In some ways, Dublin, California (not to be mistaken with Dublin, Ireland, of course!) is similar to its neighbors Pleasanton, Livermore, and San Ramon. It’s a relatively wealthy suburban city in the East Bay Area, located on the eastern side of the Berkeley Hills in what is known as the outer East Bay. In other ways, though, Dublin has a spirit and character all its own.
Dublin is located in the outer East Bay, meaning it is on the eastern side of the Berkeley Hills (which separate the outer East Bay from the inner East Bay).
To the north of Dublin, you’ll find San Ramon and then Danville. To the south, you’ll find Pleasanton.
The Berkeley Hills lie to the west of Dublin. On the other side, nestled partly into the hills, you’ll find Castro Valley. Livermore lies to the east of Dublin.
As you may have noticed, above, Dublin contains parts of two major freeways. 680 runs north to south through the western portion of Dublin, while 580 runs east to west on the border between Dublin and Pleasanton.
Having two major freeways in town makes getting to Dublin simple, no matter which part of the East Bay you’re coming from.
From cities and towns to the west, such as Castro Valley and Hayward, simply take 580 east to Dublin.
From cities and towns to the east, such as Livermore and Tracy, take 580 west.
From Walnut Creek and Concord, which lie to the north, take 680 south. From Fremont, Milpitas, and San Jose, take 680 north.
From Oakland and Berkeley, you have a couple options. You can take 24 east to Walnut Creek and then take 680 south to Dublin. Alternatively, you can take 580 or 880 south to San Lorenzo or Castro Valley, and then take 580 east toward Dublin (580 curves east here, while 880 continues south, so be sure to get onto 580 if you’re taking 880).
Despite being a fairly peaceful town, Dublin is home to Santa Rita Jail, which is one of the largest jails in California (and in the country, for that matter). It also houses the relatively large Federal Correctional Institute, Dublin, which is a federal prison for women.
Don’t worry, not all of Dublin’s landmarks are related to crime. The bomb disposal range here has been the filming site for dozens of episodes of the popular TV show MythBusters. In fact, you may remember Dublin as the place where a cannonball from one of the show’s stunts accidentally went through two homes (don’t worry, no one was injured).
The city is home to many parks. In addition to the vast swaths of parkland nearby, there are quite a few smaller parks – including some sports parks and a dog park – within the city limits.
Like many Bay Area cities, “Dublin” is not this town’s original name. It was originally named Amador’s Valley in the mid-1800s. Dublin didn’t become the official name until much later, likely thanks to the Irish settlers who bought the land from Jose Amador (for whom the area was originally named).
Surprisingly, Dublin didn’t become incorporated until the 1980s. However, it has been a suburb rather than a farming community since several decades before that.
The Basics:
- Population: 46,110 (as of 2011)
- Percent of residents with at least a high school education: 86.3 percent (according to CityData.com)
- Median age of residents: 35.3 years
- Major streets and freeways: Interstate 580, Interstate 680, Dublin Boulevard, Tassajara Road, Fallon Road
General Location:
Dublin is located in the outer East Bay, meaning it is on the eastern side of the Berkeley Hills (which separate the outer East Bay from the inner East Bay).
To the north of Dublin, you’ll find San Ramon and then Danville. To the south, you’ll find Pleasanton.
The Berkeley Hills lie to the west of Dublin. On the other side, nestled partly into the hills, you’ll find Castro Valley. Livermore lies to the east of Dublin.
Getting There:
As you may have noticed, above, Dublin contains parts of two major freeways. 680 runs north to south through the western portion of Dublin, while 580 runs east to west on the border between Dublin and Pleasanton.
Having two major freeways in town makes getting to Dublin simple, no matter which part of the East Bay you’re coming from.
From cities and towns to the west, such as Castro Valley and Hayward, simply take 580 east to Dublin.
From cities and towns to the east, such as Livermore and Tracy, take 580 west.
From Walnut Creek and Concord, which lie to the north, take 680 south. From Fremont, Milpitas, and San Jose, take 680 north.
From Oakland and Berkeley, you have a couple options. You can take 24 east to Walnut Creek and then take 680 south to Dublin. Alternatively, you can take 580 or 880 south to San Lorenzo or Castro Valley, and then take 580 east toward Dublin (580 curves east here, while 880 continues south, so be sure to get onto 580 if you’re taking 880).
Landmarks:
Despite being a fairly peaceful town, Dublin is home to Santa Rita Jail, which is one of the largest jails in California (and in the country, for that matter). It also houses the relatively large Federal Correctional Institute, Dublin, which is a federal prison for women.
Don’t worry, not all of Dublin’s landmarks are related to crime. The bomb disposal range here has been the filming site for dozens of episodes of the popular TV show MythBusters. In fact, you may remember Dublin as the place where a cannonball from one of the show’s stunts accidentally went through two homes (don’t worry, no one was injured).
The city is home to many parks. In addition to the vast swaths of parkland nearby, there are quite a few smaller parks – including some sports parks and a dog park – within the city limits.
A Brief History:
Like many Bay Area cities, “Dublin” is not this town’s original name. It was originally named Amador’s Valley in the mid-1800s. Dublin didn’t become the official name until much later, likely thanks to the Irish settlers who bought the land from Jose Amador (for whom the area was originally named).
Surprisingly, Dublin didn’t become incorporated until the 1980s. However, it has been a suburb rather than a farming community since several decades before that.
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