Oakley, with approximately 27,000 residents, is situated in the eastern portion of Contra Costa County, along the shore of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, near the cities of Pittsburg, Antioch, and Brentwood. Oakley is, in fact, equidistant from San Francisco and Sacramento-just 55 miles. Oakley is situated in East Contra Costa County along the picturesque California Delta, fishing and boating paradise.
The growing community of Oakley traces its roots to 1897, when the town's first land owner, R. C. Marsh, came to the area and settled on what was thought to be infertile land. Early settlers proved otherwise by turning Oakley into a cornucopia of fresh fruits and vegetables. On September 7, 1898, Marsh as named the town's first postmaster and Oakley became a town. The city was incorporated in July 1999.
Each September thousands of visitors come to Oakley for the Annual Almond Festival, a celebration set firmly in the Oakley's agricultural history. At one point in the 1950's, Oakley was one of the leading almond producing areas in California. The festival is the largest event in Oakley, and features arts and crafts show, all-day entertainment, a children's carnival area, car show, a parade, a baby diaper derby, international food booths and of course, almonds in all shapes and forms.
Oakley's school aged children are served by the Oakley Union School District. In 2006, the District opened Iron House, as a tribute to the original Iron House School, which opened in 1862. In addition to Iron House, the District operates four other K-5 schools and two grades 6-8 middle schools. Two of the elementary schools, Vintage Parkway and Laurel operate on a multi-track year round schedule. All other schools operate on a modified traditional schedule.
Middle school and High School students attend Freedom High School, part of the Liberty Union High School District. Liberty Union High School District oversees the operations of Freedom High School, La Paloma High School, and the Liberty Alternative Education Center. Families living west of Empire Avenue in Oakley are served by schools of the Antioch Unified School District.
Oakley's motto, A Place for Families in the Heart of the Delta, is manifested by the availability of affordable housing. The town recently completed a major affordable housing complex for low-income families, and planning is underway for construction of a second project that will offer even more low-income units. In addition, a wide variety of housing opportunities are available in Oakley. A number of new home builders have growing communities in the area, including Discovery Homes, Centex, KB Homes, Pulte and Ponderosa Homes.
In February 2010, the average home sales price for a single family home or condo in Oakley, CA was $239,392. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
