Overview

Introduction to El Cerrito, California

El Cerrito, California, in Contra Costa County, is 2 miles SE of Richmond, California (center to center) and 8 miles N of Oakland, California. Part of the surrounding Oakland metro area, the city is not isolated.

El Cerrito History

Originally, the city that is now known as El Cerrito, had a ranch owned by Luís María Peralta’s family called the Don Victór Castro's Rancho San Pablo. Refugees from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake settled here, and called their camp Rust. This later became a village which was eventually incorporated in 1917. It was initially christened "Rust" after the founder, a German immigrant named Wilhelm F. Rust. The name was later changed to El Cerrito.

El Cerrito and nearby Attractions

  • El Cerrito Branch Contra Costa County Library.
  • El Cerrito City Hall.
  • El Cerrito Plaza Station.
  • Contra Costa Civic Theatre.
  • Mira Vista Country Club.
  • Fairmont Park.

Things To Do In El Cerrito

The city has a number of popular tourist attractions like the county library, the city hall, the civic theatre and the memorial building. The San Pablo Avenue and Fairmount Avenue are lined with commercial and shopping businesses. The Cerrito Theater, which was formerly a furniture shop, has been restored into a hybrid restaurant/movie theatre which is now very popular destination in the Bay Area. The city has an array of amusement parks like the Huber Park, the Cerrito Vista Park, the Fairmont Park and the Arlington Park that provide a host of recreational facilities for one to enjoy with family and friends. There are a number of churches around the city and visitors can also browse through the shops in the various shopping centers.

El Cerrito Transportation

Air transportation is available from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport.

El Cerrito Higher Education

The city is served by Contra Costa College.

Demographics

People

Total Population25,203
Male Share of the Population46.8%
Female Share of the Population53.2%
Senior Citizens19.3%
Employed Population 16+12,579
Age of the Population42

Families

% of people married56.2%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher50.8%
Median Earnings25+$54,250
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$22,035
Median Earnings With High School Degree$30,750

Wealth

Median Family Income$117,776
% Above Poverty Level91.8%
% Below Poverty Level8.2%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time34 minutes
% Working from Home10.6%
% Walking and Biking to Work3.1%
% Using Public Transportation26.2%

Housing

People Living Alone24.3%
Median Gross Rent$1,797
Median House Value$744,600

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)47.5%
German9.4%
English9.3%
Irish9.1%
Italian5.1%
Russian2.6%
French Except Basque2.4%
Scottish2.3%
Polish2.2%
Swedish2%
Arab1.7%
Iranian1.6%
Norwegian1.4%
Portuguese1.4%
Dutch1.1%
African1%
Hungarian0.8%
Welsh0.7%
Danishn0.7%
Romanian0.6%
Egyptian0.5%
Greek0.5%
Nigerian0.5%
Austrian0.5%
Finnish0.5%
Lithuanian0.4%
Brazilian0.4%
Canadian0.4%
Lebanese0.3%
Palestinian0.3%
Moroccan0.3%
Ukrainian0.3%
Turkish0.3%
Swiss0.3%
US/American0.2%
Slovak0.2%
Latvian0.2%
Czech0.2%
West Indian0.2%
Basque0.2%
Jamaican0.1%
Syrian0.1%
Croatian0.1%
Icelander0.1%
Belgian0.1%
Israeli0.1%
Ghanaian0.1%
+ Show More

El Cerrito Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyContra Costa County
Standard Zip Codes94530
Phone Area Codes
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude37.91
Approximate Longitude-122.3

El Cerrito Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

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

StationBERKELEY
Distance4.2 miles
Jan Temp44 to 56 F
Apr Temp49 to 64 F
Jul Temp55 to 70 F
Oct Temp54 to 70 F
Annual Precip25.4 inches
StationOAKLAND MUSEUM
Distance8.4 miles
Jan Temp45 to 57 F
Apr Temp51 to 66 F
Jul Temp57 to 73 F
Oct Temp55 to 72 F
Annual Precip22.9 inches
StationUPPER SAN LEANDRO FLTR
Distance13 miles
Jan Temp42 to 58 F
Apr Temp46 to 67 F
Jul Temp54 to 75 F
Oct Temp52 to 73 F
Annual Precip26.3 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Albany19,758$101,302
Berkeley120,926$134,708
Emeryville11,724$123,779
Pinole19,264$101,813
Richmond109,340$69,909
San Pablo30,839$54,747

El Cerrito Public Schools

Cameron
7140 Gladys Ave.
ZIP: 94530
El Cerrito Senior High
540 Ashbury Ave.
ZIP: 94530
High
Total Enrollment 1364
Fairmont Elementary
724 Kearney St.
ZIP: 94530
Primary
Total Enrollment 569
Fred T. Korematsu Middle
1021 Navellier St.
ZIP: 94530
Middle
Total Enrollment 539
Harding Elementary
7230 Fairmont Ave.
ZIP: 94530
Primary
Total Enrollment 367
Madera Elementary
8500 Madera Dr.
ZIP: 94530
Primary
Total Enrollment 519
Summit Public School K2
1800 Elm St.
ZIP: 94530
High
Total Enrollment 125

El Cerrito Private Schools

Montessori Family School
7075 Cutting Blvd
ZIP: 94530
Elementary
Total Enrollment 109
Montessori Family School-scenic
7075 Cutting Blvd
ZIP: 94530
Elementary
Total Enrollment 106
Prospect Sierra School
960 Avis Dr
ZIP: 94530
Elementary
Total Enrollment 480
St Jerome Catholic School
320 San Carlos Ave
ZIP: 94530
Elementary
Total Enrollment 161
St John The Baptist
11156 San Pablo Ave
ZIP: 94530
Elementary
Total Enrollment 230
Tehiyah Day School
2603 Tassajara Ave
ZIP: 94530
Elementary
Total Enrollment 237
Windrush School
1800 Elm St
ZIP: 94530
Elementary
Total Enrollment 165
Sources :
Our Partner Listings
Additional Resources
Info for El Cerrito Government Officials


Are you an official in the El Cerrito government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.