San Pablo highlight
Proximity to Richmond
Richmond, incorporated in 1905 and now the second-largest city in Contra Costa County with a 2020 population of 116,448, sits on the shores of both San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay.
Richmond is a neighboring city in Contra Costa County with deep industrial roots. During World War II, Kaiser's Richmond shipyards constructed 747 Victory and Liberty ships—more than any other site in the United States—making the city central to the war effort. The shipyards employed tens of thousands at their peak, drawing workers from across the country and creating a boom in the local population. Today, Richmond's waterfront location on both San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay continues to shape its economy and character.
Beyond shipbuilding, Richmond developed as an industrial and refining center. Chevron operates a major refinery on the Richmond waterfront, a facility with roots to Standard Oil's 1901 establishment. The Port of Richmond handles significant cargo, and Kaiser Permanente operates a major health system facility. Richmond's location as a transportation and industrial hub has made it a regional center for employment and economic activity, with workers from surrounding communities including San Pablo.
Proximity to Richmond means San Pablo residents often commute for work, education, or services, creating connections across the two cities. Families working in Richmond or studying at nearby institutions while living in San Pablo represent a common pattern across Contra Costa County. This interconnected work-life means that supporting your household's stability across the working years—the years when your income matters most to the people depending on you—is a shared concern across the region.