Selby, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Selby
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 Selby
Location in California
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Contra Costa County |
| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) |
| GNIS ID | 1659623 |
| FIPS code | 06-70868 |
Selby is a small community in Contra Costa County, located in northern California. It's part of the East Bay area, which is near the big city of San Francisco. Selby is considered an unincorporated community, meaning it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town.
Where is Selby?
Selby is right next to the water, where the Carquinez Strait meets San Pablo Bay. It's across the water from a city called Vallejo. The land here is quite low, only about 20 feet (6 meters) above sea level.
It's also close to another town called Rodeo. A train track, once part of the Southern Pacific Railroad, runs nearby. Selby is about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northwest of Martinez, another town in the area.
A Look at Selby's Past
Selby was built on land that was once part of a large Mexican land grant from the 1800s. This land, called Rancho El Pinole, was given to a person named Ygnacio Martinez.
Selby had its own post office for many years, from 1886 to 1967. The community was named after Prentiss Selby, who was the very first postmaster there.
A famous bridge builder named Al Zampa was born in Selby in 1905. He helped build many important bridges around the San Francisco Bay Area. One of the bridges, the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge, is named after him. It's part of the twin Carquinez Bridge and was finished in 2003, just east of Selby.
