It is rich in waterways, including the
Carquinez Strait and the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta; in prime farming
areas near Brentwood; in ports at Richmond
and along the Delta; in industries,
including three major oil refineries; in upscale
shopping areas surrounding Concord
and Walnut Creek; and in affluent
suburbs and office centers lining the San
Ramon Valley and Highway 24.
People can find Contra Costa County by looking to its geographic centerpiece, Mount Diablo, which towers nearly 4,000 feet above the Bay Area and provides about 1,800 acres of state park lands for residents and visitors.
Residents have been attracted by the county’s mild climate, quiet suburban lifestyle and wide open country. However, popularity is beginning to weigh heavy on these amenities, causing county leaders in the 1990s to institute tough growth control standards.
Thousands of years ago, American Indians such as the Ohlone roamed Contra Costa’s 468,500 acres. The Spanish began settling the area after Lt. Pedro Fages and Father Juan Crespi led the first expeditions through the region in the early 1770s.
By the 1840s, the area was populated with Mexican rancheros. The 1849 Gold Rush brought many new inhabitants to Contra Costa, which became one of California’s original 27 counties Feb. 18, 1850. Three years later, Alameda County was carved out of the southern portion of the county.
The oldest township, Martinez, became the county seat.
The next town to spring up was Alamo, which for many years had the only post office between Martinez and Fremont.
Through the years, 18 cities have sprung up, including late bloomers such as Danville, which incorporated in 1982, after more than a century of existence, and San Ramon, which became a city in 1983. Other communities in the San Ramon Valley, such as Alamo and Diablo, have shunned cityhood, preferring to remain rural enclaves.
Closer to San Francisco Bay, urban Richmond and San Pablo are home to industry and a diverse population of more than 130,000. El Cerrito and Kensington, primarily bedroom communities, offer hillside vistas and quiet neighborhoods.
Further up, San Pablo Bay, Hercules, Pinole and Rodeo still retain their small-town charms, despite increasing growth brought by city-bound commuters on ever-busy Interstate 80.
Further up the Carquinez Strait, both Crockett and Port Costa have the feel of 9th century villages, while Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood, on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, struggle with the challenges that come with explosive growth.