Danville

History

Often referred to as the "Heart of the San Ramon Valley", Danville was first populated by Native Americans who lived near creeks and camped on Mount Diablo in the summer. Later, it was part of Mission San José's grazing land as well as a Mexican land grant called Rancho San Ramon. Initially a farming community, the Town of Danville switched from wheat to fruits and nuts after the Southern Pacific Railroad built a spur line through the area in 1891. It developed as a residential suburb in 1947 when the first sizable housing tracts were constructed and its population boomed in the 1970s and 1980s. The Danville Post Office opened in 1860 with hotel owner Henry W. Harris as the first postmaster. Churches, schools, farmers unions and fraternal lodges began as the community grew. The Union Academy, a private high school begun by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, served the county from 1859 to 1868, until it burned down. Danville Presbyterian Church was dedicated in 1875. Many early Danville buildings remain standing today. The original 1874 Grange Hall exists as well, and the original Danville Hotel remains downtown which was last renovated in 2016. Many of the early pioneer names appear on the streets and schools, including Baldwin, Harlan, Wood, Love, Hemme, Boone, Bettencourt and Meese. The twentieth century found Danville affected by the wars, the Spanish flu, the depression, and new immigrants. In 1910, a public high school district was organized and San Ramon Valley Union High School was built. A library opened in 1913 with 104 books. St. Isidore's Catholic Church was first established in 1910. An Improvement League funded the first streetlights and paved roads in 1915. Danville continued as farm country into the 1940s. The Valley had a population of 2,120…

Geography

Danville is set in a narrow section of the San Ramon Valley with the Las Trampas Ridge to the west and the Diablo Range to the east. The most prominent landmark of Danville is the backdrop of Mount Diablo, which stands to the east at and provides a picturesque backdrop for Danville and neighboring towns and cities. Sycamore Creek drains some of the Mount Diablo slopes and flows through Danville. To the north of Danville, the unincorporated town of Alamo sits in the uppermost reaches of the San Ramon Valley and extends into the surrounding hills. San Ramon, another affluent suburb, borders Danville to the south. Interstate 680, extending along the valley to the north and south, is the main route used by traffic in and out of town. Camino Tassajara is the main thoroughfare for east–west travel, most importantly to reach the eastern subdivisions far from the interstate. Camino Tassajara also provides access to the wealthy gated community of Blackhawk. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land. }}

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  31,966
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  28,747
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  28,722
• Oak Titmouse

  Baeolophus inornatus (Gambel, 1845) · Aves
  25,772
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  24,452
• Lesser Goldfinch

  Spinus psaltria (Say, 1822) · Aves
  24,317
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  24,158
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  23,654

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2026-06-07
  3 km SW of Alamo, CA
• M 2.65 — 2026-06-04
  7 km E of Fremont, CA
• M 2.72 — 2026-05-10
  2 km ESE of Pinole, CA
• M 2.52 — 2026-05-02
  20 km SE of Livermore, CA
• M 2.77 — 2026-04-30
  14 km N of Morgan Hill, CA
• M 2.62 — 2026-04-26
  16 km E of Seven Trees, CA