Pittsburg, California

Pittsburg is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is an industrial suburb located on the southern shore of the Suisun Bay in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, and is part of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta area, the Eastern Contra Costa County area, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 76,416 at the 2020 United States Census.[9]

City of Pittsburg
(formerly) Black Diamond, New York Landing and
New York of the Pacific[1]
City
Pittsburg Boardwalk
The Boardwalk
Nickname: 
"P-World" "The Burg"
Motto: 
Gateway to the Delta!
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
City of Pittsburg is located in the United States
City of Pittsburg
City of Pittsburg
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 38°01′41″N 121°53′05″W
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyContra Costa
IncorporatedJune 25, 1903[2]
Government
 • TypeGeneral Law City
 • MayorShanelle Scales-Preston [3]
 • State SenatorSteve Glazer (D)[4]
 • State AssemblyLori Wilson (D) and
Tim Grayson (D)[5]
 • U. S. CongressJohn Garamendi (D)[6]
Area
[7]
 • Total19.71 sq mi (51.05 km2)
 • Land17.64 sq mi (45.69 km2)
 • Water2.07 sq mi (5.36 km2)  10.11%
Elevation
[8]
26 ft (8 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total76,416
 • Density4,332/sq mi (1,672.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
94565
Area code925
FIPS code06-57456
GNIS feature IDs1659783, 2411430
Websitewww.ci.pittsburg.ca.us

History

Originally settled in 1839 as “Rancho Los Medanos”, the area of almost 10,000 acres was issued to Californios Jose Antonio Mesa and his brother Jose Miguel under a Mexican Land Grant by then Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado, one of the final land grants issued prior to the formation of California as a state.[10][11]

In 1849, during the California Gold Rush, Colonel Jonathan D. Stevenson (from New York) bought the Rancho Los Medanos land grant for speculation, and laid out a town he called New York of the Pacific.[12] General William Tecumseh Sherman laid out the first network of streets on the west side of town. The area was the midway stopping point for schooners traveling from San Francisco to the gold country further inland. Fishing, farming, and cattle raising for the hide and tallow industry were the major economic activities during this time.[10]

In 1859, with the discovery of coal in the nearby town of Nortonville, the place became a port for coal. The Black Diamond Coal Mining Company commenced operations, building the Black Diamond Coal Mining Railroad to Nortonville.[13] Steam powered engines moved coal cars down the tracks along present day Railroad Avenue to the waterfront docks that came to be called "Black Diamond Landing." The boom ended in 1885, and the company moved to Washington state to work a new claim.[10]

In the 1870s, commercial fishing took hold and the Black Diamond Cannery was established at the foot of Los Medanos St. By 1882, a network of ten canneries was formed along the Sacramento Delta. An industry was born with fishermen, packing plants, boat builders and the like dominating the local waterfront for the next 80 years. The town boasted the largest Delta fishing community in the state, made up primarily of Sicilian immigrants, the families of which have remained in the area for generations. In 1957, the State of California closed down the Sacramento Delta to commercial fishing, ending the area's industry.[10]

In 1900, C.A. Hooper purchased the land grant and gave birth to many manufacturing ventures, beginning in 1903 with the creation of the Industrial Center of the West. Hooper secured additional capitalization and provided property for the Columbia Steel Company, which, in 1910, opened its California steel plant in Pittsburg with one foundry and a crew of 60 employees. It made steel castings for the dredging, lumber and shipping industries.[10]

Columbia Steel plant on Loveridge Road in Pittsburg, established in 1910

In 1903 the town was incorporated, and by a vote of the citizenry, was renamed "Black Diamond", after the mining firm.[12] Because of the industrial potential of the site, a name change to Pittsburg was proposed in 1909.[12] On February 11, 1911, the city officials changed the town’s name to "Pittsburg", honoring Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the two cities shared a common steel and mining industrial heritage.[14] This rechristening came at a time when the name of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was more commonly spelled without the "h".[15] In 1918 the shipyard of the Pacific Coast Shipbuilding Company was built in neighboring Bay Point, the associated company town of Clyde, California alongside it, but as soon as the World War I shipbuilding boom was over, the yard was closed in 1921.

In 1930, Columbia Steel became a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. At that point the company had expanded into Utah and was worth $40,000,000. The Pittsburg plant continued to grow until the early 1950s, reaching a peak staff of 5,200 employees when the markets for its products crashed. The parent company (by 1986, renamed as USS Company) had merged with Korean Pohang Iron and Steel Company. Together they invested $450 million turning the Pittsburg plant into a modern flat-products mill, renamed as USS-Posco. As of 1999, the facility employed 970 workers and shipped over 1.6 million U.S. tons per year of steel to over 175 customers in the Western U. S., Mexico, Canada and the Pacific Rim.[16]

The original town site fronts on the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta, reflecting its origins as a deep water channel river port. (As of January 1, 2007, state legislation [Assembly Bill 2324] enabled the city to manage its own riverfront for commercial development and subsequent port operations). Since the early 1900s, the city has grown inland to the south, then spread east and west along State Route 4, now a freeway carrying resident commuters to jobs in the San Francisco Bay-Oakland Region. In the process, the former town of Cornwall, California was absorbed. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,769.[17]

Camp Stoneman was built in 1942, and was a major staging area for the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War until 1954.[11]

The post office first opened in 1868 as Black Diamond, and changed its name with the town's in 1911.[12]

Economy

The city has an extensive history of coal mining and industrial development since the late 1800s, with USS-POSCO Industries (a joint venture between US Steel and POSCO of South Korea) and Corteva (formerly, the Dow Chemical Company) maintaining substantial plants in Pittsburg.[16]

Top employers

According to the City's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[18] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Pittsburg Unified School District 1,221
2 Los Medanos College 584
3 USS-POSCO Industries 570
4 Dow Chemical Company 350
5 Ramar Foods 370
6 City of Pittsburg 340
7 Wal-Mart 222
8 Home-Depot 188
9 WinCo Foods 168
10 Cardenas (supermarket) 143

Bombardier Rail Car Facility

On June 15, 2019, the East Bay Times reported that the Canadian company, Bombardier Transportation is moving into a former warehouse in Pittsburg, where it will produce train cars destined for its Pacific Coast customers. Bombardier will lease 122,750 square feet (11,404 m2) of the building, while Hitachi Corp., the owner, will retain about 67,000 square feet (6,200 m2). Early in 2019, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) System announced that it will replace its existing fleet of 669 cars with 775 cars of a new design, and has recently been negotiating to buy an additional 425 cars.[19]

Bombardier plans to inaugurate the Pittsburg facility in September, 2019, with an initial workforce of 50, working on cars for the new BART contract, and growing to about 150 within five years.[19]

Bombardier is one of the most active suppliers of train cars, and officials believe that the Pittsburg will substantially improve its competitive position. In the U.S., much of the funding for this equipment is supplied by the Federal Government, which requires that a large part of the work be performed in the U.S. Bombardier's only U.S. production facility is in Plattsburgh, N. Y.[19]

The company also has a number of other important West Coast contracts, including:

  • Maintain the Air Train System at San Francisco International Airport (SFO);
  • supply the rail fleet for the Los Angeles Metrolink System;
  • supply Coast and Sprinter train cars for San Diego's North County Transit District;
  • initial design for automated people mover system at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).[19]

Geography

The city of Pittsburg is located 37 miles northeast from San Francisco, 29 miles northeast from Oakland, California, 60 miles north of San Jose and 65 miles south of Sacramento, California. Pittsburg shares a border with the unincorporated community of Bay Point, California to the west, the city of Concord, California to the southwest and Antioch, California to the east. The Suisun Bay is directly north of the city and connects the San Francisco Bay to the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.[20][21]

Climate

Pittsburg experiences a hot summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) bordering on the Semi-arid climate because of the Mt. Diablo rain shadow in East Contra Costa County.[22]

Climate data for Pittsburg, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 57.6
(14.2)		 60.1
(15.6)		 71.1
(21.7)		 79.0
(26.1)		 86.0
(30.0)		 91.0
(32.8)		 90.0
(32.2)		 86.0
(30.0)		 78.1
(25.6)		 64.9
(18.3)		 64.0
(17.8)		 54.0
(12.2)		 73.0
(22.8)
Average low °F (°C) 37.9
(3.3)		 41.0
(5.0)		 46.9
(8.3)		 52.0
(11.1)		 57.0
(13.9)		 57.9
(14.4)		 57.9
(14.4)		 55.9
(13.3)		 51.1
(10.6)		 44.1
(6.7)		 44.1
(6.7)		 36.0
(2.2)		 48.6
(9.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.72
(69)		 2.51
(64)		 2.16
(55)		 0.73
(19)		 0.47
(12)		 0.09
(2.3)		 0.03
(0.76)		 0.03
(0.76)		 0.24
(6.1)		 0.76
(19)		 1.77
(45)		 1.89
(48)		 13.33
(339)
Source: [23]

Transportation
Pittsburg/Bay Point BART Station

The city has two BART stations, the Pittsburg/Bay Point Station located on Bailey Road and Highway 4 near Bay Point and the Pittsburg Center Station located on Railroad Avenue and Highway 4.[24] Tri Delta Transit provides bus service in the area. California State Route 4 bisects the city from west to east.

Education

Pittsburg is home to Los Medanos College,[25] a two-year community college that is part of the Contra Costa Community College District. The college's name is derived from that of Rancho Los Medanos, one of the land grants made by the Mexican Government during its sovereignty over California from 1821 to 1846; Los Medanos, loosely translated from Spanish, means The Sand Dunes. Construction on Los Medanos College was completed in 1974.[26][27]

Pittsburg is served by three School Districts: Pittsburg Unified School District, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, and Antioch Unified School District.[28]

Pittsburg High School

Pittsburg has two public high schools, one a continuation school:[29]

The public Junior high schools in Pittsburg are:

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Junior High School
  • Hillview Junior High School
  • Rancho Medanos Middle School

Central Jr. High School was another middle school in the Pittsburg area. But it closed down in 2008 due to a gas leak in the building. Currently, it remains vacant with no intention of reopening it.

The public elementary schools in Pittsburg are:

  • Delta View Elementary School (Mt. Diablo Unified School District)
  • Foothill Elementary School
  • Heights Elementary School (torn down & renovated in 2014)
  • Highlands Elementary School
  • Los Medanos Elementary School
  • Marina Vista Elementary School
  • Parkside Elementary School (torn down & renovated in 2020)
  • Stoneman Elementary School
  • Willow Cove Elementary School
  • Synergy Charter School (closed as of January 2016 due to financial struggles)

Private schools in Pittsburg include:

  • The Christian Center
  • School of Saint Peter Martyr
  • Spectrum Center.

Public libraries

Pittsburg hosts one of the many Contra Costa County Libraries.[30]

Arts and culture
California Theatre
  • California Theatre - opened on May 4, 1920, the California Theatre began as a venue for live vaudeville performances and silent films. The theatre was designed by architect Albert W. Cornelius in a classic revival style and built by the Enea Brothers for $200,000. During its heyday, notable performers included Flash Gordon and cowboy heroes Ray “Crash” Corrigan, Tim Holt, Tex Ritter and Fred Scott. The California Theatre closed in February 1954 and began to deteriorate, including the caving in of the ceiling due to rain damage. In 2008, the City began a major $7.6 million renovation, restoring artwork throughout the theatre and fabricating fixtures to match photographs of the original building. In 2022, the City completed an additional $2 million restoration to complete the balcony area. Today, the auditorium features a capacity of 981 seats, beaux-artes style ceiling decoration, and a grand balcony.[10]

Redevelopment projects
  • The city is currently in the process of redeveloping Old Town Pittsburg. In November 2010 The Railroad Book Depot opened. The bookstore is owned and operated by the non-profit Pittsburg Arts & Community Foundation.[31]
  • A new Marina Master Plan is under development along Pittsburg's waterfront which includes a pedestrian promenade with subsequent commercial construction and development planned.[32]

Sports and recreation

The Pittsburg Delta View Golf Course had a back nine originally built in 1947, and a front nine completed in 1991.[33] It closed in March 2018 due to financial difficulty and legal costs stemming from a slip and fall lawsuit. The city had considered keeping the course open, but after debate in May 2018, it was decided to use the land for other economic opportunities.[34] In 2022 part of the land was sold to become a technology park,[35] with the intention of developing a remaining portion into athletic fields.[36]

The Pittsburg Diamonds, was an independent professional baseball team, in the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs from 2014-2019. The team played its home games in City Park Field #1 until going on hiatus for 2019 and 2020. The Pacific Association has since folded, leaving Pittsburg without independent baseball.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890300—
1900603101.0%
19102,372293.4%
19204,71598.8%
19309,610103.8%
19409,520−0.9%
195012,76334.1%
196019,06249.4%
197021,42312.4%
198033,03454.2%
199047,56444.0%
200056,76919.4%
201063,26411.4%
202076,41620.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[37]

2010

The 2010 United States Census[38] reported that Pittsburg had a population of 63,264. The population density was 3,302.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,275.2/km2). The racial makeup of Pittsburg was 23,106 (36.5%) White, 11,187 (17.7%) African American, 517 (0.8%) Native American, 9,891 (15.6%) Asian (9.9% Filipino, 2.0% Indian, 1.2% Chinese, 1.1% Vietnamese, 0.2% Korean, 0.2% Japanese, 1.1% Other), 645 (1.0%) Pacific Islander, 13,270 (21.0%) from other races, and 4,648 (7.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26,841 persons (42.4%).

The Census reported that 62,973 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 153 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 138 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 19,527 households, out of which 8,837 (45.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 9,833 (50.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,583 (18.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,420 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,432 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 194 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,446 households (17.6%) were made up of individuals, and 1,067 (5.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22. There were 14,836 families (76.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.64.

The population was spread out, with 17,385 people (27.5%) under the age of 18, 6,823 people (10.8%) aged 18 to 24, 18,319 people (29.0%) aged 25 to 44, 15,298 people (24.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,439 people (8.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

There were 21,126 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile (425.8/km2), of which 19,527 were occupied, of which 11,490 (58.8%) were owner-occupied, and 8,037 (41.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 37,078 people (58.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 25,895 people (40.9%) lived in rental housing units.

Demographic profile[39] 2010
Total Population63,264 – 100.0%
One Race58,616 – 92.7%
Not Hispanic or Latino36,423 – 57.6%
White alone12,684 – 20.0%
Black or African American alone10,756 – 17.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone202 – 0.3%
Asian alone9,654 – 15.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone614 – 1.0%
Some other race alone177 – 0.3%
Two or more races alone2,336 – 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)26,841 – 42.4%

2000

As of the census[40] of 2000, there were 56,769 people, 17,741 households, and 13,483 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,639.0/mi2 (1,405.0/km2). There were 18,300 housing units at an average density of 1,173.1/mi2 (452.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 36.53% White, 25.89% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 12.65% Asian, 0.86% Pacific Islander, 16.11% from other races, and 7.22% from two or more races. 32.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 17,741 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $50,557, and the median income for a family was $54,472. Males had a median income of $39,111 versus $31,396 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,241. About 8.7% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Pittsburg has 33,751 registered voters. Of those, 18,644 (55.2%) are registered Democrats, 3,817 (11.3%) are registered Republicans, and 9,888 (29.3%) have declined to state a political party.[41]

Notable people

People born in Pittsburg:

Sister cities

Pittsburg is twinned with:[42]

References
  1. "Pittsburg". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  3. "City of Pittsburg : City Council". Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  4. "Senators". State of California. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  5. "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  6. "California's 8th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  7. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  8. "Pittsburg Post Office". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  9. "Census - Geography Profile: Pittsburg city, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  10. Society, Brought to you by the City of Pittsburg and the Pittsburg Historical (September 13, 2022). "Old Town Path of History". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  11. "Our History | City of Pittsburg". www.pittsburgca.gov. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  12. Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 681. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  13. Third Annual Report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of California for the Years ending December 31, 1880-81-82, pages 345–348.
  14. "History of Our City". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  15. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Pittsburg" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 678.
  16. "MEN OF STEEL / Heredia, Christopher. "For five generations, a Pittsburg family forges life at the mill." SFGate. March 5, 1999. Accessed November 9, 2017.
  17. "Pittsburg city, California profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  18. "City of Pittsburg CAFR". Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  19. Baldassari, Erin and Judith Prieve. "New train cars to be built in Bay Area." East Bay Times. June 15, 2019. Accessed June 16, 2019.
  20. "NDBC Station Page". www.ndbc.noaa.gov.
  21. "Distance Pittsburg CA San-Francisco CA". distancesonline.com.
  22. http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/water/hcp/archive/downloads/wetland_report/Ch03_Hydrogeomorphic_Setting_10_14_04.pdf
  23. "Pittsburg historic weather averages". Intellicast. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  24. "Pittsburg/Bay Point Station overview". Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  25. "Los Medanos Community College". Retrieved December 3, 2007.
  26. "About Los Medanos College". www.losmedanos.edu. November 14, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  27. "About Los Medanos College". californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  28. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Contra Costa County, CA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  29. "City of Pittsburg". PUSD High Schools. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  30. "Pittsburg Library." Contra Costa County Library. Retrieved April 1, 2010.
  31. "Railroad Book Depot". Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2012. The Railroad Book Depot is owned and operated by the Pittsburg Arts and Community Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life and availability of opportunities for everyone in the Pittsburg area.
  32. "About ' Old Town Pittsburg Business District". August 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  33. "City of Pittsburg: Delta View Golf Club: General Info". Archived from the original on December 22, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  34. "Pittsburg City Council Opts to Permanently Close Delta View Golf Course in Favor of Economic Opportunities". May 8, 2018.
  35. https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/07/21/pitttsburg-approves-sale-of-part-of-defunct-golf-course-for-technology-park/
  36. https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2023060587
  37. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  38. "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Pittsburg city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  39. "Demographic Profile Bay Area Census".
  40. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  41. "CA Secretary of State – Report of Registration – February 10, 2019" (PDF). ca.gov. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  42. "Sister City Links". ci.pittsburg.ca.us. City of Pittsburg. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
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