Tri-Valley facts for kids

The Tri-Valley area is a triangle-shaped region of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area, 18 miles southeast of Oakland and 33 miles from San Francisco. It encompasses the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, San Ramon, and Danville, as well as Alamo, Blackhawk, Camino Tassajara, Diablo, Norris Canyon, and Sunol.

The three valleys from which it takes its name are Amador Valley, Livermore Valley and San Ramon Valley. The region is well known for its Mediterranean climate, wine region, historic downtown areas, high cost of living and fine dining. It is a primarily affluent suburban area with a population of about 360,000.

Transportation

The Tri-Valley is serviced by WHEELS, operated by LAVTA, formerly called Tri-Valley Transit, a bus agency that operates local bus service in addition to feeder service to Hacienda Business Park, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Las Positas College, Stoneridge Mall, and Dublin/Pleasanton BART station.

Two major highways, Interstates 580 and 680 cross the Tri-Valley area. Interstate 580 runs east-west, connecting the area to the Central Valley to the east and the North Bay area to the west. Interstate 680 runs north-south, connecting the area to the South Bay area in the south, and the Concord-Walnut Creek area in the north. The two interstates cross on the border of Dublin and Pleasanton.

The Tri-Valley area is also serviced by BART, offering service to the San Francisco Bay Area by way of Oakland, with two stops: West Dublin/Pleasanton and the Dublin/Pleasanton terminus station. The West Dublin/Pleasanton Station opened in 2011, and was the first infill station on an existing line. BART plans include eventually extending the line to Livermore.