Hotels near Richmond, California

A little about Richmond...

Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area and is often confused with the Richmond District in nearby San Francisco. It is a residential inner suburb it has been transforming from an industrial to services and business base since the 1970s. It almost surrounds the city of San Pablo, and the unincorporated areas of North Richmond, El Sobrante, and East Richmond Heights.The Contra Costa Community
College District serves the entire county and Richmonders attend classes at Contra Costa College, most of the campus is in San Pablo, although some of the land is in El Sobrante; it is sometimes mistakingly believed to be partially in Richmond.

Point Richmond, which is in effect a town within Richmond is known for its small-town charm and its quaint shops. The Point, as it is known by locals, offers owner-operated stores, coffee shops, and historic benches and streetlights.

The Masquers Playhouse is a performing arts center that offers shows and productions year round. Hotel Mac is one of the oldest buildings in the area and has classic early 1900s architecture, like many other buildings in the area.

USS Sausalito (PF-4)The Ferry Point Tunnel is one of the oldest tunnels in California. Built in 1899, this structure still gives access to many attractions and neighborhoods in Brickyard Cove. The tunnel gœs to the Golden State Railroad Museum, the USS Red Oak Victory, and many beaches and parks, and to Ferry Point where an abandoned ferry-rail pier still stands with a historic ferry slip still standing, though somewhat damaged from a fire. It can be viewed from a parallel adjacent fishing pier.

USS Red Oak Victory under construction, 1944The USS Red Oak Victory (AK-235) is a restored World War II Victory ship, the 558th ship made in Richmond. Liberty and Victory ships transported troops and supplies during World War II.

The Richmond Public Library, the only public library independent of the Contra Costa County Public Libraries system, lies in the heart of the civic center. It houses over 204,686 books, 4,014 audio materials, 5,277 video materials, and 491 serial subscriptions.

Richmond-San Rafael BridgeThe Richmond-San Rafael Bridge extends 5.5 miles across San Pablo Bay. The bridge is the origin of the term rollercoaster span, due to its curves, bumps, and appearance which also have earned the bridge the nickname of, The rollercoaster bridge. It was built in 1957, and connects Contra Costa County with Marin County. Automobiles are charged a $3 toll in the westbound (towards Marin) direction only.

The Golden State Railroad Museum is a complex series of miniature railroad exhibits in a museum in the Brickyard Cove area of Point Richmond. A visitor can operate trains of various eras, and there are miniature freight and passenger terminals, trestles, tunnels, and meticulously detailed town and city scenes, many of which are copied from real life scenes of the 1950s.

The Santa Fe Railroad Terminal operated as the western terminus for the railroad from the late 19th century to the late 20th century. It has now been transformed into a museum to exemplify the feel of the terminal in that era.

At the corner of Washington and Park avenues lies the Indian Statue. It was constructed in 1909 by the Women's Improvement group.

Keller Beach is the city's only beach, located at Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline, a park in Brickyard Cove. It offers picnicking, sunbathing, wading, and swimming. The beach is overlooked by vehicles exiting the Brickyard Cove drive, Ferry Point tunnel and houses on the steep cliffs above. The beach, as with most of the cove, offers spectacular panoramic bay views of the Oakland hills, bridges, the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate.

Point Molate Beach Park is a park on the western coast of Richmond along Western Drive. It was originally a Chinese shrimp camp in the 1870s.

Point San Pablo yacht harbor accommodates hundreds of private boats.

East Brother Light Station on East Brother Island (one of the Brother Islands) is host to an exclusive bed and breakfast. It is only accessible by private boat. Visitors come and stay for the day and picnic for free or they may pay for a room.

Rosie logoThe Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park is in Richmond, and commemorates women's shipbuilding and support for the war effort in the 1940s.

The city also has a tiny airfield in between Breuner Marsh and Point Pinole in the Parchester Village neighborhood.