Kensington, California
Kensington is a community of 5,179 people in Contra Costa County, California.
Why visit Kensington
Townapedia lists 65 museums and landmarks, 57 parks and trails, 164 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 21 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cerrito Theatre, Albany Beach, Berkeley City Club and Berkeley Day Nursery.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; December lows average 43°F.
Weather in Kensington
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kensington
Kensington is an unincorporated community and census designated place located in the Berkeley Hills, in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area, in Contra Costa County, California, United States.
From the Wikipedia article Kensington, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do21
Berkeley Community Theater
Cinema and theater · 2.6 mi
Theater on the campus of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California, United States
Berkeley I-80 bridge
Bridge · 3.0 mi
Pedestrian bridge in Berkeley, California
Goldman School of Public Policy
School · 2.5 mi
Public policy school at the University of California, Berkeley
Graduate Theological Union
School · 2.4 mi
Group of eight private American theological schools
Institute of Buddhist Studies
School · 2.8 mi
Buddhist seminary and graduate school in Berkeley, California
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
School · 2.6 mi
Lutheran (ELCA) seminary in Berkeley, California
UC Berkeley Extension
School · 2.4 mi
Extension school of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
School · 2.7 mi
Public university in Berkeley, California, USA
Zellerbach Hall
Cinema and theater · 2.8 mi
Performing arts center on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley
9 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks65
Berkeley City Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic building in Berkeley, California
Berkeley Day Nursery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Berkeley High School Campus Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic district in Berkeley, California
Berkeley Historic Civic Center District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic district in Berkeley, California
Boone’s University School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic building in Berkeley, California; former boy's school
Bowles Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Building and residential college of the University of California, Berkeley
California Hall (UC Berkeley)
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
UC Berkeley campus building
California Memorial Stadium
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Stadium located on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, California, United States
Chamber of Commerce Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
Cloyne Court Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Student housing cooperative in Berkeley, California, USA
College Women's Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Club in Berkeley, California
Corder Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic place in Berkeley, California
53 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds57
Cragmont Park
Park · 1.4 mi
Cragmont Rock Park is one of Berkeley’s rock parks in the Northbrae area, providing great views and challenges for rock climbing beginners.
960 Regal Road, Berkeley
Mo-Su 06:00-22:00
Dorothy Bolte Park
Park · 0.8 mi
Dorothy Bolte Park, with its beautiful views looking down from the hillside, offers play areas and places to picnic.
540 Spruce Street, Berkeley
Great Stoneface Park
Park · 0.7 mi
Great Stoneface Park is one of Berkeley’s rock parks in the Northbrae area, providing great views and challenges for rock climbing beginners.
1930 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Berkeley
Grotto Rock Park
Park · 1.2 mi
Grotto Rock Park is one of Berkeley’s rock parks in the Northbrae area, providing great views and challenges for early-level rock climbing.
879 Santa Barbara Road, Berkeley
John Hinkel Park
Park · 0.9 mi
John Hinkel Park, located in a beautiful hillside oak grove offers a range of recreational opportunities as well as an amphitheater for...
41 Somerset Avenue, Berkeley
Mortar Rock Park
Park · 1.0 mi
Mortar Rock Park is one of Berkeley’s rock parks in the Northbrae area, providing great views and challenges for early-level rock climbing.
901 Indian Rock Avenue, Berkeley
Adventure Playground
Park · 3.3 mi
Urban park and adventure playground in Berkeley, California
45 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes164
Korean Superette
Restaurant · Korean · 1.0 mi
Restaurant and Korean convenience store. The kitchen closes at 8pm.
1539 Solano Avenue, Berkeley
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:00
Sushi Sho
Restaurant · Sushi · 1.5 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 · 1.2 mi
1175 Solano Avenue, Albany
We, Th 08:00-21:00; Mo 08:00-21:00; Tu 08:00-22:00; Fr...
938 Crawfish
Restaurant · Cajun, Vietnamese, Fusion · 1.4 mi
938 San Pablo Avenue
Tu, We, Fr 16:00-21:30; Th, Sa 15:00-21:30; Su 15:00-20:30
AKEMI
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.0 mi
1695 Solano Avenue
Mo-Fr 11:30-16:00, 17:00-21:30; Sa-Su 09:00-18:00
As You Wish Frozen Yogurt
Ice cream · Frozen Yogurt · 1.2 mi
1205 Solano Avenue, Albany
Mo-Su 12:00-21:30
Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers
Restaurant · Burger · 1.0 mi
1591 Solano Avenue, Berkeley
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Bua Luang
Restaurant · Thai · 1.2 mi
1166 Solano Avenue, Albany
Tu-Fr 11:30-14:30, 17:00-20:30; Sa, Su 12:00-15:00, 17:00-20:30
152 more on the map.
History
The area that is now Kensington was originally the territory of the Huchiun band of the Ohlone Indigenous people who occupied much of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Pedro Fages mapping expedition passed through the area in 1772.
In 1823, the Republic of Mexico granted Rancho San Pablo, an extent of land lying north of Cerrito Creek and the Rancho San Antonio, including that portion of land that is now Kensington, to Francisco María Castro, a veteran of the Mexican Army and former alcalde of San José. In 1831, his youngest son, Victor Castro, inherited the southern portion of the rancho, including what is now Kensington.
In 1892, Anson Blake purchased a portion of Castro's land, most of which is now Kensington.
George Shima bought ten acres north of Cerrito Creek and east of the present-day Arlington Avenue in about 1911, intending to build a home there. He hosted an annual community picnic on the property for some time.
From the History section of Kensington, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship23
Living Hope International Christian Church
Church · Protestant · 1.3 mi
1221 Marin Avenue, Albany
シカモア組合教会 - Sycamore Congregational Church
Church · United Church Of Christ · 1.3 mi
Shopping43
Gas and EV charging13
Schools, colleges and libraries68
Healthcare3
Map of Kensington
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 (2 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
Oakland International Airport (OAK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- El Cerrito 1 mi northwest, about 2 min by car
- Albany 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Berkeley 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- East Richmond Heights 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Emeryville 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Richmond 5 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- El Sobrante 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- San Pablo 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Rollingwood 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Orinda 7 mi east, about 10 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
- Blake Garden CA, John Lambert Pearson, CC BY 2.0
- Ardmore Path, Kensington, California 2, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ardmore Path, Kensington, California, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kensington Circus or Colusa Circle, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kensington Library 3, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kensington Library 4, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kensington Library 2, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dorothy M. Bolte park, Berkeley, Tbo47, CC0
- Public mid-block path, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Public mid-block path 2, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ophion - Ken-ichi Ueda - 4, Ken-ichi Ueda, CC BY 4.0
- Ardmore Path, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kuba and Noah's Fusor, Fusion33r, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Commercial district at Arlington & Amherst, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 33, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 32, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 26, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 22, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 30, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 23, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 21, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 27, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 31, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 28, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 29, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 24, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 17, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 20, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 15, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 18, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 16, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 7, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 10, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 19, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 9, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 11, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blake Garden 8, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Arlington Community Church, Mliu92, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Storms- Their Nature, Classification and Laws, BlakeMont, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.