Concord is the largest city in
Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months. The city is a major regional suburban
East BayThe East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
center within the San Francisco Bay Area, and is located just 31 miles (50 km) east of San Francisco.
Geography
Concord is located at 37°58′41"N 122°01′52"W. In terms of travelling distance on the ground, it is 29 miles (47 km) northeast of
San FranciscoSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, 22 miles (35 km) northeast from
OaklandOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, 65 miles (105 km) southwest of
SacramentoSacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, and 51 miles (82 km) north of
San JoseSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 30.5 square miles (79 km²), all of it land.
The focal point of downtown Concord is Todos Santos Plaza, which encompasses an entire city block and is known for its farmers market, free summer concerts, and large number of surrounding restaurants. Much of the area immediately around downtown has recently been redeveloped, with new high-density apartment and condominium projects to take advantage of the close proximity to public transportation and the vibrant area surrounding the park. Despite this, some crime and homelessness remain issues in the downtown area.
To the north and east of downtown is the older residential area of Concord, with many homes dating back to before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In the far northern edge of town is a primarily industrial area, dominated by the
TesoroTesoro Corporation is a Fortune 100 and a Fortune Global 500 company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with 2008 annual revenues of $28.3 billion, and approximately 5,600 employees....
Golden Eagle refinery (which is actually not located within city limits). The southeastern area of the city, centered along Clayton Road, is primarily residential and was mostly developed in the 1960s and 1970s. In the southwest area of the city is the primarily
LatinoThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
neighborhood known as Four Corners, centered around the intersection of Monument Boulevard and Oak Grove Road.
Concord is bordered on the west by
Pleasant HillPleasant Hill is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 33,152 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1961...
and the
unincorporatedIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community of
Pacheco, on the south by
Walnut CreekWalnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
, on the southeast by
ClaytonClayton is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 10,897 as of the 2010 census.- Geography :...
, on the northeast by
PittsburgPittsburg is a city located in eastern Contra Costa County, California, the outer portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 63,264 at the 2010 census....
and the unincorporated community of
Bay PointBay Point, formerly West Pittsburg, is a suburb and census-designated place located in eastern Contra Costa County, California, just west of the city of Pittsburg and northeast over a low range of hills from Concord...
, and on the north by the unincorporated community of
ClydeClyde is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 678 at the 2010 census. It is located east of Martinez.-Geography:...
. Though it shares no border with Concord,
MartinezMartinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings...
(the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
) is located almost immediately adjacent to Concord on the northwest.
Climate
Official data from the
National Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
cooperative station in Concord shows average January temperatures are a maximum of 57.2°F and a minimum of 41.6°F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 87.8°F and a minimum of 58.2°F. There are an average of 45.0 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and 3.8 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The highest recorded temperature was 110°F on July 23, 2006. The lowest record temperature was 24°F on December 23, 1998.
Average annual precipitation is 18.31 inches, falling on an average of 57 days annually. The wettest year was 1995 with 26.62 inches and driest year was 2007 with 10.57 inches. The most rainfall in one month was 11.79 inches in December 2005, which included the 24-hour maximum rainfall of 3.95 inches on December 31.
History
The valleys north of Mount Diablo were inhabited by the
MiwokMiwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
people, who hunted
elkThe Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
and fished in the numerous streams flowing from the mountain into the
San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. In 1772 Spanish explorers began to cross the area, but did not settle here. In 1834 the Mexican land grant
Rancho Monte del DiabloRancho Monte del Diablo was a Mexican land grant in present day Contra Costa County, California given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to Salvio Pacheco. The name "Monte del Diablo" means "thicket of the devil" in Spanish. The name was later incorrectly translated as Mount Diablo...
at the base of Mount Diablo was granted to Salvio Pacheco (for whom the nearby town of
Pacheco is named).
Concord was founded under the name of Todos Santos ("all saints"; a name still borne by the central city plaza and park between Willow Pass Road and Salvio Street), on the initiative of Pacheco in 1869. It achieved prominence in the 19th century as a result of most residents of
Pacheco relocating to Concord to avoid the devastation of fire and flood which crippled Pacheco's formerly booming economy. Concord was
incorporated-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
on February 5, 1905.
The area around Concord in the surrounding Ygnacio and Clayton Valleys was a large agricultural area. Crops that were grown included grapes, walnuts, wheat, hay, and even tomatoes. The area to the east (site of the Concord Naval Weapons Station) was the site of a few enormous wheat ranches over 5000 acres (20 km²), and was almost a sea of wheat all the way to the marshes bordering
Suisun BaySuisun Bay is a shallow tidal estuary at in northern California, USA. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, forming the entrance to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an inverted river delta...
. During
ProhibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, many vineyards were removed and replaced with walnut orchards. The town of Cowell now incorporated into Concord, produced cement.
The first Concord post office opened in 1872.
Port Chicago disaster
The munitions on board a
NavyThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cargo ship exploded while being loaded during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, resulting in the largest number of casualties among
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s in any one incident during that war. On the evening of July 17, 1944 a massive explosion instantly killed 320 sailors, merchant seamen and civilians working at the pier. The blast was felt 30 miles away. A subsequent refusal by 258 black sailors to load any more ammunition was the beginning of the Navy's largest-ever mutiny trial in which 50 men were found guilty. Future Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
sat in on most of the proceedings and declared that he saw a prejudiced court.
Sunvalley Mall plane crash
On the evening of December 23, 1985, two days before
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, a twin-engine
Beechcraft Baron|-See also:- Further reading :*Harding, Stephen. U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Shrewsbury, UK:Airlife Publishing, 1990. ISBN 1-85310-102-8.*Michell, Simon. Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0-7106-1208-7.*Taylor, John W. R....
, executed a missed instrument approach procedure from an approach to runway 19R of
Buchanan AirportFor the other uses, see Concord Airport .Buchanan Field Airport is located in Concord and Pacheco, California, USA, 27 nautical miles northeast of San Francisco International Airport, in Contra Costa County...
. The airport had been closed a few hours earlier due to thick fog. F.A.A. regulations require a "missed approach" be declared if the pilot cannot visually see the runway from .25 miles (about .40 kilometers) from the end of the runway in instrument conditions (when the pilot cannot see the ground). The pilot, a student flying with an instructor, continued the approach a few hundred feet over the runway in the hope of finding a hole in the fog (It is common to find the fog a little thinner farther from the water). After failing to see the runway he began the missed approach, which included a left turn over what would have been empty ground had it been done at the proper place. However he was about a mile farther down the runway and the turn now carried him into the
Sunvalley MallSunvalley Mall is a regional shopping center located in Concord, California . Sunvalley opened in August 1967 with Sears, JCPenney and Macy's as anchor tenants...
. The plane struck the roof of the building killing the pilot and two passengers and seriously injuring 84 Christmas shoppers in the crowded mall below, mainly by spraying them with burning fuel. Four of the victims on the ground later died from their injuries. The accident brought increased local opposition to the airport, and caused
Pacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
to delay scheduled passenger service that had been planned for the new year.
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Concord had a population of 122,067. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,996.2 people per square mile (1,542.9/km²). The racial makeup of Concord was 78,767 (64.5%) White, 4,371 (3.6%) African American, 852 (0.7%) Native American, 13,538 (11.1%) Asian (4.4% Filipino, 2.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian, 0.7% Vietnamese, 0.6% Japanese, 0.6% Korean, 1.2% Other), 816 (0.7%) Pacific Islander, 15,969 (13.1%) from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 7,754 (6.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37,311 persons (30.6%).
The Census reported that 121,020 people (99.1% of the population) lived in households, 512 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 535 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 44,278 households, out of which 15,421 (34.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21,725 (49.1%) were
opposite-sex married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5,642 (12.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,707 (6.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,952 (6.7%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnershipsPOSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 512 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,406 households (23.5%) were made up of individuals and 3,625 (8.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73. There were 30,074
familiesA family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(67.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.22.
The population was spread out with 28,000 people (22.9%) under the age of 18, 10,946 people (9.0%) aged 18 to 24, 35,834 people (29.4%) aged 25 to 44, 32,903 people (27.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 14,384 people (11.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
There were 47,125 housing units at an average density of 1,542.8 per square mile (595.7/km²), of which 27,069 (61.1%) were owner-occupied, and 17,209 (38.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 71,004 people (58.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 50,016 people (41.0%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 121,780 people, 44,020 households, and 30,329 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,041.0 people per square mile (1,560.0/km²). There were 45,083 housing units at an average density of 1,496.0/sq mi (577.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 70.71% White, 3.04% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 9.39% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 9.65% from other races, and 5.94% from two or more races. 21.81% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 44,020 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the age of the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.
The median
incomeIncome is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $55,597, and the median income for a family was $62,093. Males had a median income of $45,734 versus $34,860 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $24,727. About 5.2% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
At the 2008 Ancestry was:
- German
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
12.0%
- Irish
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
8.8%
- English
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
8.3%
- Italian 6.9%
- American
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
4.0%
- French
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
2.8%
- Polish
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
2.0%
- Portuguese
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
1.9%
- Russian
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
1.7%
- Scottish
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
1.7%
- Scottish-Irish 1.5%
- Dutch
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
1.4%
- Norwegian
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
1.4%
- Swedish 1.4%
- Welsh
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
0.9%
Politics
In the
state legislatureThe California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Concord is located in the 7th
SenateThe California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Mark DeSaulnierMark James DeSaulnier is an American politician and a Democratic member of the California Legislature representing California's 7th State Senate district since December 2008. From 2006 to 2008, DeSaulnier represented California's 11th State Assembly district...
, and in the 11th
AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat
Susan BonillaSusan Bonilla is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. She is a Democrat representing the 11th district, encompassing parts of Contra Costa County...
. Federally, Concord is located in part
California's 7th congressional districtCalifornia's 7th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California that covers half of Contra Costa County and part of Solano County...
, which has a
Cook PVIThe Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +19 and is represented by Democrat George Miller The rest is part of the
10th Congressional DistrictCalifornia's 10th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California in the East San Francisco Bay Area region of Northern California....
formerly represented by Democrat
John GaramendiJohn Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...
, who was recently elected on November 3, 2009.
Economy
Concord has been primarily a bedroom community for San Francisco and Oakland over the last forty years, but during the last decades, jobs within the city have increased. Corporations with strong
Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
regional ties, such as
ChevronChevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
and
Bank of AmericaBank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, have established extensive back-office operations there, diversifying the local economy. Concord also has a strong retail sector including the
Sunvalley MallSunvalley Mall is a regional shopping center located in Concord, California . Sunvalley opened in August 1967 with Sears, JCPenney and Macy's as anchor tenants...
, one of the 50 largest malls in the USA, auto dealerships,
CostcoCostco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
, and
Fry's ElectronicsFry's Electronics is a big-box store and retailer of software, consumer electronics, computer hardware, with in store computer repair and custom computer building services and household appliances with a chain of superstores headquartered in Silicon Valley...
. Prior to its dissolution,
AtrivoAtrivo, also known as InterCage, was a Concord, California, United States-based website hosting provider.The Russian Business Network, a criminal organization, had used Atrivo servers. In August 2008, HostExploit, a web security blog, issued a report stating that Atrivo deliberately allowed cyber...
was headquartered in Concord.
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
| # |
Employer |
# of Employees |
| 1 |
Mt. Diablo Unified School District |
4,320 |
| 2 |
Bank of America Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
|
3,100 |
| 3 |
Wells FargoWells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
Credit Center |
1,500 |
| 4 |
John Muir Health John Muir Health is a health care service headquartered in Walnut Creek, California and serving Contra Costa County, California and surrounding communities. It was formed in 1997 from the merger of John Muir Medical Center and Mt...
|
1,500 |
| 5 |
Chevron Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
Credit Center |
1,396 |
| 6 |
BEISchneider Electric is a French global company. It was founded in 1836 by two brothers, Eugène and Adolphe Schneider.In the first part of the 20th century, Schneider et Cie associated itself with Westinghouse Systems, a major international electrical group at the time. The group began manufacturing...
|
666 |
| 7 |
ComcastComcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
|
614 |
| 8 |
The Conco Companies |
549 |
| 9 |
Macy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
|
500 |
| 10 |
AT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
|
500 |
Naval Weapons Station
To the north of the city of Concord is the
Concord Naval Weapons StationConcord Naval Weapons Station was a military base established in 1942 north of the city of Concord, California at the shore of the Sacramento River where it widens into Suisun Bay. The station functioned as a World War II armament storage depot, supplying ships at Port Chicago...
, which was established in 1942. The station functioned as a
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
armament storage
depotMain Operating Base is a term used by the United States military defined as "an overseas, permanently manned, well protected base, used to support permanently deployed forces, and with robust sea and/or air access." This term was used to differentiate major strategic overseas military facilities...
, supplying ships at
Port ChicagoPort Chicago was a town on the southern banks of Suisun Bay, in Contra Costa County, California. It was located east-northeast of Martinez, at an elevation of 13 feet...
. The Concord NWS supported war efforts during the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and through the end of the
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, processing and shipping out thousands of tons of
materielMateriel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
to
Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
The station consists of two areas: the Inland Area (5170 acres (21 km²)) which is within the Concord city limits, and Tidal Area (7630 acres (31 km²)). Because of changes in military operations, parts of the Inland Area began to be mothballed and by 1999, the station had only a minimal contingent of military personnel. In 2007 the U.S. Federal Government announced that the inland portion of the Naval station will be closed. The Tidal area of the base is not scheduled for closure. The city is working on a reuse plan that may include developing the land while keeping a large portion for open-space and parks projects. The city has had many meetings on this subject and will continue to do so. Any plan for reuse is subject to approval by the Navy.
Transportation
Until 1995 the city was the eastern terminus of the Concord line of
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
commuter train system; the line has since been extended eastward to Pittsburg/Bay Point. The
County ConnectionThe County Connection is a Concord-based public transit agency operating fixed-route bus and ADA paratransit service in and around central Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area...
provides limited public transportation in the city and to other points in the county. Buses run from the
North Concord BART stationNorth Concord/Martinez is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station that serves the cities of Concord and Martinez, California. The station itself is in the northern part of Concord...
to
MartinezMartinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings...
, the county seat.
Main thoroughfares include Willow Pass Road, Concord Avenue, Concord Boulevard, Clayton Road, Ygnacio Valley Road, Oak Grove Road and Treat Boulevard. The city is also served by
Interstate 680Interstate 680 is a north–south Interstate Highway in Northern California. It curves around the eastern cities of the San Francisco Bay Area from San Jose to Interstate 80 at Cordelia, bypassing cities along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay such as Oakland and Richmond while serving...
, and state highways 4 and
242State Route 242 is a short three-mile connector route that links Interstate 680 north of Pleasant Hill to State Route 4 in Concord. In 2000, State Route 242 was widended to six through-traffic lanes for the entire route. Ramp metering is present at all onramps, but is not used at this time. It...
.
Buchanan Field AirportFor the other uses, see Concord Airport .Buchanan Field Airport is located in Concord and Pacheco, California, USA, 27 nautical miles northeast of San Francisco International Airport, in Contra Costa County...
is a public county-owned airfield in the City of Concord. It currently does not have any scheduled passenger service, but was once served by WestAir,
Pacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
, and later U.S. Airways for a short time.
Media
The city of Concord is served by the daily
newspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, the
Contra Costa TimesThe Contra Costa Times is a daily newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California, U.S.. The paper serves Contra Costa and eastern Alameda counties, in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area...
published by the Bay Area News Group-East Bay (part of the Media News Group, Denver, Colorado), with offices in
Walnut CreekWalnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
. The paper was originally a paper run and owned by the
LesherDean Stanley Lesher was an American newspaper publisher, founder of the Contra Costa Times and the Contra Costa Newspapers chain. He was also a well-known philanthropist in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Early life:...
family. Since the death of
Dean LesherDean Stanley Lesher was an American newspaper publisher, founder of the Contra Costa Times and the Contra Costa Newspapers chain. He was also a well-known philanthropist in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Early life:...
in 1993, the paper has had several owners. The publisher also issues a weekly paper, the
Concord Transcript, which is the local paper for Concord and nearby
ClaytonClayton is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 10,897 as of the 2010 census.- Geography :...
.
Education
Concord is served by the
Mount Diablo Unified School DistrictThe Mount Diablo Unified School District is a public school district in Contra Costa County, California. It currently operates 32 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and six high schools, with 13 alternative school programs and an adult education program. Mt...
. Concord's
Clayton Valley High SchoolClayton Valley High School is a secondary school located in Concord, California. and just under two miles from Clayton. It is part of the Mount Diablo Unified School District. Most of the students live in Clayton and the nearby Concord neighborhoods with some coming from Pittsburg...
is home to several acclaimed California academies, specifically ClaytonArts Academy, a four year English, social studies and arts based program with an emphasis on cross curriculur projects. Concord is also home to Mt. Diablo High School, opened in 1905, and home to the Digital safari, a three-year program involving the integration of multimedia with the core curriculum through integrated, project-based learning.
Concord's
De La Salle High SchoolDe La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
is home of the record winning streak of 151 games set by the football team between 1992 and 2004. During that span, De La Salle won 12 California North Coast sectional championships, and was named national champion five different times (once by
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, four times by
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
).
Ygnacio Valley High SchoolYgnacio Valley High School is a public secondary school located in Concord, California. It draws students from Concord as well as from the neighboring communities of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. The school opened in 1962, and its first senior class graduated in 1964...
won the 1987 Northern California Boys Division I Basketball Championship, Coached by Jim Grace.
De La Salle High SchoolDe La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
(a private Catholic High School) is bordered by its sister school
Carondelet High SchoolCarondelet High School is an all-girls private Catholic high school in Concord, California. Carondelet High School was founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The school of about 800 students was founded in 1965. It shares some resources with the all-boys school, De La Salle High School, which is...
and
Ygnacio Valley High SchoolYgnacio Valley High School is a public secondary school located in Concord, California. It draws students from Concord as well as from the neighboring communities of Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. The school opened in 1962, and its first senior class graduated in 1964...
.
The headquarters of the
Kabul Soccer ClubThe Kabul Soccer Club promotes soccer and provides a common ground for cultural differences between generations of Afghan Americans. The club consists of former Afghanistan national football team players and Afghan American youth players.The club president is Nemat Jamili...
is located in Concord.
http://www.kabulsoccerclub.8m.com/about.htm
California State University, East BayCalifornia State University, East Bay is a public university located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers over 100 areas of study...
has a campus in Concord.
Concord High SchoolConcord High School is located at 4200 Concord Blvd. in Concord, California, near El Dorado Middle School and Westwood Elementary. As of 2009, the current principal is Dr. Gary McAdam. The school educates nearly 1700 students, and it continues to grow. It is one of the six high schools in the Mount...
won the 2010 Northern California Boys Division II Football Championship, Coached by Brian Hamilton
Public libraries
The Concord Library of the
Contra Costa County LibraryContra Costa County Library is a public library that is part of Contra Costa County, California, United States. There are 26 community libraries, access to electronic information via a website, over 455,000 cardholders and more than 7 million items borrowed annually...
is located in Concord. The library is adjacent to the Concord Civic Center.
Arts and culture
Concord is the home of the annual
Concord Jazz FestivalThe Concord Jazz Festival is an annual event that was established in 1969 in Concord, California.The festival was launched by Carl Jefferson, a car dealer and jazz enthusiast, who managed to get a group of friends to support the concept. The city agreed to pay for half the cost...
and was the home of the
Concord RecordsConcord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his...
jazz record label until it was bought in 1999.
Jazz musician
Dave BrubeckDavid Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
was born in Concord and in 2006 a park adjacent to Concord High School on Concord Boulevard was renamed in his honor (see below). Film star
Tom HanksThomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
and Broadway actress
Meredith PattersonMeredith Patterson is an American musical theatre actor known for her Broadway performances, as well as her television and film work.-External links:...
were born in Concord. Actor
Mark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
, Olympic gold-medalist
Natalie CoughlinNatalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...
and mixed martial artist
Gil CastilloGil Philip Castillo is a retired American mixed martial artist who has studied under Cesar Gracie. He made his UFC debut at UFC 33 where he suffered a loss from Dave Menne via unanimous decision in a match to crown the first UFC Middleweight Champion...
have also been Concord residents. Actor/Comedian
Carlos AlazraquiCarlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
attended Concord High School. Concord is the original home of the counter-cultural icons
NegativlandNegativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
. Concord is also where American
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group
The FederalistsThe Federalists are an American rock band based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was formed in September 2005 when singer/songwriter Luke Franks decided to piece together a band to perform the songs he had been working on independently. He asked drummer Dustin Smith, and bass player Brandt...
are based. Comedians
Blake AndersonBlake Anderson is a comedian and one of the stars and creators of the Comedy Central show Workaholics. Originally from Concord, California, Anderson studied with The Groundlings and with Upright Citizens Brigade He formed the sketch-comedy group Mail Order Comedy along with Workaholics costars...
and
Kyle NewacheckKyle Newacheck is a filmmaker and one of the creators of the Comedy Central show Workaholics, which he also stars in and directs. Originally from Concord, California, Newacheck graduated from The Los Angeles Film School in 2004 with a degree in editing...
were also born in Concord.
Concord is also home to the 14-time World Champion
Blue Devils Drum and Bugle CorpsThe Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Concord, California and founded in 1957 as a Drum and Bell corps, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...
. The corps is made up of talented musicians from around the world. The Concord Blue Devils are the most decorated drum and bugle corps in the history of
Drum Corps InternationalDrum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...
.
The
Public-access televisionPublic-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
channel is operated through
TelVue Virtual Television NetworksTelVue Corporation is digital media company that has deployed systems to a network of municipally-owned Public, educational, and government access channels on cable television. In addition, TelVue provides systems and services to Pro Broadcast, Community Broadcast, Colleges, Universities and K12...
.
Points of interest
- Sleep Train Pavilion
The Sleep Train Pavilion is an outdoor venue located in Concord, California. It is owned by the City of Concord and operated by Live Nation. . The Pavilion has a capacity of 12,500 people and opened in 1975 as the Concord Pavilion...
- a major concert venue formerly known as the Concord Pavilion, and Chronicle Pavilion at Concord.
- Markham Regional Arboretum
The Markham Regional Arboretum is a natural arboretum located at 1202 La Vista Avenue, Concord, California, USA. The Arboretum was founded in 1981 and is currently a work in progress, with most of the site still in a natural state....
- 1 Concord Center
- Sunvalley Mall
Sunvalley Mall is a regional shopping center located in Concord, California . Sunvalley opened in August 1967 with Sears, JCPenney and Macy's as anchor tenants...
- Don Francisco Galindo House
The Don Francisco Galindo House, known locally as the Galindo House and Gardens, is a 19th century house in Concord, California built in 1856 by Francisco Galindo and his wife, Maria Dolores Manuela Galindo, daughter of Salvio Pacheco who was the grantee of Rancho Monte del Diablo.The house is one...
- Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe
The Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe is a historic adobe house in Concord, California. In 1834, Salvio Pacheco was awarded the Rancho Monte del Diablo Mexican land grant, including what is now known as Concord and parts of Pleasant Hill...
- The Willows Theater
- Farmer's Market concerts and movies at Todos Santos Plaza
- Buchanan Field Airport
For the other uses, see Concord Airport .Buchanan Field Airport is located in Concord and Pacheco, California, USA, 27 nautical miles northeast of San Francisco International Airport, in Contra Costa County...
- Camp Concord, at South Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
, a family-oriented Summer Camp, although not located in Concord, is operated by the city.
- Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial is a memorial dedicated in 1994 recognizing the dead of the Port Chicago disaster, and the critical role played by Port Chicago, California during World War II, in serving as the main facility for the Pacific Theater of Operations...
- West Wind Solano Drive-In Theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
- Baldwin Community Park
- Six Flags Waterworld Concord
- Concord Skatepark
- Todos Santos Park
- Willow Pass Community Park
- Ygnacio Valley Park
- Newhall Community Park
- Lime Ridge Open Space
- Dave Brubeck Park
- Rick Sears Memorial Park
- Hillcrest Park home to Matteo's Dream - a playground for children of all abilities
- Concord Community Pool http://www.ci.concord.ca.us/RECREATION/sports/swimming.htm
- Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps
The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Concord, California and founded in 1957 as a Drum and Bell corps, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...
- Staring Point of the Iron Horse Regional Trail
The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a pedestrian and bicycle rail trail in the East San Francisco Bay Area in California.This trail is located in inland central Alameda and Contra Costa counties, mostly following a Southern Pacific Railroad right of way established in 1891 and abandoned in 1977...
Sister city
In 1974 Concord became a sister city with
Kitakamiis a city located in Iwate Prefecture on the main island of Japan.- History :The first city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1954.The current and the second city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1991 when the first city merged with the villages of Ezuriko and Waga .- Sightseeing :The city is...
,
Iwateis the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
, in
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The city established a small Japanese style park in the city, and placed half of a sculpture,
The Communion Bridge, in it. The matching half of the bridge is in Kitakami.
External links