Richmond, California

Richmond, California

Richmond ( /ˈrɪtʃmənd/ RICH-mənd) is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is the site of heavy industry, which has been undergoing a shift towards a service and commercial economy since the 1970s. Richmond almost completely surrounds the city of San Pablo and the unincorporated areas of North Richmond, El Sobrante and East Richmond Heights. The city has a reputation for being crime-plagued, although this problem is centralized in the urban core, with many parts of Richmond having a low crime rate. The city's own police department, however, has described the city as having a chronic violent crime problem for "decades." In 2010, Richmond was ranked the 6th most dangerous city in the United States.

The city is headed by mayor Gayle McLaughlin, making Richmond the largest city in the country with a Green Party mayor. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city's population is at 103,701. This makes Richmond the 61st largest city in the state. Richmond has been called a company town based on its relationship with Chevron Corporation and has been referred to as "Refinery Town".