Lamorinda

Last updated November 07, 2023

Lamorinda is an area within Contra Costa County, California in the United States. The name is a portmanteau from the names of the three cities that make up the region: Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda.^[1]

Lamorinda sits east of the Berkeley Hills between the Caldecott Tunnel and Walnut Creek. It is also referred to as the "Highway 24" corridor, referring to the state highway that is the primary thoroughfare in the region. Many residents commute west through the tunnel to San Francisco and Oakland or east to Walnut Creek and Concord.

As of 2010 the three cities had a combined population of 57,552, with Lafayette having the largest population and Moraga the smallest.

Differences among the three cities

Each city is distinct from the others, but the three share many similar characteristics such as suburban bedroom communities with little industry. The region has been called "wealthy" by the San Francisco Chronicle.^[1] The public high schools in each of the cities are part of the Acalanes Union High School District, one of the highest ranked high school districts in California.

With a cluster of restaurants and generally high-end shops in its downtown, Lafayette is considered the retail hub of the region. Orinda is home to the historic Orinda Theatre and the California Shakespeare Theater. Moraga is home to Saint Mary's College of California.

Transportation

Lafayette and Orinda are located along Highway 24. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Yellow Line runs in the highway medians, with stations at Lafayette and Orinda. Moraga, located to the south, is more isolated; a pair of two-lane roads connect it to Orinda and Lafayette and Highway 24 to the north. Internal roads also connect Moraga to downtown Walnut Creek and another pair of two-lane roads connect it to Oakland hills and Castro Valley.

Central county

Central county scene — Mount Diablo and portions of Concord, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek, with former grasslands now an urban forest in low density suburbs with extensive business centers and residential buildings near BART locations (at the tall building groups). A recent (2007-8) development near the BART stations is the creation of luxury apartments selling for a price equivalent to a well-maintained large-lot suburban house.>

Lamorinda is located in the western part of Contra Costa County.

The central part of the county is a valley traversed by Interstate 680 and Highway 24. The towns east of the hills, on or near Highway 24 and their surrounding areas (Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda) are collectively known as Lamorinda. The major central county cities along Interstate 680 are Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, and unincorporated Alamo.

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Lamorinda AVA is an American Viticultural Area in the San Francisco Bay Area located due east of the Berkeley Hills in Contra Costa County encompassing the region around the cities of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. The name Lamorinda is a portmanteau from the names of the three locales defining the region: Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda. The AVA is a sub-region within the existing San Francisco Bay AVA and the larger, multicounty Central Coast AVA stretching approximately 30,000 acres (47 sq mi) with 46 commercially-producing vineyards that cover approximately 139 acres (56 ha). The USDA plant hardiness zone for the AVA is 9b. The AVA was proposed as the growers in the area found the wider San Francisco Bay and Central Coast AVA titles too generic and not indicative of its terroir. The Lamorinda AVA was officially established in February 2016 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

References

1 2 Stephens, Mitch; Fainaru-Wada, Mark (July 13, 2003). "Can Parents Be Too Involved? Pressure Drive out High School Coaches in Wealthy Lamorinda". San Francisco Chronicle.

37°53′31″N122°09′16″W / 37.8920°N 122.1544°W / 37.8920; -122.1544

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[Fan-1] 1 2 Stephens, Mitch; Fainaru-Wada, Mark (July 13, 2003). "Can Parents Be Too Involved? Pressure Drive out High School Coaches in Wealthy Lamorinda". San Francisco Chronicle.

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