Concord (California)

Concord is a residential and business city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the state of California.

Location
Concord is 29 miles east of San Francisco, meaning that the commute through the Caldecott Tunnel and across the Bay Bridge can be done in approximately 30 minutes when traffic is light, but may feel like an eternity when traffic is heavy. The area of the city is 31.13 square miles (80.63 square kilometers), and with over 120,000 residents Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County.

History
Concord is perhaps best-known for the De La Salle High School football team, which between 1992 and 2004 established a national record-winning streak of 151 games, shattering the previous record of 72 games. During this time the team was named ESPN national champion in 1994 and USA Today national champion in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Another of Concord's claims to fame is the famous people who grew up in the city. Concord is the birthplace of actor Tom Hanks. Also, Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck is from Concord and one of Concord's several parks is named in his honor.

Climate
Concord, like most of the East Bay, has hot summers and cool winters. Rain is a rare sight during most months of the year and any rain occurs in monsoon-like periods of fairly heavy rain that last for a few days and then give way to dry weather again. These wet periods often occur in late December or during January and February, but never occur during the summer.

By subway
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stops at the Concord and North Concord stations:

Both are served by the 'Yellow Line' Train between Millbrae Transit Center and Pittsburg/Antioch via SFO Airport, Downtown San Francisco, West Oakland and Downtown Oakland.

By car
Concord is accessible by car from Interstate Highway 680, and State Highways 242 and 4. When driving from Oakland take Highway 24 East to 680 North. County Connection buses also service the city.

By bus
The following connect North Concord/Martinez BART and the Concord BART Stations to Martinez, Concord,Pleasant Hill and other surrounding communities in central and eastern Contra Costa County in the East Bay: Nearest intercity bus station for Greyhound, Flixbus and Megabus is at the West Oakland BART Station.

By plane


The closest international airport is Oakland International, while BART runs directly from all Concord stations to San Francisco International Airport.

Get around
Unless you enjoy walking or biking long distances you'll want a car to get around in Concord. This city is asphalt America at its finest, and while motorists are generally respectful of bikers and pedestrians, the auto is the king of the road. County Connection buses also service the city, along with several taxi services.

See
Tours of Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial leave from Martinez.



Learn
There is a campus of in Concord.

Buy
Strip malls, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, electronics megastores, and all other manner of American consumerism are readily available; following any major street will inevitably lead to some sort of shopping area.



Drink
Those looking for nightlife are better served by visiting neighboring Walnut Creek, although there are a few drinking establishments that are worth a visit.



Go next

 * Walnut Creek - The downtown Walnut Creek area offers shopping, bars, and restaurants.
 * Clayton - One of Concord's next door neighbors, Clayton is a bit more rural than other communities and still offers somewhat of a small-town atmosphere.
 * Pleasant Hill - This neighboring town is primarily a typical family suburb, but it does offer options for food and shopping.
 * Mount Diablo State Park - This park is southeast of Concord and provides great hiking opportunities on a mountain that dominates the landscape for most of central and eastern Contra Costa County. It offers an incredible viewshed, with views on clear days stretching 181 miles to Mount Lassen.
 * Berkeley - Eclectic, political and always interesting, Berkeley is a 20- to 25-minute drive away. Alternatively, using BART, either a) transfer at the MacArthur station and exit at Downtown Berkeley, or b) exit at Rockridge and walk ~2 miles (~3 km) to downtown.
 * San Francisco - Although "the City" feels a world away, it's a 45-minute BART ride to the Embarcadero or a 35-minute to 1.5-hour drive, depending on traffic.