Alamo

History

Alamo was first inhabited by the Tatcan Indians over 5000 years ago. The Tatcan Indians, a Bay Miwok tribe closely connected to the Saclans of Walnut Creek, lived in Alamo in the eighteenth century. After Mission San José was founded in 1797, its grazing area stretched throughout the San Ramon Valley. The Mexican land grant Rancho San Ramon was deeded to Mariano Castro and his uncle Bartolo Pacheco in 1833. It covered modern-day Danville and Alamo. Castro owned the northern half, which included Alamo. In 1843 much of the Alamo, Las Trampas and Tice Valley areas were granted to brothers Inocencio and José Romero. It was called Rancho El Sobrante de San Ramon. Because of missing title papers, the brothers lost their ranch in American courts in 1857. Pioneers Mary Ann and John Jones traveled through Alamo in 1847. She provided the earliest English description of the area in her diary. Her husband stopped the wagon saying, "Mary, look! Did you ever see anything so beautiful?" She wrote later: On every side, the valley and surrounding hills were covered with thick, velvety clover, and with wild oats standing waist high waving and rippling in the summer breeze, like the bosom of a lake. The Jones family returned to Alamo in 1851, after California had become a state. John became the first postmaster in 1852 and she applied her considerable energies to schooling children and beginning a Cumberland Presbyterian church. Other early Alamo founders included David Glass, George Engelmeyer, Silas and Susanna Stone, Captain Wall, Joshua Bollinger, and James Foster. The area was named Alamo, which comes from the Spanish word álamo, meaning "poplar" or "cottonwood." Alamo was named after the Alamo Mission in San Antonio. Because of its location and climate, Alamo grew quickly. An…

Geography

Alamo is located in Contra Costa County, at the northern end of the -long San Ramon Valley between two Coast Ranges − the Las Trampas Ridge to the west and the Diablo Range to the east. The city of San Ramon and the town of Danville are also located in this valley. Just to the north of Alamo lies the city of Walnut Creek. San Francisco and San Jose lie to the west and to the south, respectively. A few miles to the east of Alamo stands the -tall Mount Diablo. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land. Alamo experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Summer high temperatures are hot, but due to the high degree of seasonal diurnal temperature variation, the mean temperature remains low enough to qualify as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, staying below . Temperatures occasionally reach or higher in the warmest months, and frost occurs on some clear mornings during the coldest months. There are, on average 42 days per annum with at least of rain (days when it is considered useful to carry an umbrella). During cold winter storms, snow can fall on top of nearby Mount Diablo, but very seldom falls in the Valley. Located at the corner of Danville Blvd. & Jackson Way, this 1 acre park is named in memory of Alamo resident Andrew H. Young, who served as chairman of the county Planning Commission in 1980. Located at the corner of Livorna Road & Miranda Avenue, this 4.4-acre neighborhood park features a large open-air gazebo, a bocce ball court, a multi-use sports court, playground structures, large play areas, drinking fountain, restrooms, two barbecue areas, ample grassed area and off-street parking. The park typically hosts a children's Easter egg hunt each year on Easter…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  42,120
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  35,967
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  35,500
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  32,617
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  32,424
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  32,103
• Oak Titmouse

  Baeolophus inornatus (Gambel, 1845) · Aves
  31,831
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  31,582

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-09-19
  10 km ENE of Milpitas, CA
• M 2.62 — 2026-09-17
  21 km E of Alum Rock, CA
• M 2.67 — 2026-09-16
  3 km ESE of Santa Rosa, CA
• M 2.99 — 2026-09-14
  9 km SW of Brentwood, CA
• M 2.55 — 2026-09-13
  9 km SW of Brentwood, CA
• M 3.36 — 2026-09-12
  9 km SW of Brentwood, CA