Newark

Cross the Dumbarton Bridge from Palo Alto and the first city you reach is Newark. It is a quiet place of about 47,500 people, mostly homes, schools and shopping centers, with salt ponds and marsh along its western edge. Newark is unusual on the map: it is an enclave, completely surrounded by the much larger city of Fremont.

Few people visit Newark for its own sake. But it sits at the East Bay end of Palo Alto's closest bridge, so it is often the gateway to the bay shore preserves, Ardenwood farm and Fremont. It also has some of the most diverse everyday food in the area. This guide covers the bridge, the shoreline, the mall and why you might stop.

Where Newark is and how far

Newark is in southern Alameda County, on the east shore near the south end of the bay. Interstate 880 forms its eastern border with Fremont. State Route 84 runs through the city and continues west across the Dumbarton Bridge to Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. The bay side of the city is mostly salt ponds and tidal marsh, part of a national wildlife refuge.

From downtown Palo Alto, central Newark is about 12 miles. Outside rush hour the drive takes about 20 minutes, most of it on the bridge and Route 84.

The Dumbarton Bridge link

The Dumbarton Bridge is the southernmost and shortest of the bay's highway bridges, at about 1.63 miles. It has never been officially named. The name comes from Dumbarton Point near its east end, named in 1876 after Dumbarton in Scotland.

The first bridge here opened on January 17, 1927, the first bridge for cars across San Francisco Bay. It was a two-lane drawbridge built with private money. Its replacement, a high-level span to the north, opened in October 1982. The center of the old bridge was blown up in September 1984. A piece of the old bridge survives on the east side as the Dumbarton Fishing Pier. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake closed the Bay Bridge, the new span was restriped to six lanes.

Driving across

From Palo Alto, take University Avenue through East Palo Alto or Willow Road through Menlo Park to Bayfront Expressway and the bridge. Tolls are charged only westbound, on your way back: $8.50 for a car in 2026, rising to $9.00 with FasTrak on January 1, 2027. There are no cash lanes. The western approaches have no freeway connection to Highway 101 and back up badly at commute times. Weekday traffic heads west in the morning and east in the evening.

By bus

On weekdays the Dumbarton Express crosses the bridge between Palo Alto and Union City BART, stopping at the Ardenwood Park and Ride near the Newark and Fremont line. AC Transit local buses connect Newark with the Fremont and Union City BART stations. There is no rail service in Newark. A Dumbarton rail line with a Newark station has been studied for years but has not been built. Our East Bay travel guide covers schedules and fares.

By bike

The 1982 bridge has a separated two-way bike path and walkway on its south side. It connects to the Bay Trail on both shores, so you can ride from Palo Alto to the Newark and Fremont marshes almost entirely on paths. Expect strong headwinds in the afternoon and little shelter. If you need a bike, compare bike rentals before your visit. Our guide to arriving by bike and Bay Trail page cover the routes.

A short history

Ohlone people lived along the east bay shore for thousands of years. In the Spanish era the land fell under Mission San José. In 1878 the Pacific Land Investment Company bought land in Washington Township and laid out the town of Newark. J. Barr Robertson named it after Newark Castle in Port Glasgow, Scotland.

Newark became an industrial town. Wikipedia lists Wedgewood stoves, glass-lined water heaters, Peterbilt trucks and semi-trailers among the products made here in the 20th century. Salt was harvested from the bay ponds and Cargill still runs a salt refinery in the city.

In the early 1950s the towns around Newark planned to merge into one city to avoid annexation by Hayward. That city became Fremont. Newark residents feared their town would be zoned as Fremont's industrial district, so they incorporated first, on September 22, 1955. Fremont formed a few months later and grew all around them.

In the 2010s Newark briefly drew national attention when Theranos ran a laboratory here. Our Theranos page tells that story.

The bay shore

Newark's best scenery is on its western edge, where salt ponds in shades of green, orange and red meet tidal marsh. Much of it is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which Newark shares with Fremont. Highlights:

• Refuge headquarters and visitor center: on Marshlands Road just off Route 84 near the bridge. Published visitor center hours conflict, so call before you go. Our refuge guide has details.
• Newark Slough Trail: a 5.11-mile loop reached from the Tidelands Trail, with marsh, slough and salt pond views and a good chance of seeing herons, egrets and shorebirds.
• Dumbarton Fishing Pier: the surviving piece of the 1927 bridge. The Fish and Wildlife Service says no fishing license is needed there but does not post a current status, so check before you go.
• Coyote Hills Regional Park: just north of Route 84 in Fremont, with a paved loop and Ohlone history.

Winter is the best time for birds, when migrating ducks and shorebirds fill the ponds. Our birdwatching guide compares this shore with the Palo Alto Baylands across the water.

NewPark Mall and shopping

NewPark Mall, beside Interstate 880 at Mowry Avenue, opened on August 6, 1980 and once had more than 140 stores. Like many regional malls it has shrunk a great deal. Wikipedia reports a little over 40 retailers in 2025:

• Sears closed in 2018 and JCPenney in 2019. Macy's closed in March 2025.
• A Costco opened on the mall property on November 18, 2023.
• An AMC theater with an IMAX screen, added during a renovation finished in 2017, remains a draw.
• In June 2026 the Canadian grocery chain T&T Supermarket confirmed plans for its largest California store, more than 72,600 square feet, in the former Macy's. It is expected to open in late 2027.
• Apartments and mixed-use buildings are planned on other parts of the site.

Wikipedia also lists a Sunday farmers market on the mall property. Confirm before you go.

Food in Newark

Newark's restaurants sit mostly in strip centers along Thornton Avenue, Jarvis Avenue, Newark Boulevard and Mowry Avenue. They reflect a city where more than four in ten residents were born abroad: Indian and Pakistani restaurants, Mexican taquerias, Filipino food, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean spots, plus bakeries and boba. Prices tend to be lower than in Palo Alto. Restaurants change often, so we name none here. Pick a busy center and explore.

Why a Palo Alto visitor might go

1. A bike ride over the bay. The Dumbarton path is one of the few ways to cross the bay under your own power.
2. Birds and big skies. The refuge trails are wide open and rarely crowded.
3. Everyday food. Newark's strip centers offer variety at modest prices.
4. A gateway. Ardenwood farm and the rest of Fremont are minutes away.

Frequently asked questions