Pleasant Hill, California facts for kids

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City of Pleasant Hill

City

City Hall

Flag

Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California

Pleasant Hill, California

Location in the United States

Incorporated

November 14, 1961

Area

• Total

7.08 sq mi (18.33 km²)

• Land

7.08 sq mi (18.32 km²)

• Water

0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²) 0%

Elevation

52 ft (16 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

34,613

• Density

4,889/sq mi (1,888.3/km²)

Time zone

UTC-8 (PST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-7 (PDT)

ZIP code

94523

Area code(s)

925

FIPS code

06-57764

GNIS feature IDs

1659406, 2411439

Pleasant Hill is a city in Contra Costa County, California. It is located in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2020, about 34,613 people lived there.

Pleasant Hill became an official city in 1961. It is home to College Park High School, Diablo Valley College, and the Pleasant Hill Library. The city also has its own Recreation & Park District.

History of Pleasant Hill

Before European settlers arrived, the area was home to the Bay Miwok people. In 1891, a train line called the San Ramon Valley Branch Line started service. It had two stops in the area that would become Pleasant Hill: Hookston and Sparkle. Today, the Iron Horse Regional Trail crosses Hookston Road where Hookston stop used to be. The Pleasant Hill BART station is now where the Sparkle stop was.

Early Development

In the 1920s, after Prohibition ended, many local vineyards were removed. The land, which was once used for farming, was divided into smaller plots for homes. This started the growth of suburban areas.

Monument Boulevard got its name from the Soldiers Memorial Monument. This monument honors veterans and those who died in World War I from Contra Costa County. It was built on December 11, 1927. The monument is 45 feet (14 meters) tall and weighs 150 tons. In 1954, it was moved to its current spot to make way for the building of State Route 21.

Pleasant Hill grew a lot after World War II. It did not even have its own post office until 1948. The city officially became incorporated in 1961.

The Dome Theater

CinéArts "Dome" Theater, 2013

On February 21, 1967, a special movie theater called Century 21 Theaters opened. It had a unique dome shape and 895 seats. This futuristic dome cinema became a famous landmark for the new city.

The theater was designed by architect Vincent G. Raney. It had a 50-foot-high domed ceiling and a large curved screen. It was first built to show movies using the Cinerama widescreen process. Later, the screen was changed to a standard flat one. In 1973, four more movie rooms were added. The theater was renamed Century 5 Theatres, but people still called it "the Dome."

From 2003, CinéArts ran the former Century 5 Theatres. They mostly showed independent and foreign films. However, as more people watched movies at home, the theater's business declined. The property owner closed the Dome on April 21, 2013. On its last night, they showed Stanley Kubrick's classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The city council approved a plan to tear down the theater and build a new store. Some people tried to stop the demolition, but the council voted against their appeals. The Dome was torn down on May 8, 2013.

Downtown and City Hall

For many years, Pleasant Hill did not have a central downtown area. In 1991, the city started planning to develop the area around Monument and Contra Costa boulevards. In July 2000, Downtown Pleasant Hill finally opened. This outdoor shopping center was designed to look like a typical small town's main street.

The city hall of Pleasant Hill was designed by architect Charles Moore. It was built in the late 20th century and has won awards for its design.

Recent Events

On October 14, 2019, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook the city.

Geography and Climate

Pleasant Hill covers about 7.1 square miles (18.3 square kilometers). The city has different types of land, including valleys and rolling hills. In natural areas, you can find oak woodlands and mixed forests. It is located in the central East San Francisco Bay area.

Weather in Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Summer temperatures are usually in the 70s to upper 80s Fahrenheit (20s to low 30s Celsius). Sometimes, during very hot periods, temperatures can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Winter daytime temperatures are typically in the 50s to low 60s Fahrenheit (10s Celsius). Freezing temperatures in winter are rare but can happen. Summer fog is sometimes seen, but winter fog is very common.

Education

Pleasant Hill has many schools for students of all ages.

Public Schools

Elementary Schools

Fair Oaks Elementary School
Gregory Gardens Elementary School
Pleasant Hill Elementary School
Sequoia Elementary School
Strandwood Elementary School
Valhalla Elementary School

Middle Schools

Pleasant Hill Middle School
Sequoia Middle School
Valley View Middle School

High Schools

College Park High School

Private Schools

Christ the King Catholic School
Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy

Colleges and Universities

Diablo Valley College
John F. Kennedy University

Public Libraries

The Pleasant Hill Library is part of the Contra Costa County Library system. The main office for the library system used to be in Pleasant Hill.

Parks and Recreation

Soldiers Monument

Parks in Pleasant Hill are managed by the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District. This district is separate from the city government.

Some of the parks include:

Brookwood Park
Chilpancingo Park
Dinosaur Hill Park
Las Juntas Open Space
Paso Nogal Park
Pinewood Park
Pleasant Hill Aquatic Park
Pleasant Hill Education Center Pool
Pleasant Hill Park
Pleasant Oaks Park
Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center (See Patrick Rodgers Farm)
Rodgers-Smith Park
Shannon Hills Park
Sherman Acres Park
Shadowood Park
Soldiers Memorial Park (Owned by Contra Costa County)

People of Pleasant Hill

In 2010, the population of Pleasant Hill was 33,152. Most people lived in homes, with a small number in group living situations.

The city's population included people from many different backgrounds. About 74.9% were White, 2.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, and 13.6% Asian. About 12.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Pleasant Hill was 40.7 years old. About 19.8% of the people were under 18, and 13.9% were 65 or older.

Planning and Environment

In the 1950s, a neighborhood called Gregory Gardens had rules about who could buy homes. These rules said that only Caucasians could own property there. These types of rules are now against the law in the United States. The rules also limited what could be built and what animals were allowed.

Pleasant Hill started using environmental planning early in its growth. In the 1980s, the city studied how to develop its hillsides. They looked at plants, animals, natural dangers, and noise levels. This helped them decide how to zone the land and how many homes could be built in undeveloped hillside areas.

Media

The city of Pleasant Hill is served by the East Bay Times newspaper. It is also served by the Community Focus, a monthly newspaper that focuses on local news.

Pleasant Hill Patch is a local news website that covers community events and news.

Religion

Episcopal Church of the Resurrection

Sister Cities

Pleasant Hill, California, has one sister city:

Chilpancingo, Mexico

Notable People

Many interesting people have connections to Pleasant Hill:

Tom Hanks: A famous actor who won Academy Awards and Golden Globes. He grew up and spent his early childhood in Pleasant Hill.
Leslie Smith: A professional mixed martial artist.
Bob Roll: A professional cyclist, TV personality, and writer.
Bob Wilson: A singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
Ron Wotus: A bench coach for the San Francisco Giants baseball team.
Gary Simmons: An NHL Hockey Player.
Julie Strain: A model and actress who attended Diablo Valley College.

Images for kids

Interior of the CinéArts "Dome" Theater on its last night of operation – April 21, 2013