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Walnut Creek Guide About Walnut Creek

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About Walnut Creek, CA
About Walnut Creek

About 16 miles east of Oakland lies the upscale city of Walnut Creek, CA. While not as large as its neighbor Concord, this city serves as a hub for neighboring towns and cities within Contra Costa County. As a center for businesses and entertainment opportunities in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the city is easily accessible by highway I-680 from San Jose and Sacramento and the SR-24 from San Francisco and Oakland. You can also reach the city by the BART. While not as large as other cities in the area, Walnut Creek has an estimated population of 66,000, a respectable size for a city which is the headquarters for the Pac-12 college athletic conference.  Spanning 19.5 square miles 254 feet above sea level, Walnut Creek is known for its mild climate, rich history, great shopping and open spaces.

The entirety of the Bay Area is known for its enviable climate, but Walnut Creek has truly enjoyable weather with a location just far enough away from the cold waters of the bay. The city only sees 20.6 inches of rain every year on average, an amount that is far below the nation’s average of 36.5 inches. And with no snowfall, only 55 days of precipitation and 262 sunny days per year, there is much more opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and the lovely natural beauty of the area. The average high temperature of Walnut Creek during July is 88 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average low temperature is 34.9 degrees during January, which means that the city stays relatively warm throughout the year with a higher comfort index than the rest of the country.

In addition to pleasurable weather, the city has plenty of open space for enjoying the temperature outdoors all year long. This is due to a $6.75 million bond that was approved in 1974 to buy and preserve the undeveloped ridgelines surrounding the city. These natural features contribute to the character and quality of Walnut Creek and consist of more than 3,000 acres of grassland savannah, oak woodlands and chaparral, making it one of the largest city owned and operated open spaces in the Bay Area. The open space includes Shell Ridge, Borges Ranch, Howe Homestead Park, Lime Ridge and Alcalanes Ridge.

Decades before its incorporation in 1914, Walnut Creek had a humble beginning as “The Corners.” The area was granted this title simply because it was the area where the two roads leading to and from Lafayette and Pacheco met. It wasn’t until 1855 that the area was developed, thanks to Milo Hough, a Lafayette man who built the Walnut Creek Hotel, a blacksmith shop and a store. More development followed, and a U.S. Post Office was established in 1862, leading the area being renamed Walnut Creek.

While Walnut Creek has preserved much of its open space, the parts of the city are developed have become a draw for shoppers all over the county. From upscale department stores and boutiques to bargain-filled shops to plenty of dining options, Walnut Creek has places to acquire all you might need, contributing to the high quality of life for which the city is so highly regarded.

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