Welcome to Danville

For over 130 years, Danville’s history has been one of change and growth. Often referred to as the “Heart of the San Ramon Valley.” Danville was first populated by Indians who lived next to the creeks and camped on Mount Diablo in the summer. Later it was part of Mission San Jose’s grazing land and a Mexican land grant called Rancho San Ramon. In 1910 a public high school district was organized and San Ramon Valley Union High School was built. A library
supervised by Lillian Close opened in 1913 with 104 books. St. Isidore’s Catholic Church was first established at Hartz and Linda Mesa in 1910, and an improvement league spearheaded the first streetlights and paved roads in 1915.

Danville continued to be farm country well into the 1940s. The whole valley had 2,120 people in 1940, growing to 4,630 by 1950. Developments such as Montair and Cameo Acres were built, the water and sewer districts extended their boundaries, and the new I-680 freeway which sliced through Danville in the mid 1960s altered Danville permanently.

In 1982, Danville citizens showed their strong sense of identity by voting to incorporate their community, allowing themselves to shape future changes more directly. After 130 years, the small settlement on the banks of the creek has grown from a blacksmith shop to a thriving community.