San Pablo, CA

San Pablo is a city located in Contra Costa County, California. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 27,049. San Pablo is located approximately 30 miles east of San Francisco and 10 miles west of Oakland. The city was founded in 1853 by José Castro and Asa Gray on land donated by Ygnacio Martínez.

The first businesses in San Pablo were operated by the Spanish missionaries who had arrived in California with the Portolà expedition in 1769. The town grew slowly because it was difficult to get goods to market over an extensive mountain range. In 1868, two businessmen from nearby Piedmont, Joseph Phelan and Isaac Hayes, established a sawmill and a gristmill on the banks of the San Pablo River near what is now downtown San Pablo. The mills produced lumber for local construction and export until they closed down after a fire in 1875.

In 1887, Dr. John Creighton established a small hospital near downtown San Pablo which became known as Creighton Memorial Hospital after his death in 1911. In 1906, following several unsuccessful attempts by local businessmen to establish a municipal water system, residents formed the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) to provide water for their homes and businesses. MWD purchased land adjacent to the river for use as reservoirs and constructed dams to create Lake Chabot and Lake Merritt which provide drinking water for residents of Contra Costa County today.

In 1917, following World War I, WPA workers built roads throughout town linking it with other parts of Contra Costa County as well as with Oakland and Berkeley across the Bay Bridge toll plaza. Following World War II there was rapid growth due to increased industrialization along major transportation corridors such as I-80 and US 101 through town which continues today due to continued growth within technology companies such as Google Inc., Intel Corporation., Apple Inc., Facebook Inc., LinkedIn Corporation., Twitter Inc., Uber Technologies Incorporated., Pinterest Corporation., Salesforce Foundation Incorporated..

Today there are many businesses operating in downtown including restaurants such as El Farolito Mexican Restaurant; clothing stores such as Lululemon Athletica; banks including Wells Fargo & Company; law firms including Morrison & Foerster LLP; health care providers including Kaiser Permanente Medical Center; technology companies like Adobe Systems Incorporated.; art galleries like Artspace West Gallery; bike shops like Bicycles Unlimited LLC.; car dealerships including Toyota Motor North America LLC.; real estate agents like Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Services LLC.; public services such as police departments ( San Pablo Police Department [SPPD], Martinez Police Department [MPD], Brentwood Police Department [BPD]); fire departments ( San Pablo Fire Department [SAPD], Martinez Fire Department [MFD], Brentwood Fire Department [BFD]); libraries (Central Library at 601 Broadway Street); parks (Parkside Park at 4500 MacArthur Boulevard); recreation centers ( Martinez Recreation Center at 5800 MacArthur Boulevard); schools (Hilltop Elementary School at 4500 MacArthur Boulevard).