Danville (California)

Danville is a suburban town in Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area, nestled in the valley between Mount Diablo and the Las Trampas ridges. Formerly a farming community that was home to a Southern Pacific Railroad station and later the playwright Eugene O'Neill, it is now a wealthy suburb with lots of greenery and has been rated the safest city in California.

By car
Interstate 680 is the only highway through the town of Danville. From Oakland, take Highway 24 east through the Caldecott tunnel, then follow 680 south from Walnut Creek. From the South Bay, take 680 north.

By BART/bus
County Connection buses serve Danville from the Walnut Creek and Dublin/Pleasanton BART stations and from San Ramon. If you're coming from Oakland or San Francisco, Walnut Creek BART is the most convenient connection point.

By bike or foot


It is also possible to hike to Danville from Moraga via Harvey Ranch Preserve, the Carr Ranch Loop Trail, Rocky Ridge, and Las Trampas Regional Wilderness; this requires an EBMUD permit and is a long, steep, challenging trek with rewarding views.

Get around
Danville is small enough that most of the downtown area can be accessed on foot. However, the town is spread out enough that moving from one area to another will typically require a car.

The main bus routes are the County Connection 21 (weekdays, every 30-60 minutes) and 321 (weekends, once an hour), which go through downtown Danville on their way between Walnut Creek and San Ramon.

Do

 * A good hike starts from, following the ridge in a rough semicircle via until you descend to the . Mossy greenery gives way to grassy ridges dotted with oak trees and beautiful views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Bird calls mingle with the smell of bay laurel and, at least in the rainy season, the tinkling of brooks. Assuming you do the most direct route between those three points, the hike is 4.6 miles (7.4 km) and should take about three hours if you're a strong hiker. Both trailheads are within walking distance of bus stops served by the hourly 21/321 bus, and the Del Amigo trailhead is about a 20-minute walk from downtown Danville. Trail signs are inconsistent at best and some forks are hard to spot, so use a smartphone map app to help you navigate. Parts of the trail are steep and can be slippery after rain – wear boots.
 * A good hike starts from, following the ridge in a rough semicircle via until you descend to the . Mossy greenery gives way to grassy ridges dotted with oak trees and beautiful views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Bird calls mingle with the smell of bay laurel and, at least in the rainy season, the tinkling of brooks. Assuming you do the most direct route between those three points, the hike is 4.6 miles (7.4 km) and should take about three hours if you're a strong hiker. Both trailheads are within walking distance of bus stops served by the hourly 21/321 bus, and the Del Amigo trailhead is about a 20-minute walk from downtown Danville. Trail signs are inconsistent at best and some forks are hard to spot, so use a smartphone map app to help you navigate. Parts of the trail are steep and can be slippery after rain – wear boots.

Buy
Danville has a quaint downtown with interesting shops and eateries. In the Blackhawk area, a large shopping mall,, features high-end shops, excellent restaurants, and the Blackhawk Auto Museum. Blackhawk Plaza is not reachable by public transit, unless you want to join the local middle and high schoolers on the one bus per schoolday that goes nearby.

Eat
While good ethnic cuisines are available around town, the best eateries lean towards Western cuisine.

In Downtown on Hartz Avenue, there are high-end dining options like and  eateries. If you are looking for a local favorite, you might want to try or  for lunch, which are more affordable. Somewhere in between is, which serves delicious plant-based cuisine with fast, attentive service. The area near San Ramon Valley High School features many simple budget options for lunch.

High end dining options are also available outside of the downtown area. The Livery, a plaza just south of downtown, is host to, a steakhouse. Just over the I-680 freeway from the Livery is. is a staple in Blackhawk Plaza.

For dessert, try the creative flavors of ice cream and sorbet at.

Go next

 * Mount Diablo State Park is a 20,000-acre (8,100-hectare) park. It borders Danville to the north 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 to Mount Lassen.
 * Dublin &mdash; this city to the south of Danville has the shamrock as its symbol.
 * Pleasanton is a city with a historic downtown area and restaurants, somewhat like Danville.
 * Livermore is the largest city in the Tri-Valley, with several internationally-known wineries like Wente and Concannon Vineyards.
 * Walnut Creek – larger city just north of Danville with a wider range of shopping.