Concord, city in Contra Costa County, in the Diablo Valley, near San Francisco. The city is a center for banking and credit card services. Manufactures include petroleum products, electronics, and medical equipment. The Concord Naval Weapons Station is a major employer. In 1992 a satellite campus of California State University, Hayward, known as the Contra Costa Center, opened in the city. The Concord Pavilion is an entertainment center designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Annual events include the Concord FallFest and the Bay Area KidFest.
Concord was established in a grain-growing region in 1868 by the founders of the nearby town of Pacheco. The founders sought a location on higher land because the earlier town was subjected to annual flooding. Originally named Todos Santos (Spanish for “All Saints”), the townspeople changed the name to Concord for unknown reasons. The city incorporated in 1905, and remained a small community until the 1950s, when municipal development began.
