Richmond, CA

Richmond, California

Introduction to Richmond, California

Richmond is the 58th largest city in California. It is located within Contra Costa County. Richmond lies 12 miles northeast of San Francisco, although it is 16 miles over the roads. The two cities are separated by San Francisco Bay. Richmond lies along Interstate 80. It is also at the eastern end of Interstate 580, which connects it by bridge with San Rafael, a city that lies just 10 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The city is served by two major airports and one with limited scheduled passenger service. All are within 28 miles of the city. Several bus lines provide service. A combined railway station provides access to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit District) and AMTRAK, which provides inter city passenger rail service across the United States. The city's deep water shipping port is the third largest in California as measured by annual tonnage

Esselen Indians lived in the area about 5,000 years ago until the Ohlone Indians displaced them some time before 500 A.D. In 1823 Mexico granted 17,000 acres of land in present day Contra Costa County to Don Francisco Castro. Part of this land grant, named Rancho San Pablo, became the city of Richmond. As with other Californian Ranchos which gave birth to cities, San Pablo was first used for agricultural on a grand scale. It then evolved into commercial, industrial, and residential use as it was divided into ever smaller parcels of land.

By 1900 the Santa Fe Railroad had established its western terminus in Richmond. This was a convenient location because passengers traveling to San Francisco from the east could simply board a ferry for the final leg across San Francisco Bay. This saved the expense of constructing tracks all the way around the bay. The railroad attracted other activity, and soon the Standard Oil Company (now called Chevron), Stauffer Chemical, Pullman Palace Car, and others built industrial facilities here. The dredging of a deep water harbor in the 1920's was instrumental in attracting the Ford Motor Assembly Plant in 1931.

World War II brought a massive shipbuilding effort at the Kaiser Shipyards and a four fold population increase from 1941 to 1943. After the shipyard closed in 1945, a population decrease of 30% occurred between 1947 and 1960. Vacant space was filled to a large extent by warehousing and distribution operations, for example those of Ford Parts Depot, International Harvester, Safeway, and United Grocers.

In a story familiar to many cities, Richmond's downtown has lost economic vitality to the Hilltop Mall Regional Shopping Center. But like many cities, the industrial decline at the waterfront has given birth to a mixed use area with the unmatchable attraction of the water's edge. As part of the Harbour Redevelopment Project, begun in the mid 1970's, a 350 acre master-planned Marina Bay development has risen on the site of the wartime shipbuilding industry. When completed it will consist of 2,100 homes, two thirds of a million square feet of commercial space, a marina for 1,500 pleasure boats, parks, lagoons, and promenades.

Arts and Leisure

Four of Richmond's main Cultural organizations are:

• The Richmond Art Center which contains 5,000 square feet of gallery space and a courtyard for sculpture. Its educational and outreach programs have included artist studio tours and a large community mural project involving 30 organizations.
• The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts (EBCPA) which was founded in 1968 under the name of the East Bay Music Center. It was begun by five area teachers as a response to the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and the violence that followed. Since then it has expanded by adding dance, theater, and film making. Original works for theatrical and film, produced by its staff and students, total more than 42.
• The Richmond Museum of History presents the prehistoric and modern stories which one would normally expect of a local museum. But its highlight is the last surviving Victory Ship from World War II, which was built in 1944 at the Kaiser Shipyards, and which is currently being restored.
• The Masquer's is a community Playhouse which celebrated it's 50th anniversary in 2005. The main season consists of at least five productions each year, both musicals and plays. A special program is dedicated to less mainstream productions.

Recreation

The city sponsors adult, youth, and senior activities at a dozen locations. Adult activities include fitness, aerobics, softball, volleyball, and water sports. The youth programs include soccer, tennis, baseball, volleyball, water sports, and martial arts.

Richmond continues to build and maintain its section of the Bay Trail, a 400-500 mile hiking trail encircling the San Pablo and San Francisco Bays. The city has the most trail distance of any city along the route.

High Points

Richmond strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in California):

Category	Trophy
Public Transportation Use (vs. Peers)	Top 5%
Racial Diversity (vs. Peers)	Top 5%

Comparative Profile of Richmond, CA

Comparing Richmond to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Racial Diversity
Children Under 5 Years Old
Well-Paid Single Women
Male Share of the Population
Well-Paid Single Men
Female Share of the Population
Age of the Population
Senior Citizens

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income
People in Middle Class or Better
People Above Poverty

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Public Transportation Use
Walking and Biking to Work
Working at Home
Short Commute Times

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Affordability of Property Taxes
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
People Living Alone
Affordability of Rents
Housing Recently Built

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Property Crime
Low Violent Crime

Richmond Almanac

Richmond Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Richmond Public Libraries

More Information for Librarians

Richmond Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Political Contributions (2004)

Money donated by Richmond residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.

by Political Party

by Presidential Candidate

Neighborhood and Nearby Area Names

According to the US Postal Service, Richmond, its neighborhoods, and/or surrounding areas are also referred to as:

Note that not all alternate names are acceptable for use in US Post Office addresses.

Nearby Cities and Towns

Starbucks in Richmond

Richmond High Schools (2004)

RICHMOND HIGH
1250 23RD ST.
510-237-8770
A Title I school.
Serves 1,814 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 22.2

DE ANZA SENIOR HIGH
5000 VALLEY VIEW ROAD
510-223-3811
Serves 1,424 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 23

KENNEDY HIGH
4300 CUTTING BLVD.
510-235-2291
A Title I school.
Serves 1,003 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 21.5

LEADERSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS: RICHMOND
715 CHANSLOR AVENUE
510-235-4522
A charter school.
Serves 142 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 31.6

GOMPERS (SAMUEL) CONTINUATION
157 NINTH ST.
510-234-1172
A Non-traditional School
A Title I school.
Serves 115 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 11.3

KAPPA CONTINUATION HIGH
4300 CUTTING BLVD.
510-234-0281
A Non-traditional School
A Title I school.
Serves 97 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 24.3

OMEGA CONTINUATION HIGH
1250 23RD ST.
510-215-3348
A Non-traditional School
A Title I school.
Serves 84 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 42

DELTA CONTINUATION HIGH
5000 VALLEY VIEW ROAD
510-758-7550
A Non-traditional School
Serves 72 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 24

Richmond Colleges

(List of All California Colleges)

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