About 123,000 people live in Concord, a big, sprawling suburb east of the Oakland hills that works as a practical base for the eastern Bay Area. Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Martinez are all close. Downtown centers on Todos Santos Plaza, where the farmers market runs twice a week and summer concerts fill the evenings, and the big Toyota Pavilion brings in touring acts.
For outdoor time, Markham Nature Park and Lime Ridge Open Space are nearby, and Mount Diablo State Park has summit views worth the drive. Summers are hot and dry, often in the high 90s or above, and tule fog rolls in during winter. Living here is expensive, with housing costing roughly double the national norm, though it is cheaper than many towns closer to San Francisco. Property crime, especially car break-ins and vehicle theft, is the main worry, and corridors like Monument Boulevard call for extra caution at night.
Trip planning at a glance
Peak season
Summer with concerts at the Pavilion
Quieter season
Winter
Nearest airport
Oakland International (OAK), 27 miles southwest
Highlights
Toyota Pavilion at Concord concerts
Todos Santos Plaza and downtown dining
Concord Farmers Market
Markham Nature Park and Lime Ridge Open Space hiking
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
6.3/10Good
Connector Score8.5
27 worthwhile cities within three hours; reachable by road, intercity train, air, and local transit; lodging and sights for an overnight stop. Hey! En Route estimate
Safety6.3
About 450 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370. Data-based
Affordability2.2
Cost of living index about 148, where the national average is 100. Data-based
Transportation8.5
Reachable by: road, intercity train, air, and local transit. Hey! En Route estimate
Car-free friendliness6.0
Intercity train or bus, plus local transit and walkability. Hey! En Route estimate
Walkability5.0
Estimated from city size and transit; no walkable downtown noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Things to do5.9
Known for 7 kinds of attraction, with 7 annual events listed. Hey! En Route estimate
Food & dining6.9
A known food scene, weighted by city size. Hey! En Route estimate
Places to stay6.1
Lodging at budget, mid-range and luxury prices. Hey! En Route estimate
Nature & outdoors7.5
Known for mountains & hiking, national & state parks, lakes & rivers. Hey! En Route estimate
Scenic value6.5
From its landscape: coast, mountains, lakes and parks. Hey! En Route estimate
Family friendliness4.8
Zoos, aquariums, theme parks and museums, weighted by safety. Hey! En Route estimate
Solo-traveler friendliness5.1
Safety, getting around without a car, hostels, and things to do. Hey! En Route estimate
Nightlife4.7
Estimated from city size and live music. Hey! En Route estimate
Remote-work friendliness5.3
City size, affordability, cafés and connections. Hey! En Route estimate
Road-trip convenience6.5
27 worthwhile cities within three hours’ drive, plus parking, EV charging and RV options. Hey! En Route estimate
Train-trip convenience7.8
Intercity train service, with 19 nearby cities reachable by rail. Hey! En Route estimate
Bus-trip convenience1.5
No intercity bus service noted. Hey! En Route estimate
Gateway to Contra Costa County; Home of the Concord Pavilion (Toyota Pavilion); Largest city in Contra Costa County by area; Concord Jazz Festival legacy
Founded
1869 laid out as Todos Santos; renamed Concord in 1869; 1905 incorporated
Languages
English; Spanish; Tagalog; Chinese; Punjabi; Vietnamese; Persian
Airports
Oakland International (OAK), about 27 miles southwest; San Francisco International (SFO), about 38 miles southwest; Buchanan Field (CCR) in Concord is general aviation only; Sacramento International (SMF), about 65 miles northeast; San Jose Mineta International (SJC), about 50 miles south
Tipping
Restaurants 18-20%; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-5 per bag; counter service optional; delivery 15-20%
About this data
Population (123,261, July 1 2025), land area (30.55 sq mi), median owner value and median gross rent are from Census QuickFacts, fetched this pass. Concord here is Concord, California. Metro figure uses the requested San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA value (4,640,000). Visitor site and event page are from Visit Concord found in search. Elevation, coordinates, founding, event names and months (several not verified as current), hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living index, crime rates, airport distances, home sale price and 1BR rent are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified in this pass; lower confidence. URLs not load-tested.
Last updated September 25, 2026 · Source: Research spreadsheet · Editorial ·
Neighborhoods
8 areas to know, and who each one suits.
Downtown Concord
Todos Santos Plaza
Concord Hills
Residential
Sun Terrace
Residential
Willow Pass
Working class
Clayton Valley
Suburban
Dana Estates and Northgate
Upscale
Monument Corridor
Diverse, dense
Concord Naval Weapons Station area
Planned redevelopment
No neighborhood matches that.
Suburbs and neighboring towns
Pleasant Hill (3 mi; car, BART, County Connection bus); Pacheco (5 mi; car, unincorporated); Walnut Creek (6 mi; car, BART); Clayton (6 mi; car, County Connection bus); Martinez (8 mi; car, County Connection bus); Pittsburg (8 mi; car, BART); Bay Point (9 mi; car, BART, unincorporated)
Where to stay
Which part of town suits which kind of trip.
Downtown Concord near Todos Santos Plaza and the BART station for dining, concerts and transit
the Willows Shopping Center area and Highway 4 for chain hotels
Walnut Creek nearby for a larger, more upscale selection. Tiers: budget motels along Highway 4 and Willow Pass Road
mid-range chains near BART and Highway 242
luxury in nearby Walnut Creek
Places to stay
1 listing in Concord (CA), ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.
Per person per day, with a room shared by two. Change anything below to fit your trip.
Budget
$137/day
Lodging about $113 a night
Mid-range
$192/day
Lodging about $173 a night
Luxury
$312/day
Lodging about $285 a night
Budget calculator
Vehicle
mpg
These are estimates from typical prices, not quotes. Real costs vary with season, events, booking time and your own habits; taxes and fees are approximate.
Cost of living
For longer stays and relocation.
Cost of living index
148 (national average = 100)
Typical 1-bedroom rent
$2,250a month
Research notes
Roughly 140-155 versus US=100 by common indices (approximate; housing about 2x national); typical 1BR rent about $2,100-2,400 per month (Census median gross rent for all units $2,274)
Research notes on prices and seasons
Hotels per night: budget $90-135; mid-range $135-210; luxury $220-350 in nearby Walnut Creek. Peak season is summer with concerts at the Pavilion; winter is cheapest. Rough daily visitor budget excluding lodging: $80-130
Top sights
Toyota Pavilion at Concord concerts
Todos Santos Plaza and downtown dining
Concord Farmers Market
Markham Nature Park and Lime Ridge Open Space hiking
Mount Diablo State Park (nearby, summit views)
Concord Naval Weapons Station history area
Willow Pass and Newhall parks
Concord Blue Devils drum corps (summer)
Sun Valley Mall and Veranda shopping
Known for:Mountains & hikingNational & state parksLakes & riversHistoric sitesFood sceneLive musicShopping
Things to do
3 listings in Concord (CA), ranked by traveller reviews. Featured listings are marked.
Safety information is a guide from public data and our research, not a guarantee. Conditions change; check local news and official advice before you go.
6.3
Good · Data-based
About 450 violent crimes per 100,000 people a year; the US average is about 370.
Safety overview
Violent crime rate roughly 400-500 per 100k and property crime roughly 2,500-3,000 per 100k (approximate, FBI and local reports; not verified this pass); vehicle break-ins and vehicle theft are the main visitor risk, including at shopping centers and BART parking. Hospitals: John Muir Medical Center Concord Campus (trauma), Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek nearby. Hazards: Concord Fault and Calaveras Fault lines (earthquake risk), hot dry summers (often 95-105F), wildfire smoke episodes and grass fire risk on nearby hills, and Delta tule fog in winter
Local notes
Specific places where extra care is worthwhile, especially at night. Most visits are trouble-free.
Use ordinary big-city caution at night around parts of the Monument Boulevard corridor, the Willow Pass Road commercial stretch and some blocks near Highway 4 and the older motels, where property crime and street activity are more common. Downtown Todos Santos Plaza is busy and generally fine in daytime and event evenings
Times marked “est.” are estimates: drives use typical road distances at highway speeds, and train or bus times assume both cities have service. Always check a route planner and timetables before you travel.
Route ideas
Suggested by Hey! En Route from the best-connected next stops. Save one to your routes and make it your own.
