About Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, located 16 miles (26 km) east of the city of Oakland in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Although not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as a hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa County, due in part to its location at the junction of the highways from Sacramento and San Jose (I-680) and San Francisco/Oakland (SR-24), as well as its accessibility by BART. The city’s total estimated population, as of 2011, is 65,211.
Geography and climate
Walnut Creek is located at 37°54′23″N 122°03′54″W.[12] Portions lie in both the San Ramon Valley and the Ygnacio Valley below the western slopes of Mount Diablo.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.8 sq mi (51.2 km2), 0.06% of which is water.
Climate
Walnut Creek’s warm summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb) is typical of California’s interior valleys. In summer, high pressure is in control of the region, leading to almost unbroken sunshine and virtually no precipitation. Days start out cool but quickly warm up, with high temperatures normally in the 80s Fahrenheit (27 to 32 °C). Temperatures of 100 °F (38 °C) or hotter occur numerous times during heatwaves, however. In the winter, the jet stream moves far enough south so that Pacific storms can reach Walnut Creek, bringing much-needed rain—average annual rainfall approximates 20 inches (510 mm), with slight variations occurring in microclimates based on elevation and topography. During particularly cold storms, snow falls on the peak of nearby Mount Diablo, but snow in the valley floor is very rare. There are also plenty of clear, mild days in winter, often with morning frost. The climate allows for the successful cultivation of many plants and crops, being warm enough for citrus yet cold enough for apples. The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a renowned botanical garden that showcases the diversity of plants that can be successfully grown.
| Climate data for WALNUT CREEK 2 ESE, California (1893–1974) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
83 (28) |
97 (36) |
94 (34) |
103 (39) |
109 (43) |
115 (46) |
112 (44) |
114 (46) |
101 (38) |
89 (32) |
76 (24) |
115 (46) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 55 (13) |
61 (16) |
65 (18) |
71 (22) |
76 (24) |
83 (28) |
88 (31) |
87 (31) |
84 (29) |
77 (25) |
66 (19) |
56 (13) |
72.4 (22.4) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 36 (2) |
38 (3) |
40 (4) |
43 (6) |
47 (8) |
52 (11) |
54 (12) |
54 (12) |
52 (11) |
46 (8) |
41 (5) |
37 (3) |
45.0 (7.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 17 (−8) |
21 (−6) |
24 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
32 (0) |
34 (1) |
38 (3) |
41 (5) |
36 (2) |
27 (−3) |
23 (−5) |
18 (−8) |
17 (−8) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.52 (114.8) |
3.62 (91.9) |
2.47 (62.7) |
1.38 (35.1) |
0.56 (14.2) |
0.14 (3.6) |
0.01 (0.3) |
0.04 (1) |
0.24 (6.1) |
1.05 (26.7) |
2.26 (57.4) |
3.83 (97.3) |
20.12 (511.1) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 53 |
| Source: [13][14] | |||||||||||||
Open space
Shell Ridge Open Space
Walnut Creek owns more open space per capita than any other community in the state of California. In 1974, Walnut Creek voters approved a $6.7 million bond measure that allowed the city to purchase 1,800 acres (730 ha) of undeveloped hillsides, ridge lines, and park sites. Walnut Creek owns parts of Lime Ridge Open Space, Shell Ridge Open Space, Acalanes Ridge Open Space, and Sugarloaf Open Space.
The East Bay Regional Park District operates Diablo Foothills Regional Park and Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area, both in Walnut Creek.