El Cerrito, California
El Cerrito is a city of 25,994 people in Contra Costa County, California.
Why visit El Cerrito
Townapedia lists 32 museums and landmarks, 62 parks and trails, 133 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cerrito Theatre, Albany Beach, Atchison Village and Berkeley Day Nursery.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; December lows average 43°F.
Weather in El Cerrito
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About El Cerrito
El Cerrito (Spanish for 'The Little Hill') is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, and forms part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It has a population of 25,962 according to the 2020 census. El Cerrito was founded by refugees from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It was incorporated in 1917 as a village with 1,500 residents.
From the Wikipedia article El Cerrito, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do11
Berkeley I-80 bridge
Bridge · 3.8 mi
Pedestrian bridge in Berkeley, California
Goldman School of Public Policy
School · 3.9 mi
Public policy school at the University of California, Berkeley
Graduate Theological Union
School · 3.8 mi
Group of eight private American theological schools
UC Berkeley Extension
School · 3.7 mi
Extension school of the University of California, Berkeley
Murietta Rock
Scenic view · 0.9 mi
Privately owned, permissive access, historic and once prominent rock.
Museums and landmarks32
Atchison Village
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Neighbourhood in Richmond, California, United States of America
Berkeley Day Nursery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Berkeley Historic Civic Center District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic district in Berkeley, California
Chamber of Commerce Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Cloyne Court Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Student housing cooperative in Berkeley, California, USA
Donald and Helen Olsen House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Drawing Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
University building in Berkeley, California
Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Assembly plant in Richmond, California, United States
Fox Court and Fox Common, Berkeley
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Two historic complexes in Berkeley, Alameda County, California, U.S.
Garfield Intermediate School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Giannini Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
University building in Berkeley, California
Golden Sheaf Bakery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic building in Berkeley, California
20 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds62
Alvarado Area
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
National Historic Place in Richmond, California
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Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
U.S. national park in California
Albany Mudflats Ecological Reserve
Park · 1.9 mi
Ecological reserve in San Francisco, California
50 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes133
Sushi Sho
Restaurant · Sushi · 0.6 mi
Sushi Sho was established in 1983 and the owner and master chef, Aki Kawata has been keeping the tradition of Edo-mae(Tokyo) and...
10749 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito
Fr-Sa 18:00-22:00
5 Tacos & Beers
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.0 mi
1175 Solano Avenue, Albany
We, Th 08:00-21:00; Mo 08:00-21:00; Tu 08:00-22:00; Fr...
As You Wish Frozen Yogurt
Ice cream · Frozen Yogurt · 2.0 mi
1205 Solano Avenue, Albany
Mo-Su 12:00-21:30
Brazilian House & Restaurant Goiano
Restaurant · Brazilian · 1.6 mi
12221 Ste #2 San Pablo Avenue
Mo-Sa 06:00-16:00; Su 07:00-16:00
Eunice Gourmet Cafe
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Sandwich · 2.0 mi
1162 Solano Avenue, Albany
Mo-Th, Sa, Su 07:00-17:00
121 more on the map.
History
El Cerrito was founded by refugees from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They settled in what was then Don Víctor Castro's Rancho San Pablo, adjacent to the ranch owned by the family of Luís María Peralta, the Rancho San Antonio. A post office opened at the settlement in 1909 and the refugee camp became known as Rust, after Wilhelm F. Rust, its first postmaster. The village's residents did not care for the name and changed it to El Cerrito (meaning "little hill" or "knoll") in 1916, in reference to nearby Albany Hill. A year later, El Cerrito was incorporated as a village with 1,500 residents.
El Cerrito was incorporated in August 1917. The communities of Stege Junction, Rust, Schmidtville, and Schindler were all included in the new city. The 1920 census shows that the Schmidtville community had many Italian immigrants. A post office operated at Schmidtville from 1900 to 1901.
From the History section of El Cerrito, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship36
Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Bethel Temple Pentecostal Church
Church · Pentecostal · 1.9 mi
3429 Cutting Boulevard, Richmond
Shopping28
Gas and EV charging16
Schools, colleges and libraries80
Richmond Public Library - Bayview Branch
Library · 1.2 mi
5100 Hartnett Avenue, Richmond
Healthcare3
Map of El Cerrito
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 43°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 44°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 46°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 47°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 70°F | 49°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 52°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 74°F | 53°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 75°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 52°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 47°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 43°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Berkeley Hcn (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Contra Costa County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-04-01: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2017-03-16: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
San Rafael Airport (SRF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Albany 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Berkeley 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Richmond 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- San Pablo 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- El Sobrante 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Emeryville 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Pinole 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Hercules 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Orinda 8 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Piedmont 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Cerrito Theater San Pablo Avenue, LPS.1, CC0
- South exit of El Cerrito del Norte station 20260816, Evan0512, CC BY-SA 4.0
- South corner of El Cerrito del Norte station parking garage, March 2021, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kaiser shipyards, Richmond, California., E. F. Joseph, Public domain
- Alvarado Park (Richmond, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Atchison Village (Richmond, CA), Jet Lowe, HAER photographer, Public domain
- Church of the Good Shepherd (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant (Richmond, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- University House UC Berkeley, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CloyneCt1, Kirk Abbott ( Coro at en.wikipedia ), Public domain
- Studio Building (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hillside School (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round Sea Monster, EastshoreEmpire, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Donald and Helen Olsen House, Derrick Coetzee ( User:Dcoetzee ), CC0
- New Hotel Carquinez (Richmond, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hilgard Hall (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Giannini Hall (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fox Court (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- UC Berkeley Naval Architecture Building - back - 2015-07-25, James Lin, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Loring House (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chamber of Commerce Building, (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Garfield Intermediate School (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Berkeley Day Nursery (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old City Hall (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Golden Sheaf Bakery (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Martin Luther King Jr Civic Center (Berkeley, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Conocybe aurea 177329750, Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0
- Conocybe aurea 177329754, Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0
- Conocybe aurea 177329752, Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0
- Conocybe aurea 177329753, Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0
- Gymnopilus luteofolius spores 1000x, Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0
- Clitocybe violaceifolia imported from iNaturalist photo 347768235 on 23 February 2024, (c) Alan Rockefeller, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0
- Ramalina farinacea 135434408, Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0
- Ustilago avenae (13), crothfels, CC BY 4.0
- Ustilago hordei (01), crothfels, CC BY 4.0
- Ustilago hordei (02), crothfels, CC BY 4.0
- Ceratochloa carinata inflorescence (10), Denise Defreese, CC BY 4.0
- Ceratochloa carinata plant (06), Denise Defreese, CC BY 4.0
- Ceratochloa carinata inflorescence (11), Denise Defreese, CC BY 4.0
- Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (26779373367), Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California, CC BY 2.0
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