Clayton, California

Clayton had the honor of receiving Walking Magazine's 1998 award as one of the five most walkable small cities in America.

Clayton has approximately 400 acres of open space and affords a variety of recreational activities in the area including horseback riding, water skiing, swimming, tennis, and championship golf.

In addition, Clayton is adjacent to Mt. Diablo State Park. There are 17 miles of walking and hiking trails within the Clayton Trail System. The Trail System connects to East Bay Regional Park District's Black Diamond, Bruce Lee and Back Canyon Trails. The Trail System is also part of the statewide Coast-to-Coast Trail, and ties into the American Discovery Trail which goes from Point Reyes on the Pacific Coast to Delaware Bay on the Atlantic Coast.

Nestled in the majestic foothills of Mount Diablo, scenic Clayton is rich in history. Founded in 1857, Clayton has retained its historic town center with its award winning City Hall housed in the renovated DeMartini Winery. Yet, Clayton has built a new Community Library and Middle School. The City incorporated in 1964 and is approximately 4.2 square miles in size. Clayton has a temperate climate and is famed for its friendly ambiance and sweeping mountain views.

Clayton has a total of 3,883 households with 83% being family households and 95% are owner-occupied.

Clayton is a family community with 30% under 18 years of age and 50% between the ages of 30 and 60. Over 79% of the residents have a college education and are in management, professional or technical fields. The average household income is $104,200. Clayton also enjoys the lowest crime rate in the nine Bay Area counties.

Historic Downtown Clayton boasts a variety of dining establishments and quaint shops. Since 1991, the Clayton Station Shopping Center has provided a major food store and drug store along with restaurants and specialty shops for Clayton residents.

Clayton has preserved its Old West heritage within its historic downtown area. The area boasts several historic buildings. The newly renovated DeMartini Winery (built in 1885), is being used as the new City Hall and won the 1998 Governor's Historic Preservation Award and the 1998 California Preservation Foundation Design Award for Historic Preservation.

Other historic buildings include the Clayton Historical Museum and the original City Hall and Post Office buildings now occupied by local businesses. Future renovation of the historic Endeavor Hall and Keller House are planned.

Links

City of Clayton
Clayton Historical Society
Mt. Diablo School District
Clayton Demographics