Dublin, CA Road Trips

Dublin is in the Tri-Valley and is 35 miles from San Francisco, but nonetheless has a surprisingly different climate than that city. Summers are hot, dry and windy. Dublin is on the Calaveras Fault, which is a minor fault line in the Bay Area that begins near Calaveras Reservoir to the south and travels north through Pleasanton and western Dublin. The City of Dublin is at the northern end of Alameda County. Its northern boundary is also the boundary with Contra Costa County and is San Ramon's southern boundary. In 1835, José María Amador received over 16,000 acres for his service as a Mexican soldier and in Mission San Jose where he was administrator. The valley where Dublin can be found, the Amador Valley, was named after him. Irish settlers bought land from Amador and founded a town fifteen years later. The formerly rural community that Irish settlers had founded was transformed into a suburb when, in 1960, the first housing tracts were built in West Dublin. The city grew steadily from the early 1960s onward, and developed as both a residential and retail center. Dublin was incorporated in February 1982. In the 1990s and 2000s, Dublin was the second fastest-growing city in California, behind only Santa Clarita. The population was about 46,000 at the time of the 2010 census. Dublin is home to the headquarters for the companies CallidusCloud, Ross Stores, Tria Beauty, Medley Health, Challenge Dairy, and Arlen Ness. It was also formerly home to the headquarters of Sybase, which is now part of SAP SE.

Large oak-dotted and grass-covered hills surround Dublin. These hills look green in winter and spring and appear golden in summer and fall. The higher hills in the area are covered with chaparral in places, while parts of the hills are considered to be a desert climate. There is a lush, wooded canyon near Dublin Hills Regional Park, but most of the hills west and northeast of Dublin are quite dry. To the northeast of Dublin, however, there are some chaparral-covered slopes and Mount Diablo. Because it grew little until the 1960s, Dublin does not have a historic downtown. Most of the amenities are in the numerous shopping malls around the city, and interesting sights are generally in the hills around the city. There is one major regional park in Dublin and several city parks. 1 Dublin Hills Regional Park. Dublin Hills Regional Park is on the west side of Dublin, close to Shaefer ranch development. Trails at Dublin Hills Regional Park generally are in grassland regions, with scattered oak forests in the canyons. The main trail follows Calaveras Ridge for 2½ miles. A network of short trails (the Donlon Loop Trail) leads to a housing development along Dublin Boulevard. Hikers are not allowed to park in this housing development. A loop can be made with this network of short trails, although this route is too narrow for cyclists and equestrians. A further Martin Canyon Creek Trail, which connects to both the Donlon Loop Trail and the Calaveras Ridge Trail, goes in the direction of the Martin Canyon Creek Trail open space.

1 St. Patrick's Day Celebration, 100 Civic Plaza. The annual Saint Patrick's Day celebration includes a 5K Fun Run and Walk, a pancake breakfast, a two-day festival, and a parade. The parade is popular with residents and visitors from outside Dublin alike and has been growing in popularity each year. It is sponsored by the Dublin Host Lions Club and features bands and colorful floats. The Dublin firefighters sponsor the pancake breakfast, and tours of the firehouse are popular with children. The festival continues all weekend and features food, games, kiddie rides, arts & crafts, and information about local organizations. The festival is held at the Civic Center on Dublin Blvd. (updated Mar 2018)

1 Hyatt Place Dublin/Pleasanton, 4950 Hacienda Dr (at the junction of Interstates 580 and 680), ☏ +1 925 828-9006, fax: +1 925 828-9030. (updated Jul 2020)

I-580 goes along the southern boundary of the City of Dublin, while I-680 goes through the western section. There are also some major boulevards that go around the city; these boulevards mostly connect with Pleasanton roads to the south and with other towns, like San Ramon, to the north. There are two BART stations: 1 Dublin/Pleasanton BART and 2 West Dublin/Pleasanton BART. BART connects Dublin with the cities of Hayward, Fremont, Oakland, and San Francisco, along with several smaller cities as well. Iron Horse Regional Trail. Formerly the railroad for the Southern Pacific railroad, the Iron Horse Trail is a paved biking and walking trail that runs through Dublin, down to Pleasanton in the south and San Ramon, Danville, Concord, and Walnut Creek in the north. (updated Nov 2023)

Dublin Boulevard, a generally east–west road running just north of Interstate 580, was a part of the Lincoln Highway and later U.S. Route 50. It leads west to Dublin Hills Regional Park and the Shaefer Ranch housing development. Traveling around the city by car is the most practical method of getting around. WHEELS is the local bus service, and it serves Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore.