Ten miles north of Richmond, the city of Hercules straddles Refugio Creek as it flows from the Contra Costa County hills and empties into the San Pablo Bay. The city’s namesake, Hercules Powder Company, took its name from the Roman god to signify the power of the dynamite the company produced. By 1974, the TNT factories had shut down, and the land around them was developed. Over the next 50 years, Hercules grew from a tiny town of 252 to a city of 26,000. Businesses such as the Powder Keg restaurant and Dynamite Donuts give a nod to its explosive past.
Biotech company Bio-Rad is the city’s biggest employer. Plus, with Interstate 80 running through town, Hercules is close enough to commute to Richmond or Oakland, which is 22 miles away. The city plans to build a multi-modal transportation hub to make that commute even easier. City leaders are also working to make the most of the natural areas in and around Hercules so that residents who leave the city to work may come home to play.
Hercules suburbs are not far from the beautiful coastline.
The Powder Keg in The Waterfront is a great place for Happy Hour.
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An eye toward commercial development with the Hercules Hub Project
In 2006, the city of Hercules used eminent domain to block Wal-Mart from opening a store near its waterfront, signifying its commitment to backing local businesses and developing a waterfront district with a small-town vibe. Since then, the city has continued to proactively develop the flavor of the community, and has secured $4 million toward a $12 million goal for the Hercules Hub Project. The plan is to build a station for buses, passenger trains and ferries to connect Hercules to regional hotspots and cut down on traffic, and to support a future mixed-use development of retail, office, housing and industrial spaces along the waterfront.
In the meantime, Hercules has a handful of restaurants overlooking the bay, and a commercial area around the intersection of I-80 and San Pablo Avenue has grocery stores and casual eateries. Shoppers and diners also have easy access to stores and restaurants along San Pablo Avenue in nearby Pinole and San Pablo.
West Cat bus stops are found frequently throughout Hercules and they have pick ups every hour.
The Waterfront's Leila by the Bay has a wonderful outdoor seating area.
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Distinct neighborhoods with New Pacific and Waterfront by the bay
Homes in Hercules range from about $400,000 to $1.5 million, with a median price of $700,000. Condos are on the low end of that range. Homes priced over $1 million are closer to the shore. The first neighborhoods in Hercules were built in the 1970s and 1980s on the inland side of I-80, including Foxboro, where single-family homes are generally under 1,400 square feet and condos and townhomes are under 1,000 square feet. Developers built townhomes and condos in the Village Park area between I-80 and San Pablo Avenue in the late 1980s and early 1990s, while custom homes were built along the shoreline in the early 2000s. The New Pacific area, which includes the Victoria by the Bay neighborhood, has contemporary and Victorian revival homes of 2,000 to 3,000 square feet. The Waterfront neighborhood has Craftsman, Victorian and contemporary homes up to about 4,000 square feet.
Trees line the streets of Hercules, but few are the towering trees common in other East Bay neighborhoods. Dry conditions in the region can create a challenge for landscaping. “There are well-manicured lawns in the neighborhood when we have water in California,” says Jonathan Davis, Realtor with the JD Management Group Inc., who has sold homes in the area for 12 years. With water restrictions enforced by fines, homeowners have had to become creative. “In the 90s, people used decorative rocks in their yards — that fad has passed,” he says. Now, drought-resistant plants and mulch are common.
A row of homes nestled in the hills of Hercules
Beautiful homes with well manicured lawns are frequently found in Hercules.
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Refugio Valley Park a center for recreation and community events
This year, the city completed a master plan to invest in its parks and recreation facilities. Refugio Valley Park, an image that is featured on the new city logo, is a centerpiece of Hercules and one of the parks targeted for improvement. With community involvement, the city removed trees that had become a hazard and planted new ones. Shade structures are next on the plan. The park features playgrounds, picnic tables, a pond, tennis courts and well-used walking, biking and jogging trails. A June Cultural Festival takes place in the park and celebrates the diversity of Hercules with reggae, Latin and blues music as well as local food trucks.
Hercules also has several community parks with playgrounds, picnic tables and sports facilities, and Railroad Park on the bay has a display describing Hercules’ history. Under six miles away, Crockett Hills Regional Park offers hiking trails and views of Mount Diablo and Mount Tamalpais. And Wildcat Canyon is 8 miles away, where equestrians can join hikers and bikers on the 25 miles of trails. On the shoreline, the Bay Front Festival & Run is held on the first Sunday in October near the Hercules Farmer’s Market.
Refugio Park in Hercules in the perfect place to play soccer.
Families enjoy playing at Refugio Valley Park in Village Park.
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Above average schools serve Hercules
The West Contra Costa Unified School District, graded B-minus by Niche, serves Hercules. It’s a large district with 54 schools that serves El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo and Pinole. Hercules High School is graded B-plus, higher than the district average. In keeping with the city’s history, the high school’s creative writing class publishes a literary magazine called The Dynamite Factory.
Hercules High School and Middle School offers high quality education and excellent athletics.
Lupine Hills Elementary offers high and safe education in Hercules.
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Oakland and other Bay Area destinations in reach
With I-80 and State Highway 4 running through Hercules, the city is connected to much of the Bay Area. I-80 goes to Oakland,18 miles south, Oakland International Airport, 29 miles south and San Francisco, 25 miles away. Within the city, WestCat buses have multiple stops, and there are express buses to the El Cerrito del Norte BART station and the San Francisco Transbay Terminal. Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center is 11 miles away.
Good weather and low crime rates
Hercules has a mild, Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters. Crime rates are low; both the violent crime rate and the property crime rate in Hercules are 65% lower than the national average. The property crime rate has dropped slightly since 2022.
Additional writing by Robb Crocker.
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