Pleasanton

Located about 25 miles east of Oakland, Pleasanton is an Alameda County suburb with a population of more than 82,000. The U.S. Census Bureau has ranked Pleasanton as the wealthiest middle-sized city in the United States.

Pleasanton’s location at the crossroads of Highways 680, 580 and 84 make it convenient to transportation. It also has two BART stations.

Pleasanton is home to the company headquarters of Workday, Ellie Mae, Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Blackhawk Network Holdings, and Veeva Systems. Other major employers include Kaiser Permanente, Safeway, Oracle, Nordstrom and Macy's.

The Alameda County Fairgrounds are located in Pleasanton, where the county fair is held during the last week of June and the first week of July. Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park is located on the west side of town.

Pleasanton was ranked number 4 in USA Today's list of "America's 50 Best Cities to Live In" in 2014, number 63 in Money Magazine's list of "The Best Places to Live" in 2010, and was named one of "Americans' Top Hometown Spots" in the United States in 2009 by Forbes. Pleasanton was named the third wealthiest city in terms of earnings in the United States by NerdWallet in 2013.

In 1917, Pleasanton became the backdrop for the film Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, starring Mary Pickford. The town was once home to Phoebe Apperson Hearst, who lived in a 50-room mansion on a 2,000-acres estate that is now the site of Castlewood Country Club.

The lively downtown has an Americana, small-town feel with historic buildings filled with great shops and restaurants offering al fresco dining. The Saturday morning farmers' market is one of the best in the East Bay.