Introduction to Pittsburg, California
Located at the junction of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers is the California city of Pittsburg. Part of Contra Costa County, the city is serviced by California State Highway 4 and is easily accessible to State Highway 242 and Interstate I-680. Pittsburg is situated 40 miles northeast of San Francisco and 75 miles southwest of the California state capital of Sacramento.
In its early 19th-century history, Pittsburg went by many different names. Originally called New York of the Pacific, the area soon became known as New York Landing and was renamed Black Diamond following the discovery of coal in the area in 1903. The 1906 arrival of Columbia Geneva Steel prompted the final name change to Pittsburg, in honor of the eastern birthplace of the steel industry (the final "H" was removed to simplify the spelling). A significant event impacting the city's growth occurred in 1942 with the opening of Camp Stoneman, departure point for thousands of GIs who went to fight in the Pacific operations during World War II. Pittsburg today has grown into a multi-faceted city with landscaped parks, recreational facilities, shopping centers, affordable housing and planned business and commercial development, including plans for a new Marina under development along the city's riverfront.
Attractions in and around Pittsburg
The crown jewel of Pittsburg's attractions is its annual Seafood Festival. Held every September, the festival features a number of different activities, including an air show, powerboat races, continuous musical entertainment and the California Cuisine Pavilion; a showcase of the talents of local chefs from Contra Costa County. Demonstrations on the preparation of delicious gourmet seafood dishes are followed by samplings of seafoods from local vendors. Other nearby Contra Costa County attractions include the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds (Antioch), Mt Diablo State Park (Clayton) and Blackhawk Automotive Museum (Danville).
