Concord, California

city in Contra Costa County, California, United States

Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, US. In the 2020 census, 125,410 people lived there.[5] Concord was founded in 1869. It was named Todos Santos at first, but the name was soon changed to Concord. The city is 31 miles (50 km) east of San Francisco.

Concord, California
Todos Santos “La Purunga”
Salvio Pacheco Square facing Todos Santos Plaza – downtown
Salvio Pacheco Square facing Todos Santos Plaza – downtown
Location of Concord in Contra Costa County
Location of Concord in Contra Costa County
Concord is located in the United States
Concord
Concord
Location within the United States
Concord is located in California
Concord
Concord
Location within California
Coordinates: 37°58′41″N 122°01′52″W / 37.97806°N 122.03111°W / 37.97806; -122.03111
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyContra Costa
IncorporatedFebruary 8, 1905[1]
Government
 • TypeCity Council/City Manager[2]
Area
 • Total30.55 sq mi (79.13 km2)
 • Land30.55 sq mi (79.13 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation75 ft (23 m)
Population
 • Total125,410
 • Rank
  • 1st in Contra Costa County
  • 50th in California
  • 227th in the U.S.
 • Density4,104.67/sq mi (1,584.85/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
94518–94521
Area code925
FIPS code06-16000
GNIS feature IDs1658308, 2410214
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Geography

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Concord is at 37°58′41″N 122°01′52″W / 37.97806°N 122.03111°W / 37.97806; -122.03111.[6] It is 29 miles (47 km) northeast of San Francisco, 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Oakland, 65 miles (105 km) southwest of Sacramento, and 51 miles (82 km) north of San Jose.[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.5 square miles (79 km2). All of it is land.

The center of downtown Concord is Todos Santos Plaza. The plaza takes up an entire city block. It is known for its farmers market, free summer concerts, and many restaurants. There are new apartments and condominiums near the plaza.

History

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Concord was first named Todos Santos. In the 19th century, most people in Pacheco moved to Concord to get away from fires and floods. Concord became a city on February 5, 1905.

The area around Concord in the Ygnacio and Clayton Valleys was a big farming area. To the east, where the Concord Naval Weapons Station was later built, there were big wheat ranches over 5,000 acres (20 km2). They covered the land all the way to the marshes by Suisun Bay. During Prohibition, many vineyards were removed and replaced with walnut trees.

The first Concord post office opened in 1872.

Port Chicago disaster

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On July 17, 1944, the weapons on a United States Navy ship exploded. This caused the highest number of deaths at a time among African Americans during World War II. The explosion killed 320 people. The explosion was felt 30 miles away. Later, 258 African American sailors refused to load any more weapons. That was the start of the Navy's biggest-ever mutiny trial. In that trial, 50 men were found guilty. Future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was at the trial. He said that he saw a prejudiced court.[8]

Sunvalley Mall plane crash

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On December 23, 1985, a small airplane crashed into the roof of Sunvalley Mall. The pilot and two people on the plane were killed. 84 people in the mall were hurt, mostly from burning fuel. Four of the people in the mall later died from their injuries. The accident made more people be against the local airport. Pacific Southwest Airlines delayed starting passenger service there that had been planned for the new year.

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Aerial view of the Naval Weapons Station

North of the city of Concord is the Concord Naval Weapons Station. It was opened in 1942. During World War II, weapons were kept there. The weapons were for warships at Port Chicago. The Concord NWS helped war efforts during the Vietnam War and through the end of the Gulf War, taking care of equipment and supplies.[9]

The station has two main areas. One is the Inland Area, 5,170 acres (21 km2), which is inside the Concord city limits. The other is the Tidal Area, 7,630 acres (31 km2).[10] Because of changes in military operations, parts of the Inland Area stopped being used. By 1999, the station had only a few military people working there. In 2007 the United States government decided to close the inland part of the station. The Tidal area of the base stayed open.[9] The city of Concord is working on a plan for how to use the land. Their plans will have to be approved by the Navy.[10][11]

Transportation

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Overlooking the North Concord Bart Station

Until 1995 the city was the eastern end of the Concord line of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) commuter train system. Since then, more track was built. BART now goes farther than Concord. Bus service runs in the city and other points in the county.

Interstate 680 goes through Concord. So do state highways 4 and 242.

Buchanan Field Airport is a public county-owned airport in the City of Concord. It currently does not have any scheduled passenger service. It was once served by WestAir, Pacific Southwest Airlines, and later U.S. Airways for a short time. In 1977, Buchanan Field reached its peak of activity with 357,000 total operations making it the 16th busiest airport in the nation that year.

Education

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Concord has several public high schools:[12]

  • Clayton Valley High School, opened in 1958
  • Concord High School, opened in 1966
  • Mt. Diablo High School, opened in 1905
  • Ygnacio Valley High School, opened in 1960

There are also two private Catholic high schools:

  • De La Salle High School,[13] for boys. De La Salle's football team set a record by winning 151 games in a row between 1992 and 2004.
  • Carondelet High School,[14] for girls

California State University, East Bay has a campus in Concord.

Arts and culture

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The Concord Jazz Festival is held every year..

Concord is also home to the 14-time World Champion Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. 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 International.

Points of interest

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Sister city

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In 1974 Concord became a sister city with Kitakami, Iwate, in Japan. The city built a small park in the city, and put half of a sculpture, The Communion Bridge, in it. The other half of the bridge is in Kitakami.[17]

References

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  1. "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  2. "City Government Overview". Concord CA. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  3. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  4. "Concord". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "QuickFacts: Concord city, California". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Concord, California
  7. City of Concord City Profile, official city web site, retrieved on 2007-08-16 Archived 2007-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Allen, Robert L. (2006). The Port Chicago Mutiny. Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-59714-028-7. OCLC 63179024.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse Information Portal. Retrieved 2007-08-13. Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
  10. 10.0 10.1 About the City of Concord Community Reuse Project Archived 2007-10-09 at the Wayback Machine, official city web site'. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  11. "Concord Naval Weapons Station". Contra Costa Times website collection of articles. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  12. "Mt. Diablo USD Schools". Archived from the original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  13. "De La Salle High School: Home". Archived from the original on 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  14. Carondelet High School: Home
  15. Official Camp Concord homepage
  16. Largest homeland disaster during World War II from the National Park Service
  17. City of Concord Sister City Archived 2008-09-21 at the Wayback Machine, official city web site, retrieved on 2007-08-16

Other websites

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