Welcome to Lafayette
Lafayette is located on 15 square miles in Contra Costa County, one of nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. The City was incorporated in 1968, although settlement of the area began in 1848.
Lafayette is noted for its high quality of life with top rated schools, low crime rate, small town downtown, clean air, mild climate and oak tree-studded hills. Located between Berkeley and Walnut Creek, Lafayette has its own Bay Area Rapid Transit station (BART) and is only a 25 minute BART ride from San Francisco.
Lafayette Reservoir
The Lafayette Reservoir is located off Mt. Diablo Boulevard on the west end of Lafayette. The 925 acre site with a 1.4 billion gallon reservoir was opened to public recreation in 1966 with hiking, fishing, boating and picnicking.
Fishing at the reservoir has a daily fee and the usual state license requirements and bait restrictions apply. The State Department of Fish and Game plants thousands of trout each year joining bluegill, black bass, black crappie and several kinds of catfish.
Privately owned rowboats, canoes, kayaks and sailboats are allowed at the reservoir. There is a fee for boat registration. In addition, there are rowboats and pedal boats for rent at the activity center on an hourly, half-day, or all-day basis.
The recreation area is also open for bicyclists, (and for those who prefer roller skates, roller blades and scooters) on the paved Lakeside Trail (2.7 miles) and roads, however, no skateboards.
Surrounding the reservoir are 35 picnic sites to accommodate families and small groups. Most picnic areas are located near the dam; others are scattered around the reservoir. Sites can be reserved in person at the Lafayette Visitor Center. There is a prepaid reservation fee required. Please call 925-284-9669 for specific information.
Parks and Trails
There are over 16 miles of hiking trails in Lafayette including 4 neighborhood trails, the Lafayette-Moraga Trail and those at the Reservoir and in Briones. In addition, the Lamorinda Loop Trail winds for 17.5 miles continuously through all three communities. There are many beautiful parks in Lafayette including; Community Park, Buckeye Fields, Brook Street Park, Leigh Creekside Park, Elam & Margaret Brown Plaza and more!
Schools
The Lafayette School District is a kindergarten-eighth grade district with about 3,500 students in four elementary (K-5) schools and one middle (6-8) school. The district offers a full range of services based on the needs of our students, yet the basic instructional day centers around the core subjects: Reading, Language Arts and Mathematics. As a result, the students continually score among the highest of all California students. Most will be college-bound after attending either Acalanes or Campolindo High Schools.
The overall success in the district is attributed to a strong ongoing “Partnership in Education” relationship which exists among students, parents, faculty and community.
Persons who will have children attending one or more of the Lafayette schools should notify the district as soon as possible to help insure that their children’s academic needs will be properly met.
