Blackhawk, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blackhawk, California
Census-designated place
Blackhawk Plaza
Location of Blackhawk in Contra Costa County, California
Blackhawk, California Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Contra Costa County
Area
• Total	5.79 sq mi (14.99 km2)
• Land	5.78 sq mi (14.96 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)  0.17%
Elevation	997 ft (304 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,637
• Density	1,668.74/sq mi (644.26/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
FIPS code	06-06928
GNIS feature IDs	1867000, 2407859

Blackhawk is a special kind of community in Contra Costa County, California. It's called a "planned community" because it was designed from the start. It's located east of Danville and Oakland.

As of 2020, about 9,637 people live in Blackhawk. The community has a country club, two golf courses, a sports center, and restaurants. It also has a shopping area called Blackhawk Plaza. Blackhawk is known for its similar-looking homes and a quiet, suburban way of life. It also has 24-hour security.

History of Blackhawk Ranch (1917-1979)

The area now known as Blackhawk started as Blackhawk Ranch in 1917. It was created by Ansel Mills Easton and his son-in-law, William Q. Ward. The name "Blackhawk" came from a famous Irish racehorse that Easton's family used to own.

Over the years, the land was owned by different people and companies. One owner was Raymond Force, who owned the Caterpillar Tractor Company. Later, a company from Hawaii called Castle & Cooke owned it. Finally, Howard Peterson, who owned Peterson Tractor, bought the ranch.

In 1975, Howard Peterson sold the land to a developer named Ken Behring. Behring planned to build many homes, about 4,800 houses, on over 4,200 acres (17 square kilometers) of land. Some people worried that this big plan would harm the environment and cause too much growth. A group of local people and environmentalists called Amigos de Diablo spoke out against the plan.

Eventually, the Blackhawk Development Corporation agreed to build fewer homes, only 2,400. They also promised to give more than 2,000 acres (8 square kilometers) of open land to Mount Diablo State Park. This helped protect a large natural area.

Blackhawk's Communities

Blackhawk is made up of seven separate communities. These are often called "gated communities" because they have special entrances. They are all located along Blackhawk Road and are connected by a 3-mile (4.8 km) long jogging path.

• Hidden Oaks was the first community finished in 1978. It has 206 homes, mostly on large lots.
• Oakridge has medium-sized homes. Some very large homes are found at the top of a private court.
• Saddleback was the second community built. It has some of the most luxurious homes in Blackhawk, with many lots being at least 5 acres (20,000 square meters) in size.
• Silveroak is a complex with upscale condos.
• Silver Maple is built around one of the Blackhawk Country Club's golf holes. It has about 110 custom homes.
• Blackhawk Country Club ("Main Gates") is the largest community.

There are also other communities nearby, such as Alamo Creek, Bettencourt Ranch, Northridge, Monterosso, and Wendt Ranch.

Blackhawk Country Club

The Blackhawk Country Club opened in 1979. It's a large, private community that covers 4,800 acres (19 square kilometers) at the base of Mount Diablo. Luxurious homes are surrounded by thousands of acres of open land.

The club has two golf courses. The Lakeside golf course is 6,904 yards (6,313 meters) long. It even hosted a professional golf tournament for women called the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge from 2005 to 2010. The newer Falls golf course is 6,700 yards (6,126 meters) long.

The Blackhawk Tennis Club has 20 tennis courts and a pro shop. The Blackhawk Swim Club has a large pool for competitions, a spa, and offers swimming lessons. There's also a 25-acre (100,000 square meter) Sports and Recreation Center. This center has basketball courts, outdoor volleyball courts, a playground for kids, another Olympic-sized pool, sports fields, and an outdoor theater.

How the Land is Used

Out of the total 4,800 acres (19 square kilometers) in Blackhawk:

• 2,000 acres (8 square kilometers) are set aside to expand the nearby Mount Diablo State Park.
• 1,000 acres (4 square kilometers) are used for natural hillsides, parks, golf courses, and sports fields.
• There are 2,400 home sites in total.
• 45 acres (182,000 square meters) are used for a large shopping center.

Blackhawk Plaza

Blackhawk Plaza is a popular shopping center.

Blackhawk Plaza opened in 1989. It's an outdoor shopping center built around a long pond where ducks live. You can find retail stores, restaurants, a movie theater, and two museums there. One of the museums is the Blackhawk Museum.

Population Information

The 2020 United States Census counted 9,637 people living in Blackhawk. Most of the people living in Blackhawk are White or Asian. About 5% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, about 24% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was 48 years old. Most people in Blackhawk own their homes.

Blackhawk in Pop Culture

Blackhawk has been mentioned in a few songs and films:

• The punk band Rancid mentions Blackhawk in their song "Salvation," saying it's a place "where all the rich people hide."
• The Lonely Island's short film The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience also mentions Blackhawk as where the main characters live.
• The band The Network, which includes members from Green Day, mentions Blackhawk in their song "Spike" from the album Money Money 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Blackhawk (California) para niños