The Amador-Livermore Valley, where Pleasanton is located, was home to tribes in theOhlone language group, mainly speakingChochenyo.[10] As of the 1770s seven tribes were present in the valley: the Causen, Pelnen, Seunen, Ssaoan, Ssouyen, Taunan, and Yulien.[10] Each had a territory about 10 miles across, living in villages of 60-90 people.[10] The total population of the valley was about 2000-2500 people.[10]
The first Spanish expedition reached the Amador-Livermore Valley in 1772.[11] Native people from the valley began to joinMission Santa Clara, founded in 1777, in small numbers by the 1790s.[11] Large groups began joining missions afterMission San Jose was founded in 1797.[11]
Before the establishment of Pleasanton in the 1850s, an earlier settlement in the location was calledAlisal. It was located on the lands of theRancho Santa Rita[13] near the site of a Native American ranchera, around theFrancisco Solano Alviso Adobe calledEl Alisal (The Sycamores),[14] one of the earliest houses built in the valley in 1844. It is still standing and serves as the centerpiece of theAlviso Adobe Community Park. Alisal, nicknamed "The Most Desperate Town in the West", was one of the settlements located alongLa Vereda del Monte that was a haunt and refuge ofbandits anddesperados in the era following the beginning of theCalifornia Gold Rush. Main Street shootouts were not uncommon.[citation needed] Banditos such as Claudio Feliz andJoaquin Murrieta ambushed prospectors on their way back from thegold rush fields and then sought refuge in Alisal. In the 1860sProcopio, Narciso Bojorques and others took refuge there.[citation needed] Alisal Elementary School reflects the city's original name.
The Rancho Valle de San José grant had been given to Agustín and Juan Pablo Bernal and their brothers-in-law Antonio Suñol and Antonio Maria Pico.[11][when?] In order to safeguard the grant from squatters during theGold Rush in the 1840s-1850s, the Bernal family moved[when?] fromSan José to live on their ranch along with John Kottinger, an Austrian immigrant and a lawyer who had married into the family.[11]
"Pleasanton" was chosen as the town's name in the 1860s by John W. Kottinger, an Alameda Countyjustice of the peace, who named it after his friend,Union army cavalry Major GeneralAlfred Pleasonton. A typographical error by a recording clerk in Washington, D.C., apparently led to the current spelling.[12]
Pleasanton features aMediterranean climate, featuring hot, dry summers and mild to cool winters with occasional rainfall (Köppen climate classification Csa). The highest recorded temperature was 115 °F (46 °C) in 1950. The lowest recorded temperature was 17 °F (−8 °C) in 1990.[21]
The2020 United States census[40] reported that Pleasanton had a population of 79,871. The population density was 2,896.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,118.3/km2).
There were 25,245 households, out of which 10,785 (42.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 16,206 (64.2%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 2,024 (8.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 948 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 887 (3.5%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 156 (0.6%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. Of the households, 4,860 (19.3%) were made up of individuals, and 1,853 (7.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77. There were 19,178families (76.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.20.
There were 26,053 housing units at an average density of 1,073.7 units per square mile (414.6 units/km2), of which 25,245 were occupied, of which 17,891 (70.9%) were owner-occupied, and 7,354 (29.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 51,839 people (73.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,990 people (25.6%) lived in rental housing units.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $186,206, and theper capita income was $86,151. About 2.8% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line.[41]
Pleasanton experienced a major economic boom starting in the early 1980s, largely associated with the development of a number ofbusiness parks, the largest of which is theHacienda Business Park. These host a number of campus-like clusters of low-rise and medium-rise office buildings. Pleasanton has been successful in attracting a number of corporate headquarters, such as those ofSafeway,Blackhawk Network Holdings,Workday,Simpson Manufacturing,The Cooper Companies andShaklee. Despite an increase in office space vacancy rates in 2000–2004, economic development has remained strong through the middle of the decade.
In retail operations, Pleasanton has one major regional mall (Stoneridge Shopping Center) and a number of other shopping centers. In addition to the business parks and retail centers, Pleasanton is known for its downtown, which is home to a number of fine-dining, casual, and ethnic restaurants, specialty retailers, and service businesses. A redesign of Main Street in the 1990s emphasized pedestrian traffic and outdoor dining.
In 2005, the median household income in Pleasanton was $101,022, the highest income for any city with a population between 65,000 and 249,999 people.[7] Similarly, for 2007, the median household income rose to $113,345, also the highest in the category.[8] According to City-Data.com, the median household income had risen to $121,622 by 2013, compared to a statewide median of $60,190.[43]
According to the Bay East Association of Realtors, the median price of a detached single family home was $1,795,000 as of August 2021.[44] According toZillow.com, the median home value in Pleasanton was $1,500,415 as of September 2021.[45]
Pleasanton maintains regular events for the community. Every Saturday morning afarmers' market sets up on Angela, off Main Street. There are several parades during the year, commemorating Christmas, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day, as well as kicking off the beginning of the Alameda County Fair and soccer season.
Beginning in the late 1990s, the Pleasanton Downtown Association organized the popularFirst Wednesday celebrations from May through September of each year. On the first Wednesday of summer months, Main Street was blocked to traffic and adopted a street fair atmosphere. Each First Wednesday celebration was given a theme and planned with related activities. At this local event, businesses and organizations from downtown and around the Tri-Valley set up booths in the center of the street. A local band performed in the Inklings coffee house parking lot, which was closed off for dancing. The parking lot was also set up as abeergarden, with beer and wine available for consumption.[46] In 2017, the association announced it was discontinuing the events, and was considering other types of events in future years.[47]
Another Pleasanton Downtown Association tradition is theFriday Concerts in the Park series. Every Friday from June until September the PDA schedules different local bands to perform in the evenings at theLions' Wayside Park off of First Street. The events are free of charge and draw a crowd.[48] Additional seating for 'Concerts in the Park' is available at Delucchi Park, at the intersection of First Street and Neal Street.
TheAlameda County Fairgrounds is a 270-acre (110 ha) facility located in Pleasanton. It is home to the annual Alameda County Fair, held since 1912,[49] as well as numerous trade shows and community events including but not limited to the Scottish Games which occur annually on Labor Day weekend. Located on its grounds, thePleasanton Fairgrounds Racetrack was built in 1858, making it the oldest 1-mile (1.6 km)horse racing track in the United States. There is a 3,000 seat amphitheater, as well as a nine-hole golf course located within the track's infield.
The Alameda County Central Railroad Society has maintained amodel train exhibit at the fairgrounds since 1959.[50]
Because of the preservation of Pleasanton's historic downtown area, many examples of architectural styles dating back to the mid-19th century exist. Buildings inGothic Revival, Pioneer,Italianate, Commercial Italianate,Colonial Revival, andQueen Anne styles can be found within walking distance of each other.
One of the icons of downtown Pleasanton is theKolln Hardware building, located at 600 Main Street. It is designed in the Commercial Italianate style, but the prominent five-sided corner tower and a few other features are indicative of theColonial Revival style. The structure mixes in a little bit of Queen Anne design in the tower and gable. This building was built in 1890 and has always housed a hardware store, first by the Lewis Brothers, then Cruikshank and Kolln. The hardware store has been known as Kolln Hardware since 1933. In 2004, the Kolln Hardware business shut its doors. Bud Cornett, a Pleasanton developer, purchased the landmark and has invested in its renovation and earthquake retrofit.[51] After more than 100 years of serving the community as a hardware store, the space is now occupied by Comerica Bank.[52]
The Firehouse Arts Center, opened in 2010, is a center of culture and art for Pleasanton. It features a 221-seat theater, the Harrington art gallery, and classrooms for art and drama.
Hacienda del Pozo de Verona (The House of the Wellhead of Verona) was destroyed in a fire in 1969. The house was built by architectA. C. Schweinfurth forPhoebe Hearst in 1898.[53] Phoebe Apperson Hearst had the hacienda remodeled and expanded by architectJulia Morgan for use as her primary residence after her husband died. The estate was built upon a 453-acre (1.83 km2) rancheria obtained in 1886 byGeorge Hearst, who intended to use the location for a race horse farm.[54] Its name was inspired by the circular, carved marble wellhead purchased by Phoebe and William inVerona, Italy and installed in the middle of the courtyard. The hacienda was the only female-owned estate to be mentioned in Porter Garnett'sStately Homes of California. The architecture of the hacienda has been calledCalifornia Mission style by various sources. The original architect used the term "provincial Spanish Renaissance",[55] while Garnett wrote it would be more accurately called "Hispano-Moresque".[56] Moorish influence was found throughout the estate, such as in the guardhouses which stood on either side of the courtyard entrance.[57] The hacienda was topped by imported red Spanish tiles and had undecorated walls of white stucco. After Phoebe's death in 1919, William had the wellhead and other furniture and objects moved toHearst Castle atSan Simeon and sold the estate.[57]
Pleasanton operates under acouncil–manager form of municipal government. The council consists of four representatives elected by district and one mayor elected at-large. The councilors are each elected to a four-year term, while the mayor serves a two-year term. Council and mayoral elections are non-partisan. The vice mayor is appointed each calendar year by the mayor. The mayor and council members are limited to a maximum term of eight years.[58]
The city council consists of: Jack Balch (mayor), Craig Eicher, Matt Gaidos, Jeffrey Nibert, and Julie Testa.[3] The city manager is Gerry Beaudin.
Pleasanton has 44,099 registered voters with 17,021 (39.2%) registered asDemocrats, 11,338 (25.7%) registered asRepublicans, and 13,867 (31.4%)Decline to State voters.[62]
Pleasanton vote by party in presidential elections[63]
Pleasanton's twocomprehensive high schools,Amador Valley andFoothill, are ranked byNiche among the top 200 public high schools in the nation.[68][69] Pleasanton also has acontinuation high school,Village High School. As of 2024, the district also contained Thomas S. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton Middle School and Harvest Park Middle School along with nine elementary schools, one preschool, and an adult education program.[70]
Pleasanton is situated at the crossroads of two majorInterstate Highways,I-580 andI-680, which mirror the historic cross-routes ofNative American tribes who used the precursor paths as major trading routes. This fact was first discovered with the excavations for Hacienda Business Park, revealing significanttribalartifacts and human skeletal remains.[72]
The city is served by two stations on theBay Area Rapid Transit (BART) heavy rail system'sBlue Line, which runs along the northern boundary of the city:
TheWheels (LAVTA) bus transit system is the primary provider of bus service in Pleasanton (with numerous routes in the city), and connects Pleasanton toLivermore andDublin, along with the above three stations.[73]
David Garibaldi, professional drummer with Tower of Power,[80] 2012 Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame Inductee,[81] author of numerous drum instructional books, CDs and DVDs[82]
^Gary Deghi, C. Michael Hogan, George W. Ball, Miley Holman et al.,Environmental Assessment forHacienda Business Park/ General Plan amendment, prepared for the City of Pleasanton by Earth Metrics Inc. (1984)
Pleasanton: Being a self-conducted tour of the major commercial and residential architectural styles prevalent before 1910, compiled by the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society Museum for the edification of Pleasanton's residents and its visitors. The Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society.
Hagemann, Herbert L. Jr (1993).A History of the City of Pleasanton. The Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society.
Wainwright, Mary-Jo; The Museum on Main (2007).Pleasanton. Images of America. Arcadia Publishing.ISBN978-0-7385-4761-9.
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