Martinez

The oldest community in Contra Costa County and the County Seat, Martinez is rich in early California history. Martinez extends from the Carquinez Strait to Taylor Boulevard in Pleasant Hill. Martinez is a mix of old town and new suburbs, industry, and some of the prettiest rural-suburban land in the county. Population of 35,866 but the Martinez area takes in about 50,000.

Its natural harbor has made it a choice site for many and its location on the Sacramento River Delta makes it an excellent place for water-oriented outdoor recreation. Newer subdivisions, some custom homes and condominiums offer a wide range of housing alternatives. Country estates, rolling hills, horse ranches and many homes with views of Mt. Diablo border Alhambra Valley Road and Reliez Valley Road.

A town known for it oil refineries, many conclude that Martinez is an industrial town, coated with oil and grime. In reality, all but a small part of Martinez is suburban residential, and some of it—Alhambra Valley—opulent. Oil and industry are not the main employers. Governments and institutions are. Thousands work for the sheriff’s department, county medical center, courts, county agencies, Kaiser Clinic or the Veterans Clinic, or the college district or Highway Patrol.

Martinez has a lot to offer: over a dozen parks, fishing, boating, soccer, cycling, boys and girls club, yacht club, annual art exhibit, regional park on the waterfront. John Muir, conservationist hero, lived in Martinez. His home is now a national park.

Residents divide the town into two sections: north of the Santa Fe trestle (or Highway 4) and south of the trestle. Old-town, to the north, is the old-town area and birthplace of Joe Dimaggio. To maintain the old town atmosphere, the city has installed decorative brick in Main Street sidewalks with old-time streetlights. South of the trestle is the newer, suburban part of Martinez.

Martinez Unified School District serves the children in the downtown and along Alhambra Valley Road and nearby neighborhoods, and Mt. Diablo Unified School District educates the children in the Hidden Valley area and on both sides of Highway 4.  

The Highway 4 area is booming with two shopping centers, a movie complex and Wal-Mart. The area is served by two freeways (Highway 4 and I-680), buses to BART stations in Concord, and Amtrak. There is a new train station with public buses to Bay Area destinations and more parking for train and bus riders. Highway 4 to Hercules was widened in 2001, making the commute to West Contra Costa easier. A second bridge to Benicia is under construction.