Walnut Creek, CA:

23 miles east of San Francisco and 430 miles north of Los Angeles

Population
1980: 53,643
2000: 64,710 (Census)

19.45 sq. miles

Incorporated 1914

Weather: Average temperatures-Winter 40/63, Spring 45/72, Summer 53/85, Fall 41/73

Annual Precipitation: 25.05 inches   Annual Snowfall: 0.00 inches!

Voted in 1989 by the National Conference of Mayors as "The most livable small city in the nation." Recent downtown renovation has made Walnut Creek even nicer.

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elcome to Walnut Creek, a wonderful, small city nestled at the base of Mt. Diablo in the heart of the Diablo Valley.  Recent renovation of Walnut Creek's downtown area has created upscale, inviting shopping areas, many smaller shopping boutiques, and brought a variety of restaurants of every description including sidewalk cafes, sushi bars, Italian, Chinese, Thai, seafood and more.  It would be hard to find a more inviting downtown area.

The city is a very attractive, upscale scene where residents enjoying shopping, wonderful restaurants and cultural events.

Walnut Creek is located about 23 miles east of San Francisco and 44 miles north of San Jose at the intersection of Highway 24 and Interstate 680.

Hundreds of Acres of Parks

Walnut Creek has an extensive park system with 17 city parks on over 240 acres and 2,708 acres of designated open space. "...Walnut Creek has exceptional balance: open space, residential areas, an active business/commercial community, parks, entertainment and recreation. Massive Mount Diablo dominates the local landscape. Its lovely grassy slopes and the other undeveloped ridges that help separate the city from surrounding communities are eloquent inspiration for Walnut Creek's long standing commitment to open space.." Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce.

Mt. Diablo, centerpiece of the Diablo Valley

Mt. Diablo at 3,850 feet above sea level, towers above the Diablo Valley and Walnut Creek. From the top, visitors can see more land mass than any other place in the world except for Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro. Other links: Mt. Diablo, More on Mt. Diablo.

Mt. Diablo State park is a 19,000 acre recreation area with 150 miles of trails, 50 picnic areas, and campsites. On a clear day at the top of Mt. Diablo you can see to the Farallon Islands in the Pacific to the West and to the Sierra Nevada mountains to the East. Occasionally during the winter, there may be snow at the very top of Mt. Diablo. It makes a pretty picture and is especially enjoyable since we usually don't have snow in the winter any place else in the valley during the winter months.

In Diablo Magazine's Best of the East Bay Issue, July 2000, Mt. Diablo was voted by readers as "The Best Spot for a Picnic," Best Spot to Catch a Sunset" and "Best Spot to Watch Shooting Stars."

Shell Ridge and Other Open Space Recreation Areas

Shell Ridge is the largest of Walnut Creek's Open Space parcels. It is about 1400 acres with 20 miles of trails.

With the wonderful weather here, enjoying the outdoors is a must. One very popular spot for hikers is Shell Ridge. Looking at Mt. Diablo, its the jagged lower ridge to the left.

It is a huge designated open space are with trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding through the oaks and grasslands.

Shell Ridge got its name from fossils left from prehistoric times when the ocean once covered this area. Here's a site with details on Shell Ridge: City of Walnut Creek Open Space and Trails Division.

Walnut Creek's other open space areas are Lime Ridge, Acalanes Ridge and Sugarloaf. Here' s a link to more info on those areas: Walnut Creek Open Space Trails.

Shell Ridge and Lime Ridge are connected other trails or through Diablo Foothills Regional Park to Mt. Diablo.

Local Points of Interest

Civic Park

Regional Center for the Arts: This is the city's performing arts complex.  It has become  a county landmark. The center has three theaters : the 800 seat Hofmann Theatre, 300 seat Margaret Lescher Theatre and the 130 seat Knight Foundation Stage 3 theatre. It also includes the beautiful Bedford Gallery for contemporary and traditional exhibits. 

Broadway Plaza Shopping: Shoppers can choose from numerous downtown shops, boutiques, and department stores on Broadway Plaza, or convenient neighborhood shopping centers. And the climate, which is generally warm and comfortable, allows locals to get out and enjoy their city just about any time of the year. Shop, have lunch with a friend at an outdoor eatery, or visit one of the several book stores in the area. The main draw in the downtown area for most people is customer service oriented Nordstroms plus Macy's Department Store. In addition there is a myriad of smaller shops along the mail shopping areas.

More Upscale Shops and Restaurants: Recent new additions to the shopping area are Pottery Barn shown on the left, plus Restoration Hardware, Williams Sonoma, and Il Fornaio Restaurant.

Plans for the addition of a Nieman Marcus store are in the works, joining Tiffany's, Coach and other upper end stores.