Tri-Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tri-Valley
|
|
|---|---|
|
Area of the East Bay
|
|
Tri-Valley Landscape
|
|
Tri-Valley location in California
|
|
 Tri-Valley
Location in the United States
|
|
| Population | |
| • Total | 361,000 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
The Tri-Valley is a cool area in the East Bay part of California. It's in the famous Bay Area. The name "Tri-Valley" comes from the three valleys that make up this region: Amador Valley, San Ramon Valley, and Livermore Valley.
This area includes several cities and towns. You'll find Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon. There's also the town of Danville and smaller communities like Alamo, Blackhawk, and Diablo. The Tri-Valley is known for its sunny weather, many wineries, and beautiful nature spots. It's mostly a suburban place, meaning it has a lot of homes and neighborhoods, but it's close to bigger cities. About 361,000 people live here. It's also a bit more affordable to live here compared to big cities like San Francisco and San Jose.
Contents
Tri-Valley History
The Ohlone tribe were the first people to live in this area. They settled here around 2000 BC, especially in the northern part of what is now Pleasanton. Later, in 1772, Spanish settlers arrived. They were involved with nearby mission work and changed the way of life for the Ohlone people.
The Tri-Valley area really started to grow after the Gold Rush ended in California. Before that, much of the land was marshy. After the Gold Rush, it was developed into farmland, becoming an important agricultural area.
Tri-Valley Climate
The weather in the Tri-Valley is generally mild and pleasant. Most of the rain falls during the winter months. It almost never snows in the valleys. However, you might see snow on the tops of the mountains nearby, especially on Mt. Diablo.
Summer days can be quite warm, often reaching 80 to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. But the nights usually cool down, which is nice. In winter, daytime temperatures are typically in the 50s and 60s. Nights get cooler, often in the 30s and 40s, and sometimes drop into the 20s on rare occasions. The amount of rain each year varies. Livermore gets about 14 in (360 mm) of rain, while Alamo gets around 23 in (580 mm).
Getting Around the Tri-Valley
The Tri-Valley has good ways to get around, especially for buses and highways.
Bus Service
The local bus service is called WHEELS. It's run by the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA). WHEELS buses travel throughout Livermore, Pleasanton, and Dublin. They can take you to important places like the Hacienda Business Park, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Las Positas College, and the Stoneridge Mall. Buses also connect to the BART train stations.
Major Highways
Two big highways cross through the Tri-Valley area: Interstate 580 and Interstate 680.
- Interstate 580 goes east and west. It connects the Tri-Valley to the Central Valley in the east and the North Bay area in the west.
- Interstate 680 runs north and south. It links the Tri-Valley to the South Bay area in the south and the Concord-Walnut Creek area in the north.
These two major highways meet right on the border between Dublin and Pleasanton.
BART Train Service
The Tri-Valley area is also served by BART. BART is a train system that connects the area to the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area. There are two BART stations here: West Dublin/Pleasanton and the Dublin/Pleasanton station, which is the end of the line. The West Dublin/Pleasanton Station opened in 2011. It was special because it was the first new station built on an existing train line. There were plans to extend the BART line to Livermore, but those plans were canceled in 2018. However, there's a new project called the Valley Link. This project is planning a train connection between BART, another train called ACE, and the San Joaquin Valley.
Tri-Valley Economy
The Tri-Valley is an important business hub. Many companies have their main offices here. Some well-known companies include 24 Hour Fitness, Chevron, Ross Stores, and Safeway. Other companies like 10X Genomics, Blackhawk Network Holdings, and Workday also have their headquarters in the area.
There are also large business parks that provide many jobs. These include Bishop Ranch and Hacienda Business Park. In addition, two major research labs are big employers in the region: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. These labs do important scientific research.
Fun Things to Do in the Tri-Valley
The Tri-Valley offers many fun activities and places to explore outdoors. You can visit parks and natural areas like Alviso Adobe Community Park, Brushy Peak Regional Preserve, and Del Valle Regional Park. There's also the Iron Horse Regional Trail, which is great for walking or biking.
If you like museums, you can check out the Blackhawk Museum. For history buffs, there's the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site. The area is also famous for its Livermore Valley Wine Country, where you can learn about winemaking.
Other popular spots include Mount Diablo State Park for hiking and amazing views, and Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area for water activities. There's even a waterpark called The Wave Waterpark for a splashing good time!
