About City of El Cerrito
The City of El Cerrito is a general law city that incorporated on August 23, 1917, after a spirited vote by the residents of the un-incorporated areas of Stege Junction and Rust. Two other small communities, Schmidtville and Schindler, were also included, giving El Cerrito an estimated population of 1,500. After incorporation El Cerrito grew slowly, reaching a population of 3,852 in 1930, up to 7,000 in 1940. During the World War II years and the post-war housing boom, the population had jumped to-18,000 by 1950. Today, El Cerrito has a population of approximately 24,000. The City celebrated its 100th centennial anniversary in 2017 with events held throughout the year to honor our rich history and unique identity.
El Cerrito is located in western Contra Costa County and forms part of the highly urbanized area along the
eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. El Cerrito has a population of approximately 25,000 and covers an area
of 3.9 square miles. It is a community of highly educated residents due primarily to the proximity to UC
Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area high-tech economy. It is known for its temperate climate and breathtaking views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from the hillside areas.