Dublin

Dublin sits at the crossroads of Interstates 580 and 680 in the Amador Valley, about 35 miles from Palo Alto. It is one of the youngest cities in the Bay Area, incorporated only in 1982. It is also one of the fastest growing. Rows of new homes climb the eastern hills. The population reached about 72,600 in the 2020 census.

Under the new growth is a much older place. Irish families settled here in the 1850s and named the town for their capital. Their 1859 church, schoolhouse and cemetery survive in a city park. Dublin also throws a big St. Patrick's Day celebration and sits at the end of a BART line. This guide covers the trip, the history, the sights and why to go.

Where Dublin is and how far

Dublin lies on the north side of Interstate 580, with Pleasanton to the south across the freeway, San Ramon to the north and Livermore to the east. It covers about 15 square miles. The city is about 35 miles east of downtown San Francisco, 23 miles from Oakland and 31 miles north of San Jose. The Parks Reserve Forces Training Area, long known as Camp Parks, takes up a large tract in the middle of town.

From downtown Palo Alto it is about 35 miles. Outside rush hour the drive takes 40 to 50 minutes.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car

Cross the Dumbarton Bridge, follow Route 84 through Fremont and take Interstate 680 north past Pleasanton. The bridge toll is charged only westbound: $8.50 in 2026, $9.00 with FasTrak from January 1, 2027. You can also drive around the south bay on Route 237 and Interstate 680. Both freeways are badly congested on weekday afternoons. Our East Bay travel guide compares routes.

By BART

Dublin has two BART stations. Dublin/Pleasanton, in the median of Interstate 580, is the eastern end of the line. West Dublin/Pleasanton, built for about $80 million, opened in 2011 with a hotel, apartments and offices beside it. From Palo Alto on weekdays, take the Dumbarton Express to Union City BART, ride north to Bay Fair and change for Dublin. On weekends, go around the south bay: Caltrain to Mountain View, VTA light rail to Milpitas, then BART. Either way, allow close to two hours.

From Amador Valley to Dublin

Ohlone people lived in the valley long before the Spanish arrived. In 1835 Jose Maria Amador, a former soldier and an administrator at Mission San Jose, was granted 16,500 acres. The valley still carries his name. From 1850, Irish settlers bought land from Amador and built a small farm town at a crossroads in the valley.

Two of those families, the Murrays and the Fallons, came from Elphin in County Roscommon. They left Ireland before the Great Famine, lived in New York and joined early wagon trains west, traveling with the Donner Party until they parted ways at Fort Bridger in Wyoming. Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon donated 4 acres for a church, a school and a cemetery. The Murray Schoolhouse opened in 1856 with 50 pupils. The church, Old St. Raymond's, was built in 1859 of wood hauled by oxen from the Oakland hills. During construction a worker named Tom Donlon fell to his death on September 6, 1859. He became the first person buried in the Dublin Pioneer Cemetery.

The area was first called Alamilla Springs. The name Dublin, for the many Irish residents, was adopted by the post office in the 1890s. Dublin Boulevard was part of the Lincoln Highway, one of the first coast-to-coast highways. It later carried US 50. The first housing tracts went up in West Dublin in 1960. The city incorporated in February 1982.

One of the stranger moments in recent local history came on December 6, 2011, when a cannonball fired during filming of MythBusters at Camp Parks went astray, passed through a house and came to rest in a car. Nobody was hurt.

Dublin Heritage Park and Museums

The city's Heritage Park, at 6600 Donlon Way on the corner of Dublin Boulevard, gathers the pioneer sites in one place. The park grounds are open during daylight hours. The museums are open Tuesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Private tours can be arranged on Saturdays. A self-guided audio tour runs through the Otocast app.

• Old St. Raymond's Church. Built in 1859 and dedicated in 1860, it is the oldest surviving Catholic church in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Its simple Gothic Revival design, white clapboard siding and wide redwood floorboards have changed little. The congregation moved to a larger church in 1966. The city bought the old building in 1993. It joined the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 2006.
• The Murray Schoolhouse. Built in 1856, it was moved twice before settling here and is part of the museum complex.
• Dublin Pioneer Cemetery. Formally established in 1859, it holds many of the valley's early Irish families.

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin

Dublin's St. Patrick's Day celebration is its signature event. It has traditionally included a parade sponsored by the Dublin Rotary Club with bands and floats, a two-day festival, a 5K fun run and walk and a pancake breakfast hosted by the city's firefighters, with firehouse tours for children. Crowds come from across the Tri-Valley. Check the city's website early in 2027 for dates. Our St. Patrick's Day guide covers celebrations closer to Palo Alto.

Parks and the outdoors

Emerald Glen Park is the largest community park in Dublin. On Memorial Day weekend 2017 the city opened The Wave there, a 31,000-square-foot aquatic center built around an indoor pool for year-round swimming lessons and recreation. Check the city for public swim times. Fallon Sports Park in east Dublin, opened in 2010, has ball fields, lighted courts and a rough-graded BMX area.

In 2000, voters passed Measure M to protect the western Dublin hills from more housing, so the ridges above the west side remain open. For bigger hikes, Mount Diablo rises to the north and Pleasanton Ridge and Sunol are a short drive south.

Food and shopping

Dublin's growth has filled it with new shopping centers along Dublin Boulevard, Fallon Road and the freeway, many built since 2000. They hold chain restaurants alongside a wide range of Indian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Mexican places that reflect the city's diverse new neighborhoods. For a historic main street with independent restaurants, head across Interstate 580 to downtown Pleasanton.

Why a Palo Alto resident might go

1. Pioneer history. Old St. Raymond's is one of the best preserved early churches in the East Bay.
2. St. Patrick's Day. The parade and festival are a fitting outing for a town named for Ireland's capital.
3. A Tri-Valley base. Dublin's hotels sit near BART and both freeways, handy for Livermore wine country and Mount Diablo. You can compare hotels in Dublin and Pleasanton for a weekend.
4. A year-round pool. The Wave is an option for swimmers when outdoor pools close.

Frequently asked questions