Lafayette, California
Lafayette is a city of 25,285 people in Contra Costa County, California, founded in 1848.
Why visit Lafayette
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 38 parks and trails, 200 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Rheem Theatre, Lesher Center for the Arts, Charles W. Merrill House and Lindsay Wildlife Experience.
Weather in Lafayette
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lafayette
Lafayette (formerly La Fayette) is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. As of 2020, the city's population was 25,391. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer of the American Revolutionary War.
From the Wikipedia article Lafayette, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do8
Museums and landmarks12
Charles W. Merrill House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic house in Orinda, California
Lindsay Wildlife Experience
Museum · 3.3 mi
American museum and wildlife rehabilitation center
1931 1st Avenue, Walnut Creek
Maynard Buehler House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Moraga Adobe
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic house in California, United States
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Patrick Rodgers Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Historic district in California, United States of America
Saint Maryʼs College Museum of Art
Museum · 3.4 mi
Museum in California, US
Lafayette Hillside Memorial - The Crosses of Lafayette
Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi
The crosses are intended to serve as a memorial for soldiers killed in the Iraq War and Afghanistan War, with the sign containing a...
18_1B SF-SL Acalanes Ridge
Monument and historic site · 2.4 mi
Transcontinental Airmail Arrow used to indicate the direction to the next beacon. These arrows, located by a rotating light tower and a...
Parks, trails and playgrounds38
Briones Regional Park
Park · 3.3 mi
Regional park in Contra Costa County, California
Dinosaur Hill Park
Park · 3.6 mi
Park in California, United States of America, United States of America
Heather Farm Park
Park · 4.7 mi
Public park in Walnut Creek, California, USA
Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
Park · 5.2 mi
Park in United States of America
26 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes200
Dough Zone
Restaurant · Chinese · 3.2 mi
1320 Locust Street, Walnut Creek
Su-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
George's Giant Hamburger
Restaurant · Burger, Sandwich, Chicken, American, Ice Cream, Tea, Hot Dog, Dessert, Wings, Sausage, Fries · 3.4 mi
1491 Newell Avenue, Walnut Creek
Mo-Sa 11:00-20:00
Havana
Restaurant · Tapas, Spanish, Seafood, Caribbean · 3.2 mi
1516 Bonanza Street
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr 10:00-23:00; Sa 17:00-22:00; Su 05:00-21:00
Original Joe's
Diner · American · 3.4 mi
1300 South Main Street, Walnut Creek
Su-Th 11:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Pacific Catch
Restaurant · Seafood · 3.3 mi
1305 South Main Street, Walnut Creek
Su-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Torsap Thai Kitchen
Restaurant · Thai, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Cocktails · 3.2 mi
1388 Locust Street, Walnut Creek
Mo 10:00-22:00, Tu 11:30-22:00, We 10:00-22:00, Th 10:00-22:00, Fr...
World Famous Hotboys
Restaurant · Chicken · 3.3 mi
1394 North Main Street, Walnut Creek
Su-We 09:00-22:00, Th 09:00-24:00, Fr-Sa 09:00-02:00
Kibi's Cafe
Restaurant · Vietnamese · 3.4 mi
1981 Ste.115 North Broadway
Mo-Fr 10:00-19:00; Sa 10:00-17:00
188 more on the map.
History
Before the colonization of the region by Spain, Lafayette and its vicinity were inhabited by the Saclan tribe of the indigenous Bay Miwok. Ohlone also populated some of the areas along Lafayette Creek. The indigenous inhabitants' first contact with Europeans was in the late 18th century with the founding of Catholic missions in the region. These initial contacts developed into conflict, with years of armed struggle, including a battle on what is currently Lafayette soil in 1797 between the Saclan and the Spanish, and eventually resulting in the subjugation of the native population.
Most of what is currently Lafayette was given as a Mexican land grant, Rancho Acalanes to Candelario Valencia in 1834. The name Acalanes seems to have come from the name of a native village in the area, Ahala-n.
American settlement started with the arrival of Elam Brown from St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1846. He purchased Rancho Acalanes in 1848. The settlement continued to steadily grow due to its proximity to San Francisco; starting with Brown's group of 18 settlers, by the census in 1852, 76 people were listed as living in the area. Brown founded a mill in 1853.
From the History section of Lafayette, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship21
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 2.9 mi
1924 Trinity Avenue
Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church
Church · Pc(Usa) · 2.1 mi
49 Knox Drive, Lafayette
Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 2.9 mi
1801 Lacassie Avenue
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 3.0 mi
Shopping29
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries68
Lafayette Library and Learning Center
Library
3491 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette
Acalanes Center For Independent Study
School · 2.5 mi
1963 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek
Healthcare6
Women's Health Center: Sutter Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
Clinic and pharmacy
3595 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette
Map of Lafayette
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
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
Buchanan Field Airport (CCR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Saranap 2 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Acalanes Ridge 2 mi northeast, about 4 min by car
- Orinda 3 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Moraga 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- Castle Hill 3 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Reliez Valley 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Walnut Creek 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Contra Costa Centre 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Pleasant Hill 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- San Miguel 5 mi east, about 7 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
- 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
- Lafayette, CA, Stacey Baca, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SR 24 near Lafayette with BART track and Mt Diablo in the background, Kyle Hawton, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ramp structure at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South entrance to Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South side of Lafayette station fare lobby, March 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fare lobby at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Helen Webber column artwork at Lafayette station, September 2021, Photograph by User:Pi.1415926535, Public domain
- Helen Webber column artworks at Lafayette station, September 2021, Photograph by User:Pi.1415926535, Public domain
- Under the canopy at Lafayette station, March 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Embankment in fare lobby at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stairway at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- North side of Lafayette station fare lobby, March 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Canopy structure at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- North entrance to Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- County Connection bus at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eastbound train at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelter under construction at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lafayette hillside memorial--Panoramic, Falcorian, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Parking lot construction at Lafayette station, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Solar panels at Lafayette station parking lot, April 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- County Connection bus stop at Lafayette station, August 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lafayette station from Cross Hill, August 2018, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lafayette Banner, Chevy111, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
- View of Mount Diablo and CA Highway 24 from Lafayette Heights, Trurl66, Public domain
- Bubo, Lindsay's Great Horned Owl, Dandelion 1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Moraga Adobe (Orinda, CA), Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Maynard and Katharine Buehler House (Orinda, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Patrick Rodgers Farm (Pleasant Hill, CA), Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- StPaulsChapel, Pat Smith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ambient Lighting for Cup Holders (5653379647), Michael Sheehan, CC BY 2.0
- Down Along the Creek (Unsplash), Taylor Hunt taylorhunt, CC0
- Choose Ambient Lighting Colors (5653951350), Michael Sheehan, CC BY 2.0
- Ambient Lighting Selection (5653379817), Michael Sheehan, CC BY 2.0
- Loomflux, Loomflux, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Battista Remati, Loomflux, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CA Route 24, Chevy111, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS065-E-396999 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS037-E-2599 - View of California, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS064-E-37209 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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