As with the entire Tri-Valley, agriculture was the basis for San Ramon economy until suburban development began. In 1966 the new Interstate 680 freeway was completed through San Ramon to Dublin. For years a sign “San Ramon Population 100” accurately reflected the number of people in the area, with the whole San Ramon Valley having just over 2000 people for many decades.
The designation “San Ramon Village” first appeared in the 1970 census with a count of 4,084 people, part of a San Ramon Valley population of 25,899. Developers Ken Volk and Bob McClain built the first San Ramon suburban homes close to the county line. A special district, the Valley Community Services district (VCSD) provided the water, parks, sewer, fire protection and garbage collection for the new homes.
San Ramon is home to the headquarters of Chevron Corporation, Cooper Companies, the West Coast headquarters of AT&T, GE Digital, as well as the San Ramon Medical Center. Major annual events include the Art and Wind Festival on Memorial Day weekend and the Run for Education in October.
On April 24, 2001, San Ramon was designated a Tree City USA.
Mount Diablo flanks the city to the northeast and is prominently visible from almost all parts of the city. The Las Trampas Regional Wilderness borders San Ramon’s extreme northwest, at the northern end of Bollinger Canyon. The smaller Bishop Ranch Regional Preserve straddles San Ramon’s western border, located approximately between Interstate 680 and the Alameda County line.
The topography of San Ramon is varied, featuring a mix of the rolling hills of the Diablo Range and the flatter basin of the San Ramon Valley. The city is predominantly urban and residential with many new housing developments; however, much of the land around the city’s perimeter regions remains undeveloped, and is covered by grasslands and oak tree orchards. During the drier months the grasses are golden, but with the precipitation of winter and spring, the grasses turn green.
San Ramon is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about 30 miles east of San Francisco. The city has a population of approximately 92,000 people and is known for its high quality of life, its abundance of parks and green spaces, and its strong sense of community.
San Ramon is home to a variety of neighborhoods, each with its own unique character. Some of the most popular neighborhoods include:
Each of these neighborhoods has its own unique character and charm, and there is something for everyone in San Ramon. Whether you are looking for a quiet neighborhood with large homes or a more urban setting with easy access to shopping and dining, you are sure to find the perfect place to call home in San Ramon.
In addition to its many neighborhoods, San Ramon is also home to a variety of parks and green spaces. Some of the most popular parks include:
These are just a few of the many things that make San Ramon a great place to live. If you are looking for a city with a high quality of life, a strong sense of community, and a variety of amenities, then San Ramon is the perfect place for you.
Bishop Ranch, a master-planned office park development, with some retail elements, began major construction in the early 1980s, and provides a healthy tax base for the city. Bishop Ranch is situated on 585 acres once owned by Western Electric, and was farmland before that. Current tenants include the corporate headquarters of Chevron Corporation (formerly ChevronTexaco), as well the West Coast headquarters of AT&T Inc. (which had been the headquarters of Pacific Bell from about 1983, when it relocated from downtown San Francisco, until the merger with SBC Communications that created the current AT&T). United Parcel Service has a regional distribution center in Bishop Ranch. Toyota[21] has a regional office and parts distribution center located there. GE Global Research started its Global Software Center in Bishop Ranch in 2011. Bishop Ranch covers the vast majority of “Central San Ramon”, which is the large square formed by Freeway 680 on the west, Crow Canyon Road on the north, Iron Horse trail on the east, and Bollinger Canyon Road on the south (though several complexes are south of Bollinger). In December 2016, the Ligier EZ-10 began use in the first autonomous vehicle passenger shuttle route in North America, looping through Bishop Ranch Office Park, with on-sight operation and maintenance by First Transit.
ChevronTexaco’s headquarters moved from San Francisco to San Ramon in 2001, but 12 years later, 800 jobs were moved to Houston, a quarter of the San Ramon workforce due to high corporate costs and to consolidate existing units in Houston.
According to USA Today in 2020, San Ramon was not only the wealthiest city in California, but also in the entire United States.