Dublin, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dublin, California
City
City of Dublin
Public library in Dublin
Flag Seal
Location of Dublin in Alameda County, California
Dublin, California Location in California Show map of California Dublin, California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Alameda
Incorporated	February 1, 1982
Area
• Total	15.23 sq mi (39.44 km2)
• Land	15.23 sq mi (39.44 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.03%
Elevation	367 ft (112 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	72,589
• Density	4,766.50/sq mi (1,840.36/km2)
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	94568
Area code(s)	925
FIPS code	06-20018
GNIS feature IDs	1655980, 2410362

Dublin is a city in California, United States. It is a suburban area located in the East Bay region. Dublin is part of Alameda County and sits in the Amador Valley.

The city is easy to reach because it's right where two major highways, Interstate 580 and Interstate 680, meet. It's about 35 miles (56 km) east of San Francisco.

Dublin got its name from the city of Dublin, Ireland. This is because many Irish settlers made their home here a long time ago. The post office officially started using the name in the 1890s.

Dublin has grown very quickly! In 2010, its population was about 46,000 people. By 2020, it had grown to over 72,500 people. This makes Dublin one of the fastest-growing cities in California and even in the whole country.

History of Dublin, California

Dublin was once part of a large ranch owned by José María Amador.

The historic Murray Schoolhouse, built in 1856.

Green's Store, a historic building now used as a church.

In 1835, a Mexican soldier and administrator named José María Amador received a large piece of land. This land was about 16,500 acres and the valley was named Amador Valley after him.

Around 1850, Irish settlers bought land from Amador. They started a town there.

Several old buildings and sites are still preserved in Dublin today. You can find them where Dublin Boulevard and Donlon Way meet. These include:

• The Murray Schoolhouse, which opened in 1856 with 50 students.
• Green's Store, which first opened in 1860. Today, it is used as a church.
• The old cemetery, officially started in 1859. People had been buried there even before that year.
• Old St. Raymond Church, built in 1859. It is listed as a historic place.

Dublin Boulevard, a main road that runs east to west, was once part of the famous Lincoln Highway. This was one of the first roads that went across the United States.

In the 1960s, Dublin started to change from a farming area to a suburban community. More and more homes were built. The city officially became incorporated (its own city) in February 1982.

While a post office existed nearby earlier, Dublin's first official post office opened in 1963. It is still in use today.

The MythBusters Cannonball Incident

On December 6, 2011, something unusual happened in Dublin. The TV show MythBusters was filming at Camp Parks. During a test, a cannonball flew off course. It went through a house and landed in a car nearby. Luckily, no one was hurt.

The MythBusters team, including Adam Savage and Kari Byron, visited Dublin High School. They wanted to thank the community for letting them film there. The Dublin Film Commission even declared December 6 "Victory in the battle for Dublin." They started a film festival on this day each year. Winners receive a "Golden Cannonball Award."

Protecting Open Spaces: Measure M

In 2000, some people in Dublin wanted to protect the city's open spaces. They were worried that too many new houses would be built in the Dublin Hills. So, they created a plan called Measure M.

This plan was put to a vote for all citizens of Dublin. The goal of Measure M was to make sure that new housing would not take over the beautiful open areas. Measure M won the vote in every part of Dublin. This showed that the community wanted to keep its green spaces.

Geography of Dublin

Dublin covers an area of about 14.9 square miles (38.6 square kilometers). Most of this area is land.

New Neighborhoods in Dublin

Dublin has seen a lot of new homes being built.

• Wallis Ranch is a large housing area with over 800 homes. It started opening in 2016. Different homebuilders worked together on this project.
• Tassajara Hills is another area with about 370 detached homes.
• Near the city's two BART train stations, new developments like Aster and Valor Crossing are being built. Valor Crossing is special because it provides affordable homes for military veterans and their families.

Population and People

Dublin's population has grown a lot. In 2010, there were about 46,000 people living here. By 2018, the population was almost 65,000. This makes Dublin one of the fastest-growing cities in California. Once all the planned homes are built, the city could have over 75,000 residents.

In 2010, about 22% of the people in Dublin were under 18 years old. The average age was around 35 years. The city has a mix of different cultures and backgrounds. Many families live in Dublin, with an average household size of about 2.7 people.

The average income for a household in Dublin was around $114,699 in 2010. This shows that many people in Dublin have good jobs.

Economy and Jobs

Dublin has many places to shop and eat. Almost all the shopping centers in Dublin have been updated or expanded. New shopping centers like Hacienda Crossings and Fallon Gateway have also been built.

Dublin is home to some important facilities and businesses:

• Santa Rita Jail is a large facility for Alameda County. It is one of the biggest jails in California.
• The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin is one of the few federal prisons for women in the United States.
• The Parks Reserve Forces Training Area (PRFTA), also known as Camp Parks, is located in Dublin. This is a training facility for military reservists in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has firing ranges and other training areas.

Many companies have their main offices in Dublin. These include CallidusCloud, Patelco Credit Union, Ross Stores, TriNet, Medley Health, Challenge Dairy, and Arlen Ness.

Top Employers in Dublin

Here are some of the biggest employers in Dublin, based on a 2020 report:

Arts and Culture in Dublin

Dublin is famous for its annual Saint Patrick's Day celebration. This event is very popular with both locals and visitors. The celebration includes:

• A 5K Fun Run and Walk.
• A pancake breakfast, often hosted by the Dublin firefighters. Kids can even tour the firehouse!
• A two-day festival with food, games, rides, arts and crafts.
• A colorful parade with bands and floats.

The festival used to be held in Shamrock Village but moved to the Civic Center in 2007. This made it easier for more people to attend.

Parks and Recreation

Dublin has many great places for outdoor activities:

• Dog Parks: There are two dog parks: Dougherty Hills Dog Park (with separate areas for large and small dogs) and a dog run at Bray Commons.
• Fallon Sports Park: This large park opened in 2010. It has fields for softball, baseball, and soccer. There are also basketball courts, tennis courts, and a BMX bike facility. Recent expansions have added more soccer fields, a baseball diamond, playgrounds, and even a cricket field and sand volleyball courts.
• Emerald Glen Park: This is Dublin's biggest community park. In 2017, the city opened The Wave at Emerald Glen Park. This facility has a large indoor pool for swimming lessons, exercise, and fun all year round.

Education in Dublin

The Dublin Unified School District manages the public schools in the city.

Public Schools

Dublin has:

• Seven elementary schools (Amador, Dougherty, Dublin, Frederiksen, John Green, Kolb, and Murray).
• One K-8 school (Cottonwood Creek).
• Two middle schools (Wells and Fallon).
• One alternative high school (Valley High School).
• Two main high schools.

Dublin High School

Dublin High School is located on Village Parkway. In 2017, it had about 2,500 students and 150 teachers. The school has a high graduation rate. It completed a big renovation project in 2016, which included new classrooms, a gymnasium, and a 500-seat Center for Performing Arts and Education. Dublin High School has been recognized as one of America's top public high schools.

Emerald High School

Emerald High School is a newer high school located on Central Parkway. It was established in 2023, and its campus opened to students in 2024.

DPIE (Dublin Partners in Education)

DPIE is an organization that offers after-school and summer programs for students in Dublin's public schools. They also have a 6-week course for high school students at Dublin High.

Private Schools

Dublin is also home to several private schools:

• Valley Christian Schools: This is a large Christian school with about 1,300 students. It includes a preschool, elementary school, junior high, and senior high.
• Quarry Lane School: This school serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program for high school students.
• St. Raymond School: A Catholic school for grades K–8.
• St. Philip Lutheran School: Offers preschool and grades K–8.

Transportation in Dublin

Dublin has good transportation options:

Public Transit

• BART: Dublin is served by BART, which is a train system. It has two stations: Dublin/Pleasanton and West Dublin/Pleasanton. The West Dublin station opened in 2011 and also includes a hotel and apartments.
• Buses: Local bus service is provided by WHEELS.

Roads

Dublin is located at the meeting point of Interstate 580 and Interstate 680. These are major highways that connect Dublin to other cities.

The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a popular path for walking and biking that goes through Dublin.

Airports

The closest airport to Dublin is Livermore Municipal Airport. However, this airport is mainly for small planes and does not have regular passenger flights. For commercial flights, Dublin residents can easily reach Oakland International Airport using BART.

Law Enforcement

Dublin has full-time 911 emergency services. Police services are provided by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. Fire services are handled by the Alameda County Fire Department.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) also has an office in Dublin. They help keep people safe on freeways and state property.

Notable People from Dublin

Many interesting people have connections to Dublin, including:

• Christopher Andersen, a journalist and author.
• Alex Cappa, a professional football player.
• Tanner Damonte, a professional video game player.
• Steve Souza, a heavy metal singer.
• Phil Demmel, a heavy metal guitarist.
• Guy Houston, a former mayor of Dublin and state assembly member.
• Eric Swalwell, a U.S. representative.
• Ned Yost, a former baseball manager.

Twin City

Dublin has a "twin city" relationship with Bray, County Wicklow in Ireland. This means they share a special connection and often exchange cultural ideas.

See also

In Spanish: Dublin (California) para niños