Oak Run, CA

Oak Run is a small town located in Contra Costa County, California. The population was 1,812 at the 2010 census. Oak Run is located in the eastern part of the county and is bordered by Pittsburg to the north, Martinez to the east, Richmond to the south, and Brentwood to the west.

The town of Oak Run was founded in 1876 when two brothers from Illinois named John and James McNamara purchased land from John T. Reed for $1,000. The McNamaras built a sawmill on their property and began logging operations. In 1881 they built a hotel which became known as McNamara's Hotel. The town grew rapidly due to its location on State Route 4 which served as a major transportation route between San Francisco and Sacramento during the late 19th century. In 1886 Oak Run had a population of 350 people and by 1890 it had reached 500 people.

In 1900 Oak Run had 2 churches (St Patrick's Catholic Church and First Presbyterian Church), 3 stores (McNamara's General Store, J & J McNamara Lumber Company, and Atherton & Co.), 2 hotels (the McNamaras' Hotel and the Empire Hotel), 1 blacksmith shop, 1 wagon shop, 1 bank (the Bank of Oak Run), 2 newspapers (the Contra Costa Times and the Pittsburg Press), 3 saloons (McNamara's Saloon/Livery stable/Barber Shop; Murphy's Saloon; Purdy's Saloon), 1 bakery (McNamara Bros.), 1 creamery (McNamara Creamery), 1 schoolhouse with 8 students enrolled (), 3 fire companies with 10 members each (), 5 mines with an estimated value of $50 thousand (), 10 farms with an estimated value000 acres ().

The town experienced significant growth after World War II when Highway 4 was widened into a four-lane expressway which made it easier for motorists to travel between San Francisco and Sacramento. This growth continued through the 1970s when new businesses such as supermarkets began opening up in Oak Run. Today there are still many businesses operating in Oak Run including several restaurants, a bank branch, two churches, three convenience stores/gas stations/liquor stores/, one pharmacy store/, one salon/, one daycare center/, one hardware store/. There are also three schools operating within town: Oakrun Elementary School serving grades K-5; Brentwood Middle School serving grades 6-8; Contra Costa College serving students from 9th through 12th grade