Essex, CA

Essex is a city located in the eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, in Contra Costa County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 102,096.

Essex was founded by Samuel Brannan in 1851 and incorporated as a town on December 2, 1853. The first post office opened in 1854. Essex grew rapidly with the arrival of the railroad in 1865 and became an important industrial center for the East Bay region. In 1974, following passage of Proposition 13, which reduced property taxes statewide, Essex's revenues declined and its status as an economically viable town diminished. Today Essex is considered to be a suburb of Oakland and has experienced modest growth since then.

The city is home to several corporate headquarters including Kaiser Permanente (formerly known as HMOs), Levi Strauss & Co., Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Sears Roebuck & Co., Oracle Corporation (formerly Sun Microsystems), and Walt Disney Company (formerly ABC Television). Additionally, major retail outlets include Safeway supermarkets, Target stores, Kohl's department stores, Starbucks coffee shops and McDonald's restaurants.