Culturally rich city in Contra Costa County with Bay Area views
San Pablo is a diverse suburb in the East Bay found near the place where San Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay meet. A small city of 32,000 residents, San Pablo has scenic views of the water and the Berkeley Hills, numerous recreation options for outdoor enthusiasts and direct access to Interstate 80. “San Pablo offers a good quality of life for the Bay Area,” says Dorina Manga, the broker/owner of Xhome Real Estate with 20 years of experience. “You’ve got the golf course, the country club and the San Francisco Bay Trail nearby.”
Located 20 miles from San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, this is one of the region’s oldest Spanish settlements. The population surged from 2,000 to 25,000 during WWII as people came to work in the Richmond shipyards. This boom led San Pablo to incorporate in 1948 as housing developments rose from former farmland. Today, the city celebrates its heritage through live music and food at the Cinco de Mayo Festival and the Fourth of July Multi-Cultural Celebration.
San Pablo City enjoys some gorgeous views of the San Francisco Bay.
The City of San Pablo is known as the City of New Directions.
San Pablo is full of older single family detached homes.
San Pablo Community Center is located at the heart of the city.
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Community green spaces, the Wildcat Canyon Regional Park and San Pablo Lytton Casino
The city maintains several parks, walking trails, playgrounds and athletic spaces. Wildcat Creek and its accompanying trail border John Herbert Davis Park. The green space has two playgrounds connected by a wooden bridge over the creek, a community center with a large mural and two regulation-size baseball fields. The nearly 2,800-acre Wildcat Canyon Regional Park borders San Pablo’s eastern edge. Opened in 1936, the expansive preserve has 25 miles of trails through thick forests made of oaks and bay laurels. Abundant wildlife, such as coyotes, raccoons, bobcats and hawks, make it ideal for wildlife watchers. Mountain bikers and equestrians are welcome on designated trails, and children have a playground surrounded by natural beauty.
Two museums highlight San Pablo’s history. The Alvarado Adobe is a recreation of the first California-born governor’s home from the 1840s. The 1905 Blume House and the accompanying bunkhouse represent the area’s agricultural past adjacent to City Hall. The St. Joseph Cemetery and Funeral Center is a massive 58-acre graveyard from 1914. Its rolling hills and manicured grounds provide a tranquil place for walking. The San Pablo Lytton Casino is a local landmark on the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians’ reservation. It began as a card club in 1994 and now boasts over 1,500 slot machines and a restaurant.
Davis Park in San Pablo has a basketball court that is great for practicing hoops.
San Pablo is a dog friendly city.
San Pablo's Wildcat Creek trail is great for a casual stroll.
San Pablo's Wildcat Canyon extends from the Tilden Nature Area to historic Alvarado Park.
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Diverse dining options, San Pablo Towne Center and various grocery stores
Locally and family-owned restaurants serve Mexican, Thai, Indian and American diner classics along San Pablo Dam Road and 23rd Street. San Pablo Towne Center has national retailers and chain restaurants off San Pablo Avenue. College Center is an open-air shopping mall near the Contra Costa College campus. It features national quick-service restaurants, smaller local eateries and retail shops. Various grocery stores are scattered across the city.
San Pablo's La Strada serves Italian cuisine amid fireplace seating & murals of Tuscany.
La Strada offers Italian fine dining to San Pablo residents.
La Chona is a cozy eatery in San Pablo that offers a menu of traditional Mexican cuisine.
College Center in San Pablo is full of shopping and dining options.
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Spanish-style homes and new construction between Richmond and Bayview
Architectural styles in San Pablo are remarkably uniform, considering 81% of housing was built between the 1940s and the 1990s. There are midcentury ranch-style homes and contemporary multi-storied houses with Spanish elements like terracotta roof tiles, adobe walls and arched entryways. Those aren’t the only options for housing because construction in the city is ongoing. New single-family home communities are being built along Church Lane. Most housing has two to three bedrooms, and prices here have appreciated at a rate of nearly 10% a year. Homes sell for a median price of $600,000, higher than the $400,000 national average.
Abella is a charming, village-style community in downtown San Pablo.
Alvarado Plaza is a new landscaped plaza that will feature shopping and affordable housing.
Close to San Pablo's city hall are some of the more luxurious homes in San Pablo.
Nestled alongside Contra Costa College are Spanish-inspired condos.
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A future-focused school district and Contra Costa College
The West Contra Costa Unified School District oversees ten schools in San Pablo, educating thousands of students from transitional kindergarten to 12th grade. Established in 1965, it’s known for its college and career department, which offers internships to earn college credits, holds financial aid workshops and hosts informational events with food trucks. The district earned a B-minus from Niche and is home to a Fab Lab where students can explore hands-on STEAM activities. Contra Costa College has awarded professional certificates and associate degrees across six career pathways since 1948.
Contra Costa College is a public community college in San Pablo.
Richmond High is part of West Contra Costa Unified School District & serves San Pablo.
Walter T. Helms Middle School is the top choice in San Pablo.
Edward M. Downer Elementary School serves grades K-6 in San Pablo.
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Interstate 80, multiple bus routes and Oakland International Airport
Interstate 80 passes through the eastern edge of San Pablo and leads to Sacramento, Richmond and San Francisco. The Richmond Parkway is just west of the city, and San Pablo Avenue bisects the community. Significant traffic noise from these major roadways can occur during heavy travel times. WestCat and AC Transit operate bus routes through the city, connecting to BART options in adjacent Richmond. People commute 34 minutes one-way daily, longer than the 27-minute national average. Pedestrians have a well-maintained sidewalk network throughout town, and cyclists can use dedicated lanes along most roadways. San Pablo is also 23 miles from Oakland International Airport and 31 miles from San Francisco International Airport.
The 80 Freeway connects San Pablo to the Bay Area and beyond.
AC Transit runs many different bus lines in San Pablo.
San Pablo is a short drive from the Oakland International Airport.
Residents of San Pablo can hop on the bus to commute anywhere in San Pablo.
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West County Health Center, industry and major employers
West County Health Center and Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center are the city’s primary healthcare providers. West County Health Center is a family and women’s care practice, while the Richmond Medical Center has after-hours urgent and emergency care. Healthcare is one of the city’s most prominent industrial sectors, along with retail and construction. However, the San Pablo Lytton Casino is another pillar of the city’s economic base, as it shares 7% of its revenue with the city. Contra Costa College, San Pablo Lytton Casino, Vale Healthcare Center and Food Maxx provide the majority of San Pablo’s jobs.
Contra Costa Health operates the West County Health Center in San Pablo.
Brookvale Medical Center is home to John Muir Health and Quest Diagnostics in San Pablo.
Food Maxx is San Pablo's cheaper choice for grocery essentials.
San Pablo's Lytton Casino brings in gamblers at all times of the day and night.
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Long summers, natural disaster risks and crime rates in San Pablo
Winters here are short, cool and rainy, while summers are long, hot and arid. The annual average rainfall is 36 inches, in line with the U.S. average of 38 inches, despite the area having 258 sunny days, seven weeks more than the rest of the country. Dry summers contribute to a moderate risk of wildfires, primarily along the city’s eastern edge, which borders Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. Contra Costa Fire Station 70 is located on Market Avenue, less than a mile from San Pablo’s city center, to shorten response times in such an emergency. Located close to the active Hayward Fault, the area often experiences tremors of varying magnitude. San Pablo also faces severe air pollution around 15 days a year. People are advised to wear masks during air advisories to avoid breathing problems and throat irritation.
San Pablo’s crime rates are a bit complicated . The city’s overall rate is 36% higher than the national average. However, the small city is densely populated and has over 11,000 people per square mile. Throughout the U.S., only 91 people occupy a square mile on average. Due to the tightly packed population in San Pablo, crime rates are likely to be higher than in less densely populated places. The overall crime rate fell by 2.6% in 2022, but violent crime increased by 38%, with a total of 232 reported violent crimes that year. No homicides were reported. Property crimes are 24% higher than the U.S. average but decreased by 12% in the city over 2022.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
