularly for grazing animals like cattle, horses, goats and sheep. ... A draught animal is a (semi-)domesticated animal used for transport and haulage (the heavy labour of pulling carts, hauling timber and ploughing fields are examples). ... Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Walnut Creek is a regional business center and suburb several miles east of Oakland in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Formed in 1909, the Oakland Antioch Railway was renamed the Oakland Antioch & Eastern Railway in 1911. It extended through a 3,400 foot tunnel in the Oakland Hills, from Oakland to Walnut Creek, Concord and on to Bay Point.

In 1937 the two-bore Caldecott Tunnel for road vehicles was completed, making interior Contra Costa much more accessible. After World War II the tunnels allowed waves of development to proceed, oriented toward Oakland rather than the northern shoreline, and the northern shoreline cities began to decline. The tunnel has since been augmented with an additional bore, with the central bore reveresed in direction to accommodate commute traffic. Owing to extensive reverse commuting and general increases in traffic, a fourth bore is being planned. The Caldecott Tunnel is a three bore tunnel in Oakland, California. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

1941-45

During World War II, Richmond hosted one of the two Bay Area sites of Kaiser Shipyards and wartime pilots were trained at what is now Concord/Buchanan Field Airport. Additionally, a large Naval Weapons Depot and munitions ship loading facilities at Port Chicago remain active to this day, but with the inland storage facilities recently declared surplus, extensive redevelopment is being planned for this last large central-county tract. The loading docks were the site of a devastating explosion in 1944. Port Chicago was bought out and demolished by the Federal Government to form a safety zone near the Naval Weapons Station loading docks. At one time the Atlas Powder Company (subsequently closed) at the town of Hercules produced gunpowder and dynamite. The site of the former Atlas Powder Company is located at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, part of the East Bay Regional Parks District. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located on the West Coast of the United States during World War II headed by Henry J. Kaiser. ... Buchanan Field Airport is located in Concord, California, USA, 27 nautical miles (50 km) northeast of San Francisco International Airport, in Contra Costa County at the outside edge of San Franciscos terminal airspace. ... Port Chicago was a town on the southern banks of Suisun Bay, in Contra Costa County, California. ... Damage at the Port Chicago Pier after the July 17, 1944 explosion The Port Chicago disaster was a deadly explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California on July 17, 1944. ... Hercules is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ...

Early postwar period

With the postwar baby boom and the desire for suburban living, large tract housing developers would purchase large central county farmsteads and develop them with roads, utilities and housing. Once mostly rural walnut orchards and cattle ranches, the area was first developed as low cost, large lot suburbs, with a typical low cost home being placed on a "quarter acre" (1,000 m²) lot — actually a little less at 10,000 square feet (930 m²). Some of the expansion of these suburban areas was attributable to white flight, although in this politically liberal region, the phenomenon was mostly due to larger houses and lots at little additional cost, a desire for a less intensely urban environment, and higher school quality. A baby boom is any period of greatly increased birth rate within temporal and usually geographical bounds. ... White flight is a term for the demographic trend where working- and middle-class white people move away from racially mixed inner-city neighborhoods to predominantly white suburbs and exurbs. ...

Technical innovators

In the 1970s and 80s many small and innovative technical firms were started in this county, most of which are no longer present, having either failed, been absorbed into larger corporations, or having outgrown their original location are now elsewhere in the Bay Area.

Corporate headquarters

During the 1980s and early 1990s, many corporations that were formerly housed in the more central metropolitan area followed their employees by moving to large suburban and edge city office areas and office parks.

A number of large corporations now have headquarters in large developments along what is called the 680 corridor, that segment of Interstate Highway 680 that extends from Concord in the north to San Ramon in the south, continuing into inland Alameda County from Dublin to Pleasanton. San Ramon is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Official website: http://www. ... The public library in Dublin Dublin is a city located in Alameda County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 29,973. ... Location of Pleasanton within Alameda County, California. ...

By the early 1990s, more square footage of office space had been built in the 680 corridor than in San Francisco's Financial District.

West County

The housing stock in the region was extensively developed after the great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Much of the housing stock in these areas is becoming quite expensive. As an alternative to moving to either the expensive central county, or the too-distant East County, this area is becoming gentrified, with a mix of races and income levels — a character actively sought by some housing purchasers. The downside of this is a corresponding lack of affordable housing for those in lower paying service jobs — a problem endemic throughout the region. As the public schools are not of the quality seen in the central county, many of the middle class residents of the area send their children to expensive private schools, further limiting the availability of resources (especially well-qualified but unpaid volunteer classroom assistants and donated class support materials) to the public schools. There has recently been a housing boom or tract housing in Richmond and also in the Hercules areas. These gentrifying areas are the most diverse in Contra Costa County. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... Hercules is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ...

Central county

Central county scene — Mount Diablo and portions of Concord, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek, with former grasslands now an urban forest in low density suburbs with extensive buisiness center and residential buildings near BART locations

The valley traversed by Interstate 680, by State Highway 24, and by portions of Interstate highway 580 (the Livermore Valley) are collectively called the Tri-Valley Area. West of this area are the cities near or on San Francisco and San Pablo bays, while east of this area is the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta and California's Great Central Valley. The towns east of the hills on or near Highway 24 and their surrounding areas (Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda) are collectively known as Lamorinda. The major central county cities along Interstate 680 are Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, and unincorporated Alamo. Owing to the high quality of its public schools (due largely to both demographics and added support from prosperous parents), this area has become a magnet for well–off families with children. This has driven (through normal supply-demand economics) the price of housing to astounding levels. An original, unmodified one bath, three bedroom large-lot house built in the late 1940s is now priced out of the range of those with the typical median income for the region. As the taxes on long occupied houses are quite low, owing to the tax-limiting Proposition 13, there is little incentive for "empty nesters" to move away, further limiting the supply for new entrants to the market. Proposition 13 has also discouraged the "upgrade move", instead encouraging extensive remodeling of existing owner–occupied buildings. This has led to beneficial stability in some neighborhoods, further increasing the desirability of many locations. While there are small patches where houses are completely torn down and replaced with larger, more modern houses, this is less economically attractive (owing to the high cost of purchase) than is the practice of extensive remodeling, refurbishment, and expansion via the addition of a large master suite and removal of interior partitions to create larger rooms. There are a number of speculative remodelers who will refurbish an unoccupied structure over a period of a year, using high quality materials and finishes, yet making enough profit to provide a comfortable living. Although the pace of housing sales has slowed recently (2004-2007), prices continue to increase and the market remains attractive to the remodeling industry. Download high resolution version (2731x505, 269 KB)Panorama of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Valley with office buildings of Pleasant Hill to the left, and Walnut Creek in the distant right from Dinosaur Hill Park. ... Download high resolution version (2731x505, 269 KB)Panorama of Mount Diablo and the Diablo Valley with office buildings of Pleasant Hill to the left, and Walnut Creek in the distant right from Dinosaur Hill Park. ... Mount Diablo State Park is a state park in Contra Costa County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, located south of the town of Clayton and northeast of Danville. ... An urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grow within a city, town or a suburb. ... Livermore Valley, is a valley in California, USA, surrounding a city of the same name, Livermore. ... Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... // Moraga Way view toward Moraga Road. ... Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Proposition 13, officially titled the Peoples Initiative to Limit Property Taxation, was a ballot initiative to amend the constitution of the state of California. ...

In this way the central county region has become a mix of older suburbs, newer developments, small lot "infill" developments, and extensive shopping areas.

East County

Lower cost modern tract developments continue along Suisun Bay and into rural "East County" - new "bedroom" communities" to serve the now "edge cities". This results in some incredibly long and slow commutes for some county residents, as roadbuilding is unable to keep pace with the development patterns. Some political control has been established to restrict the development somewhat, with "urban limit lines" now established, but yet to prove their long term effectiveness. The building of new housing in the hot inland areas of California is straining the ability of power providers during hot weather, with peak power requirements statewide reaching levels not expected until 2010 in a 2006 late July heat wave. San Pablo bay with Suisun Bay at upper right Suisun Bay (pronounced sue-soon) is a shallow tidal estuary located in central California of The United States of America. ...

Urban decay at the fringes

Other cities in the once heavily industrialized northwestern and western waterfront areas such as Richmond and Bay Point (formerly West Pittsburg) have fallen on harder times, with Richmond having difficulty balancing its school budget. This may be arguably attributed to a side effect of Proposition 13: it applies also to large industrial and merchandising companies, which have seen their share of property taxes (the bulk of which is used to support local schools) decline severely. As housing prices have not kept pace with the more central and outlying regions and housing turnover is also low (which establishes a new tax base for the parcel), the school districts are having difficulty obtaining proper funding. A lack of the availability of the kind of community support available in the more prosperous regions also contributes to the problem, with higher income residents of some of these declining or gentrifying areas sending their children to private schooling, creating a self reinforcing decline in the public schools. Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... Bay Point is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ...

Redevelopment

There are currently political fights over the potential redevelopment of the county seat (Martinez), with long term residents and many elsewhere in the county concerned that it will lose its remaining small-town charm and utility in an effort to become more like the county's major recreational shopping center of Walnut Creek. Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... Walnut Creek is a regional business center and suburb several miles east of Oakland in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

The inland portions of the Concord Naval Weapons Station have been declared surplus by the Federal government and this area is expected to provide what is likely the last opportunity to plan and build city-sized development within the central county. This area will become a portion of the city of Concord and it is expected that development will be confined to the lower and flatter portions of the depot, with the remainder becoming a substantial addition to the county's open space. As much of the land to be developed is largely relatively flat grassland space, with the most prominent structures ammunition bunkers that will be removed, the planning of future uses of the property will be largely unconstrained by previous uses. Concord is a city located in Contra Costa County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 121,780. ... In urban planning, open space is publicly owned land that is preserved from urbanization (paving or building). ...

Political geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,078 km² (802 mi²). 1,865 km² (720 mi²) of it is land and 213 km² (82 mi²) of it (10.25%) is water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ...

It is bounded on the south and west by Alameda County; on the northwest San Francisco Bay (San Francisco and Marin Counties); on the North by San Pablo Bay, the Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay (Solano and Sacramento Counties); and on the east by the San Joaquin River (San Joaquin County). Official website: http://www. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... This article is about the city in California. ... Marin County (pronounced mah-RIN) is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ... San Pablo Bay is a shallow tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. ... Carquinez Strait The Carquinez Strait is a narrow tidal strait in northern California. ... San Pablo bay with Suisun Bay at upper right Suisun Bay (pronounced sue-soon) is a shallow tidal estuary located in central California of The United States of America. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Sacramento County is a county of the U.S. state of California. ... The San Joaquin River, 330 miles (530 km) long, is the second-longest river in California, United States. ... San Joaquin County is a county located in the United States of America in Californias Central Valley, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

Physical geography

Contra Costa County's physical geography is dominated by the bayside alluvial plain, the Oakland-Berkeley Hills, and Mount Diablo, an isolated 3,849-foot (1,173 m) upthrust peak at the north end of the Diablo Range of hills. The summit of Mount Diablo is the origin of the Mount Diablo Meridian and Base Line, on which surveying of much of California and western Nevada are based. The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges which overlook the northeast side of the valley in which San Francisco Bay is situated. ... Mount Diablo State Park is a state park in Contra Costa County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, located south of the town of Clayton and northeast of Danville. ... Figure 1. ... This BLM map depicts the principal meridians and baselines used in the surveyal of the United States. ... The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels, particularly for titles and deeds of rural, wild or undeveloped land. ...

The Hayward Fault Zone runs through the western portion of the county, from Kensington to Richmond. The Calaveras Fault runs in the south-central portion of the county, from Alamo to San Ramon. The Concord Fault runs through part of Concord and Pacheco, and the Clayton-Marsh Creek-Greenville Fault runs from Clayton at its north end to near Livermore. These slip-strike earthquake faults and the Diablo thrust fault near Danville are all considered capable of significantly destructive earthquakes and many lesser related faults are present in the area that cross critical infrastructure such as water, natural gas, and petroleum product pipelines, roads, highways, railroads, and BART rail transit. For recent activity in the region shown on this map see the USGS map for this location. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The Clayton-Marsh Creek-Greenville Fault is located in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area of California. ... Old fault exposed by roadcut near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Cities and towns

Martinez Court House, California

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x524, 103 KB) Description: Courthouse Martinez, California File links The following pages link to this file: Contra Costa County, California Martinez, California ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x524, 103 KB) Description: Courthouse Martinez, California File links The following pages link to this file: Contra Costa County, California Martinez, California ...

Bay Point is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Bethel Island is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Byron is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Discovery Bay is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Knightsen is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ...

Other named regions and developments

• Saranap - an unincorporated residential area between Walnut Creek and Lafayette, centered around the site of a (now-gone) interurban train station, comprising much of ZIP Code 94595.
• Rossmoor - a senior development incorporated into Walnut Creek (not to be confused with the Southern California Rossmoor).

Saranap is an unincorporated residential area within central Contra Costa County, California. ... Mr. ... Rossmoor is a gated community in Walnut Creek, California. ... Rossmoor is a census-designated place located in Orange County, California. ...

Adjacent Counties

• Alameda County - south (all the southern border)
• Marin County - west (via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and San Pablo and San Francisco Bays)
• Solano County - north (via the Carquinez Bridges and Benicia-Martinez Bridge and the Carquinez Strait, Grizzly Bay, Suisun Bay, and Sacramento/San Joaquin River delta and mouth)
• Sacramento County - northeast (in the delta Islands and via the Antioch Bridge)
• San Joaquin County - east (across the San Joaquin River and many islands and sloughs, most of the eastern border)
• San Francisco County - southwest (on Red Rock Island and on the San Francisco Bay)

Official website: http://www. ... Marin County (pronounced mah-RIN) is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ... The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is the northernmost of the east-west crossings of the San Francisco Bay in California, USA, connecting Richmond on the east to San Rafael on the west end. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Sacramento County is a county of the U.S. state of California. ... San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... This article is about the city in California. ... Red Rock is visible adjacent to the bridge in this photograph taken from an airplane (Daniel McCirmick, 2006) Aerial photograph of Red Rock Island Deserted Coast Guard fog bell on southern point of island Red Rock Island is an uninhabited island in the San Francisco Bay located just south of...

Transportation Infrastructure

Major Highways

• Interstate 80
• Interstate 580
• Interstate 680
• California State Route 4
• California State Route 24
• California State Route 160
• California State Route 242

Also, Image File history File links I-80. ... Interstate 80 (abbreviated I-80) is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States. ... Image File history File links I-580. ... Interstate 580 (abbreviated I-580) in Northern California is a heavily traveled, fairly long spur route of Interstate 80 that connects the San Francisco Bay Area to Interstate 5 in the states Central Valley. ... Image File history File links I-680. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-280 SCL 0. ... Image File history File links California_4. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-80 CC 0. ... Image File history File links California_24. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-580 / I-980 ALA 1. ... Image File history File links California_160. ... California State Route 160 is a north-south highway through the inland delta of the Sacramento River between Sacramento, California and Antioch, California (junction California State Route 4) through downtown Sacramento. ... Image File history File links California_242. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-680 CC 0. ...

• San Pablo Avenue (partly California State Route 123) -- former U.S. Route 40
• Richmond Parkway and San Pablo Dam Road -- proposed California State Route 93
• Vasco Road -- connection between East County and Livermore in Alameda County

Image File history File links California_123. ... California State Highway 123 or San Pablo Avenue runs along the flats of the East Bay in California, from Oakland to Crockett, through: Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, and Rodeo. ... JUNCTION POSTMILE I-580 ALA 0. ... Image File history File links US_40_(CA). ... U.S. Route 40 is an east-west United States highway. ... The Richmond Parkway is a freeway that traverses the South Shore of Staten Island, New York, USA from northwest to southeast. ... Image File history File links California_93. ... Below contains a list and summary of the entirely unconstructed California State Routes as outlined by the legislature in 1964. ... Official website: http://www. ...

Mass Transit

• Amtrak runs its San Joaquins line to Southern California and Capital Corridor line to Sacramento and San José through stations in Richmond, Martinez, and Antioch-Pittsburg.
• BART High speed commuter rail system, which functions as the Bay Area's metro system.
• AC Transit provides local service in West County in addition to western Alameda County, Transbay commuter service to San Francisco, BRT lines and the bulk of All Nighter service for the East Bay.
• County Connection provides local service in Central County and connecting service to Dublin and Pittsburg in addition to All Nighter service to Oakland.
• Tri-Delta Transit provides local bus service in East County and connecting regional service to Martinez, Livermore, and Stockton.
• WestCat provides local bus service in northern West County with connecting service to BART and transbay service to the city (San Francisco).
• Golden Gate Transit provides connecting transbay service between San Rafael and Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
• Vallejo Transit and Fairfield-Suisun transit provide regional feeder service to the BART in El Cerrito from Solano County.
• Benicia Transit provides commuter service between the Vallejo Ferry Terminal and BART in Concord through Benicia in Solano County.

Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... The San Joaquins refers to a train route operated by Amtrak California in Californias Central Valley. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... Amtrak California system map, with Capitol Corridor in Red The Capitol Corridor is a 172-mile (275 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in California. ... Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... City nickname: Capital of Silicon Valley Location within Santa Clara County, California Country   State     County United States   California     Santa Clara Mayor Ron Gonzales Area  - Land  - Water 178. ... A westbound BART train with aerodynamic design A car in downtown San Francisco. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... AC Transit (in full, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District) is a regional bus agency serving parts of Alameda County and Contra Costa County in the western coastal area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... BRT may mean: Be right there in Internet slang. ... East Bay Township, Michigan East Bay (California) is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area East Bay (Rhode Island) is a region of Rhode Island This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... County Connection (Central Contra Costa Transit Authority) is a public transit agency in and around Concord, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... All-Nighter Logo, with black and yellow owl and moon crescent mascot. ... Tri-Delta Transit, also known as the East Contra Costa Transportation Authority, is the mass transportation provider for the eastern area of Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... WestCat is a public transportation service in western Contra Costa County (outside Oakland, CA). ... Amtrak Platforms Island Parking Monthly Reserved, Daily (free), Extended Weekend and Long Term (BART) limited to 24 Hours (Amtrak) Bicycle facilities Two Lockers Other information Opened January 29, 1973 Accessible Code RIC (Amtrak) The remodeled station entry as viewed from Nevin Way in the Metro Walk Richmond Transit Village under... El Cerrito del Norte is one of two BART stations in El Cerrito, CA, just east of the Cutting Boulevard interchange of Interstate 80. ... The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is the northernmost of the east-west crossings of the San Francisco Bay in California, USA, connecting Richmond on the east to San Rafael on the west end. ... Vallejo Transit is a bus and ferry service in Solano County, California. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Benicia Breeze (formerly known as Benicia Transit) is a public transportation service in Solano County. ... Benicia is a waterside city in Solano County, California, United States. ...

Landmark of Mount Diablo

Main article: Mount Diablo

The most notable natural landmark in the county is 3,849' Mount Diablo, at the northerly end of the Diablo Range. Mount Diablo and its neighboring North Peak are the centerpiece of Mt. Diablo State Park (MDSP), created legislatively in 1921 and rededicated in 1931 after land acquisitions had been completed. At the time this comprised a very small portion of the mountain. In the 1960s the physical presence of the mountain was threatened with suburban development expanding from the surrounding valleys. In 1971, when MDSP included 6,788 acres (27.5 km²), the non-profit organization Mount Diablo, was formed and open space preservation accelerated. MDSP was the first of twenty-nine Diablo area parks and preserves created around the peaks, today totaling more than 89,000 acres (360 km²). These Diablo public lands stretch southeast and include the Concord Naval Weapons Station, Shell Ridge Open Space and Lime Ridge Open Spaces near Walnut Creek, to the State Park, and east to the Los Vaqueros Reservoir watershed and four surrounding East Bay Regional Park District preserves, including Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, Vasco Caves Regional Preserve, and Round Valley Regional Preserves. The new Cowell Ranch State Park, and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, are among the open spaces stretching back to the north. In this way the open spaces controlled by cities, the East Bay Regional Park District, Mount Diablo State Park, and various regional preserves now adjoin and protect most of the elevated regions of the mountain. Exceptions include some extensive development in the southwestern foothills in the upscale develompment of Blackhawk and some individual estates overlooking the Livermore Valley on Morgan Territory Road. Large scale development of remaining private parcels is severely restricted by a lack of water and the refusal of local public water utilities to provide water to higher elevations, largely due to excessive pumping costs. Mount Diablo State Park is a state park in California, USA. View of Mt. ... Mount Diablo State Park is a state park in Contra Costa County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, located south of the town of Clayton and northeast of Danville. ... Concord is a city located in Contra Costa County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 121,780. ... Morgan Territory is a region in California on the east side of Mount Diablo in the San Francisco East Bays Contra Costa County. ... Brushy Peak Regional Preserve is a regional park that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. ... Round Valley Regional Preserve is a regional park just outside of Antioch, CA and Brentwood, CA that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. ... The Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve is an area located in Contra Costa County, California under the administration of the East Bay Regional Parks District. ... Blackhawk is an unincorporated area located in Contra Costa County, California, east of Danville. ...

Mt. Diablo was the birthplace of the world according to Northern and Central California Indian tradition.

"At the dawn of time, Mount Diablo and Reed’s Peak were surrounded by water. From these two islands the creator Coyote and his assistant Eagle-man made Indian people and the world." (Ortiz)

The Naming of Mount Diablo: General Mariano G. Vallejo, in an 1850 report to the California State legislature, gives the much romanticized story of the derivation of the name of Mt. Diablo from its Spanish to Anglo form, related to the mountain and an evil spirit. Vallejo’s report could be interpreted to align with Gudde’s account: Various sources suggest that Spanish soldiers in 1805 (1806 is a discredited date) were pursuing native Americans as part of missionization, the natives took cover in a thicket (Monte) near Pacheco, and the Spaniards camped with the intention of rounding them up in the morning. During the night the natives escaped across the Carquinez Strait, an act only possible (according to the Spaniards) with the help of the Devil (Diablo). The thicket became known as ‘Monte del Diablo’, the name was later attached to Rancho Monte del Diablo, and Anglo settlers later misunderstood the use of the word ‘monte’ (which can mean ‘mountain’, or ‘thicket’), and fastened the name on the most obvious local landmark. (in part, Erwin G. Gudde, Kyle, and Ortiz) Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (7 July 1808 - 12 January 1890) was born at Monterey, California, entered the Monterey Presidial Academy in 1823. ...

The name Monte del Diablo ‘devil’s woods’ appears on the Plano topográfico de la Misión de San José about 1824, where there was an Indian rancheria perhaps near a thicket at the approximate site of the present town of Concord. {Pacheco} On Aug. 24, 1828, the name was applied to the Monte del Diablo land grant for which Salvio Pacheco had petitioned in 1827.

Mark Allen Cunningham's version of the story in his 2004 book, The Green Age of Asher Witherow, is considerably more lyrical: The Green Age of Asher Witherow is the debut novel of M. Allen Cunningham, published in 2004. ...

"On a boggy day in 1806 a detachment of Spanish soldiers apprehended a band of Bay Miwok Indians in a marsh at the foot of a solitary California mountain. Commanded to redeliver the natives to the stern grace of the mission they’d fled, the Spaniards detained them in a nearby thicket as night fell. A dun darkness came on, browning out the stars. The night grew quiet but for the din of crickets. Then at some deep and slippery hour the Miwoks vanished, turned to vapor and floated away in the mist, dematerialized as demons were known to do. The next morning the soldiers woke in a dawn steam thick enough to blank the big mountain from sight. They found themselves bereft of their errant mission-folk and turned round on their heels till their heads swam. Bedeviled as they were, they forswore the place Monte Del Diablo, Thicket of the Devil, and for years the name lingered like a fog over that marsh. Then when the English-speaking settlers arrived, the Spanish Monte was taken for Mountain and was thought to refer to the twin-shouldered mass looming nearby. So the mountain became Mount Diablo, made to bear an unholy namesake."

Mt. Diablo includes more than 600 plant species, including twelve that are endemic to the area; animal species including peregrine falcons and golden eagles, coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions; Native American, ranching era and Civilian Conservation Corps cultural artifacts; hundreds of miles of trails; California's initial survey point; deposits of coal and lime which allowed Gold Rush era California to expand construction and manufacturing; and spectacular views including one of the largest viewsheds in the world (but not the largest or second largest, as is often claimed.) CCC workers on road construction, Camp Euclid, Ohio 1936 The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work relief program for young men from unemployed families established on March 19, 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first hundred days. ...

Mt. Diablo is a double pyramid and resembles but is not a volcano. Here is a summary of its geology by local resident Cleet Carlton:

Mt. Diablo is a geologic anomaly located approximately 30 miles east of San Francisco. The upper portion of the Mountain is made up of volcanic and sedimentary deposits of what once was one or more Island Arcs of the Pacific Plate dating back to the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, between 190 and 90 Million Years ago. During this time, the Pacific Plate was subducting beneath the North American Continent and these deposits were scraped off the top and accreted onto the North American Plate. This resulted in the highly distorted and fractured Basalt and Serpentine of the Mt. Diablo Ophiolite and Metasediments of the Franciscan Complex around the summit. East of the subduction zone, a basin was filling with sediment from the ancestral Sierra further to the east. Up to 60,000 feet (18,000 m) of Sandstone, Mudstone, and Limestone of the Great Valley Sequence were deposited from 150 to 66 Million Years ago. These deposits are now found faulted against the Ophiolite and Franciscan deposits. Over the past 20 Million Years, continental deposits have been periodically laid down and subsequently jostled around by the newly-formed San Andreas Fault system, forming the Coast Ranges. Within the last 4 Million Years, local faulting has resulted in compression, folding, buckling, and erosion, bringing the various formations into their current juxtaposition. This faulting action is ongoing and will continue to change shape of Mt. Diablo, along with the rest of the Coast Ranges.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 948,816 people, 344,129 households, and 242,266 families residing in the county. The population density was 509/km² (1,318/mi²). There were 354,577 housing units at an average density of 190/km² (492/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.50% White, 9.36% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 10.96% Asian, 0.37% Pacific Islander, 8.06% from other races, and 5.13% from two or more races. 17.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 74.1% spoke English, 13.1% Spanish, 2.6% Tagalog and 1.8% Chinese or Mandarin as their first language. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The following is a list of sources used in the creation of encyclopedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Tagalog (pronunciation: ) is one of the major languages of the Republic of the Philippines. ... Standard Mandarin – also known as Standard Chinese or Standard spoken Chinese – is the official Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore. ...

By 2005 53.2% of Contra Costa County's population was non-Hispanic whites. African-Americans made up 9.6% of the population, while Asians constituted 13.1% of it. Latinos were now 21.1% of the county population.

In 2000 there were 344,129 households out of which 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23. This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ...

In the county the population was spread out with 26.50% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $63,675, and the median income for a family was $73,039. Males had a median income of $52,670 versus $38,630 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,615. About 5.40% of families and 7.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.80% of those under age 18 and 6.00% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Politics

Contra Costa county has become a Democratic stronghold, with even wealthy cities like Orinda and Walnut Creek voting Democratic in recent elections.

The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Presidential election results map. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The election was held on November 8, 1988. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

Museums and Historic sites

• Blackhawk Automotive Museum [1] (This site also contains a paleontological museum of the University of California, Berkeley)
• John Marsh House [2]
• Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site
• John Muir National Historic Site
• Lindsay Wildlife Museum
• Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe [3]
• Martinez Adobe
• San Ramon Valley Museum [4]
• Borges Ranch [5]

The Blackhawk Museum (founded 1988) is a museum in Blackhawk, California, best known for its significant collection of classic cars. ... Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, ancient; ontos, being; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Tao House in winter The Eugene ONeill National Historic Site, located in Danville, California, preserves Tao House, the hillside home of Americas only Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Eugene ONeill, where he and his wife lived from 1937 to 1944. ... John Muirs home in Martinez, California. ... Lindsay Wildlife Museum is a family museum and wildlife rehabilatation center in Walnut Creek, California. ...

Parks and related places

• Briones Regional Park [6]*
• Diablo Foothills [7]
• Howe Homestead Park [8]
• Mount Diablo State Park
• Las Trampas Regional Wilderness [9]*
• Shell Ridge Open Space [10]
• Lime Ridge Open Space [11]
• San Pablo Recreation Area (San Pablo Dam Reservoir) [12]
• Sugarloaf Open Space [13]
• Acalanes Open Space [14]

• Adjoining or nearby these parks are lands of the East Bay Municipal Utility District. These require special annual permits for hiking, bicycle riding and horse riding, available for a small fee. At least one member of a party traversing these areas must have such a permit.

Briones Regional Park: Old Briones Trail Briones Regional Park is a 5,756-acre park maintained and operated by the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD). ... Mount Diablo State Park is a state park in Contra Costa County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area, located south of the town of Clayton and northeast of Danville. ... Las Trampas Regional Wilderness is a regional park located in San Ramon, CA that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system. ... The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) provides water and sewage treatment for customers in Alameda County and portions of Contra Costa County in California, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay. ...

Trails

• Iron Horse Regional Trail
• California State Riding and Hiking Trail [15]
• Contra Costa Canal Regional Trail [16]
• Delta de Anza Regional Trail[17]
• Briones-Mount Diablo Regional Trail [18]
• Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail [19]
• Marsh Creek Trail [20]

A converted railroad bridge crosses Walnut Creek at the Concord-Pleasant Hill boundary The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a pedestrian and bicycle trail in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. ...

California Casino Proposals

Since 2003, four Indian gaming casinos have been proposed in Richmond, California and the surrounding area of West Contra Costa County. In 1987 the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that as sovereign political entities, Native American tribes could operate gaming facilities free of state regulation. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... Contra Costa County is a suburban county in Californias San Francisco Bay Area. ...

Proposals

• Hilltop Mall to be built on a 10 acre (40,000 m²) site.
• Lytton Rancheria at Casino San Pablo from the Scotts Valley band of the Pomo tribe and have 2,500 (originally 5,000) slot machines.
• Point Molate Casino Resort to have a luxury shopping mall, 1,100 room hotel/resort.
• North Richmond to be located on a 23 acre (93,000 m²) site and have a buffet.

Hilltop Mall Shopping Center is a mall in the Hilltop neighborhood of Richmond, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Scotts Valley is an elite suburb community of Santa Cruz located in central, Santa Cruz County, California. ... The Pomo people are a Native American people of Northern California. ... Slot machines in the Trump Taj Mahal A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English), or poker machine (Australian English) is a certain type of casino game. ... North Richmond also called Narf is an unincorporated area adjacent to Richmond, California. ...

External links

• Contra Costa County government information
• Contra Costa County Library
• Contra Costa County Office of Education - ROP
• ContraCostaMeansBusiness.com - Contra Costa County's Business Portal
• Contra Costa Countywide Youth Commission (CYC)
• Contra Costa County Historical Society

	v • d • e Municipalities and Communities of Contra Costa County, California County Seat: Martinez
Incorporated places	Antioch • Brentwood • Clayton • Concord • Danville • El Cerrito • Hercules • Lafayette • Martinez • Moraga • Oakley • Orinda • Pinole • Pittsburg • Pleasant Hill • Richmond • San Pablo • San Ramon • Walnut Creek Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 552 pixelsFull resolution (891 × 615 pixel, file size: 3 KiB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Richmond, California Contra Costa County, California... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... An incorporated place, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, is a type of governmental unit incorporated under state law as a city, town (except the New England states, New York, and Wisconsin), borough (except in Alaska and New York), or village and having legally prescribed limits, powers, and... Antioch is a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland located in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area along the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. ... Location of Brentwood in California Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Clayton is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Location of Concord in California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... El Cerrito is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Hercules is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... // Moraga Way view toward Moraga Road. ... Oakley is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Pinole is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Nickname: Location of Pittsburg within California Coordinates: Country United States State California County Contra Costa Area  - City  16. ... Pleasant Hill is a city located in Contra Costa County, California, in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... San Pablo is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ... San Ramon is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Walnut Creek is a regional business center and suburb several miles east of Oakland in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...
CDPs	Alamo • Bay Point • Bayview-Montalvin • Bethel Island • Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara • Byron • Clyde • Crockett • Diablo • Discovery Bay • East Richmond Heights • El Sobrante • Kensington • Knightsen • Mountain View • Pacheco • Port Costa • Rodeo • Rollingwood • Tara Hills • Vine Hill • Waldon A census-designated place (CDP) is an area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical reporting. ... Alamo is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Bay Point is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Bayview-Montalvin is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Bethel Island is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara is an unincorporated area located in Contra Costa County, California, near the town of Danville. ... Byron is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Clyde is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Crockett is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Diablo is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Discovery Bay is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... East Richmond Heights is a census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... El Sobrante is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Kensington is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area, in Contra Costa County, California. ... Knightsen is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... For the community near Palo Alto, California, in the Silicon Valley, see Mountain View, California. ... Pacheco is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Port Costa is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Rodeo (pronounced row DAY oh) is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Rollingwood is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Tara Hills is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Vine Hill is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Waldon is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ...
Unincorporated communities	Canyon • North Richmond • Selby • Tormey This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Canyon is a tiny unincorporated community located in Contra Costa County, California, in the East Bay Hills between Oakland and Moraga in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... North Richmond also called Narf is an unincorporated area adjacent to Richmond, California. ... Selby is an unincorporated village in Contra Costa County, California next to Rodeo. ... Tormey is an unincorporated village in Contra Costa County, California between Rodeo and Crockett on the edge of the Tosco refinery in Rodeo. ...

v • d • e San Francisco Bay Area
Counties	Alameda • Contra Costa • Marin • Napa • San Francisco • San Mateo • Santa Clara • Solano • Sonoma
Major cities	San Francisco • Oakland • San Jose
Cities and towns 100k-250k	Antioch • Berkeley • Concord • Daly City • Fairfield • Fremont • Hayward • Richmond • Santa Clara • Santa Rosa • Sunnyvale • Vallejo
Cities and towns 25k-99k	Alameda • Belmont • Benicia • Burlingame • Campbell • Castro Valley • Cupertino • Danville • Dublin • East Palo Alto • Foster City • Gilroy • Livermore • Los Altos • Los Gatos • Martinez • Menlo Park • Milpitas • Morgan Hill • Mountain View • Napa • Newark • Novato • Oakley • Pacifica • Palo Alto • Petaluma • Pittsburg • Pleasant Hill • Pleasanton • Redwood City • Rohnert Park • San Bruno • San Carlos • San Leandro • San Mateo • San Pablo • San Rafael • San Ramon • Saratoga • South San Francisco • Suisun City • Union City • Vacaville • Walnut Creek
Cities and towns 10k-25k	Alamo • Albany • Alum Rock • Ashland • Bay Point • Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara • Brentwood • Cherryland • Clayton • Dixon • El Cerrito • El Sobrante • Half Moon Bay • Healdsburg • Hercules • Hillsborough • Lafayette • Larkspur • Millbrae • Mill Valley • Moraga • North Fair Oaks • Orinda • Piedmont • Pinole • San Anselmo • San Lorenzo • Stanford • Tamalpais-Homestead Valley • Windsor

	v • d • e State of California Sacramento (capital)
Topics	Climate | Culture | Districts | Economy | Elections | Geography | Government | Early History | Modern History | Politics | Californians USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Official website: http://www. ... Marin County (pronounced mah-RIN) is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ... “Napa Valley” redirects here. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Official website: http://www. ... Santa Clara County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Sonoma County is on the north Pacific coast of California, in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. ... Download high resolution version (770x800, 98 KB)Bay Area Satellite MAP from USGS File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Nickname: Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Antioch is a suburb of San Francisco and Oakland located in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area along the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. ... Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northern California, in the United States. ... Location of Concord in California. ... Daly City is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States with a 2000 population of 103,621. ... The Welcome to Fairfield roadside sign Fairfield Courthouse Fairfield is a city located northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA. it is approximately 45 miles from both San Francisco and Sacramento. ... Fremont (IPA: ) is a city in California that was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles, and Warm Springs. ... Hayward is a city located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... Location of Santa Clara within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location of Santa Rosa, California Country United States State California County Sonoma Mayor Jane Bender Area    - City 104. ... Location of Sunnyvale within Santa Clara County, California. ... Vallejo (pronounced IPA: in English; in the original Spanish) is a city in Solano County, California, United States. ... Nickname: The Island City Location in the state of California and Alameda County County Alameda Mayor Beverly Johnson (D) Area    - City 59. ... Belmont is a city located in San Mateo County, California. ... Benicia is a waterside city in Solano County, California, United States. ... Location of Burlingame within San Mateo County Coordinates: Country United States of America State California County San Mateo Incorporated June 6, 1908 Government  - Mayor Terry Nagel  - City Manager Jim Nantell Area  - City  6. ... Campbell is a city located in Santa Clara County, California, part of Silicon Valley. ... Castro Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Alameda County, California, United States. ... Location of Cupertino within Santa Clara County, California. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The public library in Dublin Dublin is a city located in Alameda County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 29,973. ... East Palo Alto (often called EPA) is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. ... Foster City is an affluent planned city located in San Mateo County, California. ... Gilroy (IPA: ) is the southmost city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. According to the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 41,464. ... Livermore is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. ... Los Altos (IPA: ) is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. ... Martinez Court House, California Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, California. ... Menlo Park is a city in San Mateo County, California in the United States of America. ... Location of Milpitas within Santa Clara County, California. ... Morgan Hill (IPA: ) is a city located in the southern part of Santa Clara County, California, USA. Founded on November 10, 1906, the city was named after Hiram Morgan Hill, a San Franciscan who built a country retreat home here in 1884. ... Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. ... Napa is the county seat of Napa County, California. ... The city of Newark highlighted within Alameda County Newark is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. ... Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County. ... Oakley is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Aerial view of the Linda Mar (San Pedro Valley) neighborhood of Pacifica, Calfornia. ... Location of Palo Alto within Santa Clara County, California. ... Aerial view of Petaluma, California. ... Nickname: Location of Pittsburg within California Coordinates: Country United States State California County Contra Costa Area  - City  16. ... Pleasant Hill is a city located in Contra Costa County, California, in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Location of Pleasanton within Alameda County, California. ... Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. ... Rohnert Park is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States. ... The San Bruno police station next to the BART station at the Shops at Tanforan. ... Downtown San Carlos San Carlos, Spanish for Saint Charles of Borromeo, is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula. ... San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. ... San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... San Pablo is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ... San Rafael (IPA: ; originally IPA: ), is the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. ... San Ramon is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Saratoga (IPA: ) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... A Genentech-sponsored sign declaring South San Francisco to be the Birthplace of Biotechnology. ... Suisun City (pronounced suh SOON) is a city located in Solano County, California. ... The city of Union City highlighted within Alameda County For other places with this name, see Union City. ... Vaca Mountains during summer Vacaville, California is located in Solano County, California, United States, between Sacramento and San Francisco. ... Walnut Creek is a regional business center and suburb several miles east of Oakland in Contra Costa County, California, USA, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Alamo is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... The city of Albany highlighted within Alameda County Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. ... Alum Rock is a census-designated place and neighborhood of San Jose, California. ... Ashland is a census-designated place located in Alameda County, California. ... Bay Point is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara is an unincorporated area located in Contra Costa County, California, near the town of Danville. ... Location of Brentwood in California Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Cherryland is a census-designated place located in Alameda County, California. ... Clayton is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Dixon is a city located 30 miles from Sacramento, California, in Solano County. ... El Cerrito is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... El Sobrante is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,842 as of the 2000 census. ... Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,722. ... Hercules is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. ... Hillsborough is a town in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... Larkspur is a city located in Marin County, California. ... General view of Millbrae Millbrae is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. ... Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States. ... // Moraga Way view toward Moraga Road. ... North Fair Oaks is not actually a town, but a census-designated place and district for the purposes of the United States census in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County adjacent to Redwood City, Atherton, and Menlo Park. ... Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... The city of Piedmont highlighted within Alameda County Piedmont is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. ... Pinole is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... San Anselmo is a town located in Marin County, California, in the western United States. ... The location of San Lorenzo highlighted within Alameda County San Lorenzo is a census-designated place located in Alameda County, California, United States. ... Stanford is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Santa Clara County, California. ... Tamalpais-Homestead Valley is a census-designated place located in Marin County, California. ... Windsor is a town located in Sonoma County, California. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ... Greetings from California, vintage large-letter postcard. ... The culture of California is a Western culture and most clearly has its roots in the culture of the United States. ... There are several different types of districts in California. ... The number of elections in California varies by year. ... Californias Yosemite Valley. ... This article continues the history of California in the years 1900 and later; for events through 1899, see History of California to 1899. ... The recent and current politics of the U.S. state of California are complex and involve a number of entrenched interests. ... This is a partial list of well-known people from California. ...
Regions	Antelope Valley | Big Sur | Cascade Range | Central Coast | Central Valley | Channel Islands | Coachella Valley | Conejo Valley | Cucamonga Valley | Death Valley | East Bay (SF) | Eastern California | Emerald Triangle | Gold Country | Great Basin | Greater Los Angeles | Inland Empire | Lake Tahoe | Los Angeles Basin | Mojave | North Bay (SF) | North Coast | Northern California | Owens Valley | The Peninsula | Pomona Valley | Redwood Empire | Russian River | Sacramento Valley | San Francisco Bay Area | San Joaquin Valley | Santa Clarita Valley | Shasta Cascade | Sierra Nevada | Silicon Valley | South Bay (SF) | Southern California | Tech Coast | Tri‑Valley | Wine Country | Yosemite This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... A truck passes eastbound along the busy Highway 58 through the Antelope Valley. ... Map of Big Sur Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. ... Mount Jefferson in Oregon. ... The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, extending from Santa Cruz in the north to Santa Barbara in the south, but centering primarily on Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. ... The Central Valley of California Part of the Valley as seen from overhead A typical Central Valley scene at ground level The Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U.S. state of California. ... The Channel Islands of California, also called the Santa Barbara Islands, are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America. ... Coachella Valley The Coachella Valley is an irrigated agricultural and recreational desert valley in southern California east of Los Angeles. ... The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California. ... The Cucamonga Valley is a region between the Los Angeles and San Bernardino areas, in San Bernardino County and Riverside County, of California, USA. It is located east of the Pomona Valley and it is a major site of wine production. ... Death Valley is a valley in the U.S. state of California, and is the location of the lowest elevation in North America at -282 ft (86 m). ... A satellite image of the East Bay The East Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and is comprised of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. ... Eastern California is not a well-defined term. ... The Emerald Triangle is a collection of three counties in Northern California, consisting of Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity. ... Gold Country (also Mother Lode Country) is a region of northeastern California famed for the mines and mineral deposits which so famously brought the 49ers west for the California Gold Rush. ... Drainage map showing the Great Basin in orange Various Definitions of the Great Basin (NPS) The Great Basin is a large, arid region of the western United States. ... The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is the agglomeration of urbanized area around the city of Los Angeles, California. ... The Inland Empire and its regions within The Inland Empire refers to the region in Southern California located in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties in the United States. ... Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States, located along the border between California and Nevada at Lake Tahoes major bend west of Carson City. ... The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the peninsular and transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles. ... For the indigenous American tribe, see Mohave. ... The North Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States. ... The North Coast of the U.S. state of California is a mostly rural coastline on the Pacific Ocean stretching from the city of San Francisco to the border of Oregon characterized by cliffs, hills, and tide pools. ... Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Owens Valley is the arid ranching valley of the Owens River in southeastern California in the United States. ... USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... The Pomona Valley, a part of the Inland Empire (the Pomona Valley is its own georgraphical area, and should not be bundled in with the Inland Empire. ... The Redwood Empire (also Redwood Coast or North Coast) is a region of California that stretches from San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon coast. ... The Russian River downstream of Duncans Mills The Russian River rises in the coastal mountains of Mendocino County, north of Ukiah, in Northern California. ... The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. ... The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, north of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. ... The Sierra Nevada (Spanish for Snowy Range) is a mountain range that is almost entirely in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... A view of downtown San Jose, the self-proclaimed Capital of Silicon Valley. ... The South Bay is a subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States and is roughly synonymous with Silicon Valley and the Santa Clara Valley. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... Tech Coast is the nickname given to the Southern California region extending from Santa Barbara in the north to San Diego in the south. ... The Tri-Valley region of California is based around the San Francisco Bay Area cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and San Ramon in the three valleys from which it takes its name: Amador Valley, Livermore Valley and San Ramon Valley. ... Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain with background of the Mayacamas Mountains Wine Country is a region of Northern California in the United States that is known world-wide[1] as a premium wine-growing region since the mid-19th century. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-ee, IPA: ) is a national park located largely in Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, California, United States. ...
Metro areas	Bakersfield | Chico | El Centro | Fresno | Los Angeles–Long Beach–Glendale | Modesto | Merced | Napa | Oakland–Fremont–Hayward | Oxnard–Thousand Oaks–Ventura | Redding | Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario | Sacramento–Roseville | Salinas | San Diego–Carlsbad–San Marcos | San Francisco–San Mateo–Redwood City | San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara | Santa Ana–Anaheim–Irvine | Santa Barbara–Santa Maria | Santa Cruz–Watsonville | Santa Rosa–Petaluma | Stockton | Vallejo–Fairfield | Visalia–Porterville | Yuba City In the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas. ... Nickname: Location of Bakersfield, California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Kern County Founded 1869 Government  - Mayor Harvey Hall Area  - City  131 sq mi (339. ... Nickname: City of Roses, City of Trees Location of Chico in California Coordinates: Country State County United States California Butte Settled 1843 Founded 1860 Incorporated January 8, 1872 Government  - Mayor Andrew Holcombe  - City Council Scott Gruendl Steve Bertagna Larry Wahl Ann Schwab Mary Flynn Tom Nickell  - City Manager Greg Jones... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California County Fresno Government  - Mayor Alan Autry Area  - City 104. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Nickname: Location of Glendale within Los Angeles County and the State of California. ... Modesto is the county seat of Stanislaus County in the U.S. state of California. ... Merced (pronounced Mer-SED), is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. ... Napa is the county seat of Napa County, California. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Fremont (IPA: ) is a city in California that was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles, and Warm Springs. ... Hayward is a city located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County. ... Nickname: Location of Oxnard, California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Ventura County Government  - Mayor Dr. Thomas E. Holden Area  - City  36. ... Thousand Oaks is a city in Ventura County, California, in the United States. ... Coordinates: Country United States State California County Ventura Mayor Carl Morehouse Area    - City 84. ... Redding from space, April 1994 Redding (pop. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Riverside Government  - Mayor Ron Loveridge Area  - City  78. ... San Bernardino is the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States. ... Location of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California County Sacramento Government  - Mayor Heather Fargo Area  - City  99. ... Roseville is a city in Placer County, California, located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. ... Nickname: Americas Salad Bowl Location of Salinas, California Country United States State California County Monterey Government  - Mayor Dennis Donohue Area  - City 19 sq mi (49. ... Nickname: Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates: , Country United States State California County San Diego Founded July 16, 1769 Incorporated March 27, 1850 Government  - Mayor Jerry Sanders  - City Attorney Michael Aguirre  - City Council Scott Peters Kevin Faulconer Toni Atkins Tony Young Brian Maienschein Donna Frye Jim Madaffer... Location of Carlsbad within San Diego County, California. ... San Marcos is a city located in the northern portion of San Diego County, California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,977. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. ... Nickname: Location of San Jose within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location of Sunnyvale within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location of Santa Clara within Santa Clara County, California. ... Location of Santa Ana within Orange County, California. ... Location of Anaheim within Orange County, California Coordinates: Country United States State California County Orange Government  - Mayor Curt Pringle Area  - City  50. ... Location of Irvine within Orange County, California. ... Nickname: Santa Barbara is situated on the southward-facing coast at far right. ... Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County, California. ... Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. ... Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. ... Location of Santa Rosa, California Country United States State California County Sonoma Mayor Jane Bender Area    - City 104. ... Aerial view of Petaluma, California. ... Nickname: Motto: Stocktons Great, Take A Look! Location in the state of California Coordinates: Country United States State California County San Joaquin County Incorporated 1850 Government  - Mayor Edward J. Chavez  - City Manager J. Gordon Palmer, Jr. ... Vallejo (pronounced IPA: in English; in the original Spanish) is a city in Solano County, California, United States. ... The Welcome to Fairfield roadside sign Fairfield Courthouse Fairfield is a city located northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, USA. it is approximately 45 miles from both San Francisco and Sacramento. ... Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately 230 miles southeast of San Francisco and 190 miles north of Los Angeles. ... Porterville is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. ... Town Square located in downtown Yuba City. ...
Counties	Alameda | Alpine | Amador | Butte | Calaveras | Colusa | Contra Costa | Del Norte | El Dorado | Fresno | Glenn | Humboldt | Imperial | Inyo | Kern | Kings | Lake | Lassen | Los Angeles | Madera | Marin | Mariposa | Mendocino | Merced | Modoc | Mono | Monterey | Napa | Nevada | Orange | Placer | Plumas | Riverside | Sacramento | San Benito | San Bernardino | San Diego | San Francisco | San Joaquin | San Luis Obispo | San Mateo | Santa Barbara | Santa Clara | Santa Cruz | Shasta | Sierra | Siskiyou | Solano | Sonoma | Stanislaus | Sutter | Tehama | Trinity | Tulare | Tuolumne | Ventura | Yolo | Yuba The U.S. state of California is divided into 58 counties. ... Official website: http://www. ... Alpine County is the smallest county, by population, in the U.S. state of California. ... jay is gay Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. ... Butte County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of state capital Sacramento. ... Calaveras County is a county located in Californias Gold Country. ... Colusa County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, northwest of Sacramento. ... Del Norte County is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of California, located on the Pacific coast south of Oregon. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1850 Seat Placerville Area  - Total  - Water 4,631 km² (1,788 mi²) 200 km² (77 mi²) 4. ... Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. ... Glenn County is a county located in the California Central Valley north of Sacramento County. ... Humboldt County is a county located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific Ocean. ... Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, and borders both Arizona and Mexico. ... Inyo County is a county located in east-central California, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite National Park. ... Kern County is a county located in the southern Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. ... Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, southeast of Fresno County. ... Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Los Angeles County is a county in California and is the most populous county in the United States. ... Madera County is a county of California, located in the Central Valley north of Fresno County. ... Marin County (pronounced mah-RIN) is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ... Mariposa County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. ... Islands off Mendocino A Beach in the City of Elk Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma County and west of the Central Valley. ... Merced County is a county located in Californias Central Valley, north of Fresno and southeast of San Jose. ... Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California, bounded by the state of Oregon to the north and the state of Nevada to the east. ... Mono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. ... Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. ... “Napa Valley” redirects here. ... Nevada County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada, in the Mother Lode country. ... Cities in Orange County Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. ... Placer County is a county located in California, USAs Sierra Nevada, in the Gold Country. ... Plumas County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ... Sacramento County is a county of the U.S. state of California. ... San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. ... San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, containing more land than each of nine states. ... San Diego County is a county located on the Pacific Ocean in the far southwest of the U.S. state of California, along its border with Mexico. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... San Luis Obispo County is a county located on the central Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. ... Official website: http://www. ... Santa Barbara County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, just west of Ventura County. ... Santa Clara County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. ... Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area, it forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. ... Shasta County is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, in the Cascade Mountains. ... Sierra County is a county located in Californias Sierra Nevada, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada. ... Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. ... Solano County is a county located in central part of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. ... Sonoma County is on the north Pacific coast of California, in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. ... Stanislaus County is a county located in Californias California Central Valley, between Stockton and Fresno. ... Sutter County is a county located along the Sacramento River in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, north of state capital Sacramento. ... Tehama County (pronounced teh-HAY-muh) is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. ... Trinity County is a county located in northwestern California, along the Trinity River and among the Klamath Mountains. ... Tulare County is a county located in U.S. state of Californias Central Valley, south of Fresno. ... Tuolumne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Californias Sierra Nevada. ... Ventura County . ... Yolo County is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, bordered by the counties of Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter. ... Yuba County is located in the U.S. state of Californias Central Valley, north of Sacramento, along the Feather River. ...

Coordinates: 37°56′N 121°57′W / 37.93, -121.95 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...