History · Dublin

Dublin was first counted by the census in 1970, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 13% of U.S. towns · #618 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Dublin was built recently: 0.5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2004. Its Register listing is the St. Raymond's Church. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1906 on, and the census since 1970.

1970first census

1on the National Register

0.5%homes built before 1940

1old photo or paper

3famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Dublin’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Dublin began

When was Dublin founded?

1970

Dublin first appears in the census in 1970. Two smaller post offices, Dougherty's Station (1860) and Dougherty (1896), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 13,641 in 19702020 census: 72,58956 years

How historic is Dublin?

More historic than 13% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓

Founding year: the first census.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives Dublin’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dublin is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #618 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dublin’s overall grade.

Founding era1970, from the first census: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD⁻Homes built before 19400.5% of homes (±0.3) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%D National Register1 listing, 0.1 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 13%

NewerOlder

California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 27%

Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Dublin’s 0.1 sits near the middle of its state (64% of California towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.3 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Dublin’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Dublin, and 3 old place names are still on the map.On the map since 19066 editions of the USGS map, 1906 to 1980. Watch Dublin change.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Dublin’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Dublin’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2 Retake an old viewStatue of an Ohlone Elder Weaving a Bas…: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Dougherty's Station

1860–1896

Dougherty

1896–1908

18601940today

Hamlets and corners on the map

DoughertyKomandorski VillageSan Ramon Village

Gone or out of use

Antone SchoolschoolCamp ShoemakermilitaryNaval Hospital ShoemakerhospitalParks Air Force Basemilitary

1cemetery inside Dublin

Dublin Pioneer

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the map

Dublin on the map, 1906 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dublin. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1906Pleasanton sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dublin.

The story

How Dublin came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Dublin.

Read it all →

In 1835, José María Amador was granted 16,500 acres for his service as a Mexican soldier and in Mission San Jose, where he was an administrator in the valley which was named Amador Valley after him. In 1850, Irish settlers bought land from Amador and founded a town.

Several historical sites are preserved and located where Dublin Boulevard is crossed by Donlon Way, itself formerly the northernmost segment of the main road to Sunol and Niles Canyon (present-day Foothill Road):

The Murray Schoolhouse was established in 1856 with 50 pupils.

Green's Store (opened in 1860) is the current home of the Dublin Church of Christ.

ChaptersMythBusters cannonball incident Measure M

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Dublin, 1902–1921

Passages that mention Dublin, cut from the printed page as they were published.

**A history of the County Dublin**1902Read the page →
Read the text
The parish of Castleknock lies to the north-west of the city of Dublin, adjoining the Phoenix Park, and extending westward to the parish of Clonsilla, Through it the high road from Dublin to Trim, the Midland Great Western Railway, and the Royal Canal pass.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Many passengers of distinction landed here from time to time, and in 1396 the place had become of such note that King Richard II. granted to the Archbishop of Dublin the privilege of exercising the rights of Admiral or Water Bailiff of this port. A contemporary document on this subject states that … — **The neighborhood of Dublin**1921 · page 52Read the page →
Read the text
Many passengers of distinction landed here from time to time, and in 1396 the place had become of such note that King Richard II. granted to the Archbishop of Dublin the privilege of exercising the rights of Admiral or Water Bailiff of this port. A contemporary document on this subject states that " there is no anchorage or good lying for great ships " coming into the Port of Dublin with wines, salt, corn, and " other merchandises, freighted for Dublin from foreign parts,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

ash, in the churchyard. - Under the Anglo-Norman settlement the lands belonging to Finglas abbey, like those of Tallaght and Clondalkin, were confirmed to the Archbishop of Dublin, and the manor in which they were comprised became the most valuable of the manors owned by him near Dublin, excepting … — **A history of the County Dublin**1902 · page 86Read the page →
Read the text
ash, in the churchyard. - Under the Anglo-Norman settlement the lands belonging to Finglas abbey, like those of Tallaght and Clondalkin, were confirmed to the Archbishop of Dublin, and the manor in which they were comprised became the most valuable of the manors owned by him near Dublin, excepting that of Swords. When elected to the see of Dublin in 1228, Archbishop Luke found in Finglas an episcopal residence, of which he made immediate use ; and during his time the town is mentioned as a
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

these, many were severely maimed and injured. Owing to the density of the fog and the remoteness of the locality, no help was forthcoming from the mainland, and the terrible news did not become known in Dublin until the following afternoon, when the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company's boat Prince… — **The neighborhood of Dublin**1921 · page 304Read the page →
Read the text
these, many were severely maimed and injured. Owing to the density of the fog and the remoteness of the locality, no help was forthcoming from the mainland, and the terrible news did not become known in Dublin until the following afternoon, when the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company's boat Prince was despatched with all haste to the scene of the disaster.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Dublin, 1859 to 1993

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

19th century
1859BuiltSt. Raymond's Church is built
1860Post officeThe Dougherty's Station post office opens
1896Post officeThe Dougherty's Station post office closes
1896Post officeThe Dougherty post office opens
20th century
1906On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1908Post officeThe Dougherty post office closes
1964Born hereSteve Souza is born here
1967Born herePhil Demmel is born here
1993Born hereBethany Zummo is born here

By decade

Dublin, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date

Date?Statue of an Ohlone Elder Weaving a Basket

Today14 recent

2024Iron Horse Regional Trail 5

Aerial view of Dublin and Pleasanton with morning fog, December 2023

2023Aerial view of Dublin and Pleasanton with morning fog…

2022I-580 Castro Valley to Dublin aerial

2021Dublin Pioneer Cemetery

2021Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine at Fuddruckers

2018Shawn Kumagai

2018Schaefer Ranch Park

2017Daisies 1 2017-02-21

2016Dublin, CA Planter 1 2016-09-06

2014Green Yellow And Blue

20112011, USA, Dublin, CA - panoramio (1)

20112011, USA, CA

20092009-0724-CA-Dublin-cemetery

2008Christmas in

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewStatue of an Ohlone Elder Weaving a Basket

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Dublin’s page.

Retake this view · +15

On the National Register

1 historic place in Dublin

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed

National Historic Landmarks

none yet

historic buildings protected

each building in a district counts

first listed

2006

St. Raymond's Church

Sites

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1

Gothic1

St. Raymond's ChurchGreek Revival · Built 1859

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Dublin, census by census

Grew from 13,641 people in 1970 to 72,589 in 2020, 5 times over.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dublin’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Dublin

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Steve SouzaAmerican metal vocalist · b. 1964

Phil DemmelAmerican guitarist · b. 1967

Bethany ZummoAmerican Paralympic volleyball player · b. 1993

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Pleasanton2 historic placesC San Ramon1 historic placeC⁺

Questions about Dublin’s history

What year was Dublin founded?

The Dublin post office opened in 1970, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1982.

How does Dublin rank for history?

Dublin is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #618 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Dublin?

One place: the St. Raymond's Church (listed 2006).

How old are the homes in Dublin?

0.5% of Dublin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 2004.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (15), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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