The Antioch Marina on the San Joaquin River with the town and the hills behind it

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Antioch, in short

Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my property in Antioch?

Only for a protected tree. On a developed home lot, Antioch’s code lets you remove any other tree without a permit. Protected trees include street trees, trees 26 inches across or more or over 40 feet tall, and naturally growing oaks of five listed kinds, California buckeyes and California bays 10 inches across or more, measured 4-1/2 feet up.

The story of Antioch

Antioch, on the San Joaquin River, “a vital ‘Gateway to the Delta.'”

Antioch began as a river landing. The Antioch Historical Society says the river was the town’s only link to the outside world from 1850 to 1880, and the settlers chose the name Antioch at a Fourth of July picnic in 1851. The City’s General Plan report calls Antioch “the largest city in East Contra Costa County” today.

The City’s General Plan Update site says Antioch was founded in 1849 as Smith’s Landing, a port town on the San Joaquin River. The Antioch Historical Society’s account starts a year later: on September 16, 1850, settlers arrived at the foot of what is now F Street and camped under the oaks, where they could watch herds of tule elk and antelope.

The settlers planted their fields in 1850 and were struck by one of the worst droughts ever recorded in California, the Society says. They moved to the Kirker Pass area, cut the wild oat grass and took it by scow to San Francisco, where they received $60 a ton.

On July 4, 1851, the Society says, the settlers held a picnic on a bluff overlooking the San Joaquin River, and the thirty to forty people there chose the name Antioch, after the Antioch of Syria and in memory of Reverend Joseph Smith, who had died in the area in February 1850.

From 1850 to 1880 the river was the only means of transportation and communication with the outside world, the Society says. Antioch boasted three miles of frontage on it, with 40-foot deep water three quarters of a mile wide to accommodate shipping.

In the early 1870s there was talk of dividing Contra Costa County and naming the new county Montezuma, with Antioch as the county seat; the Society says the idea of county division was dropped.

Antioch incorporated in February 1872, the Society says, and the town began to develop in a more orderly fashion. Its museum calls Antioch “the oldest city in Contra Costa County”.

Spanish land grants caused a great deal of trouble for the settlers, the Society says, and Captain Kimball, after seven years in court, found the Los Medanos claim honored in 1872.

The National Park Service’s 1993 registration form describes the Roswell Butler Hard House, significant year 1869, as a large, two-story Italianate building of red brick produced locally, and calls it “the town’s only example in that style”. It was the home of Antioch’s first mayor and the first meeting place of the Board of Trustees in 1872.

Early industries and businesses included brick kilns, coal mining, a copper smelter, several potteries and a distillery, the Society says.

In 1889 Mr. Keeney built a paper mill on the west side of L Street, north of Fourth Street, the Society says; the site is now the location of the Antioch Police Department.

The museum sits at the site of the 1910 Riverview High School, and the Society moved all its belongings into the building in September 1999.

South of Antioch and Pittsburg, the East Bay Regional Park District says, the Black Diamond Mines area was the location of California’s largest coal mining operation, with nearly four million tons of coal (“black diamonds”) removed from the earth. In the 1920s, it adds, underground mining for sand began near the deserted Nortonville and Somersville townsites, and the sand mining ended by 1949.

El Campanil Theatre opened on November 1, 1928, and its owner’s history page says news reports of the time called it “the most pretentious building in Contra Costa County”. The Stamm family owned and ran it for 75 years, until 2003.

In 1967 the Antioch City Council approved a resolution accepting Chichibu, Japan, as Antioch’s sister city, and the first student exchange followed in 1971. The two cities were likely candidates to be each other’s sister city, the City’s page says, because each had manufacturing plants.

In 2001 citizens approached the City with their wish to find a way to acquire and restore El Campanil; a preservation foundation was incorporated in July 2002, bought the theatre in July 2003, and completed the first phase of the rehabilitation on July 4, 2004.

Read the full story of Antioch

Fire safety

The State’s map and Antioch

Read from the State’s 2025 fire hazard map for local areas, one of the maps the State released in four phases between February 10 and March 24, 2025, the Very High, High and Moderate classes all reach inside Antioch. This is our reading of the map’s online layer, and it names no neighborhood or address. The District’s page on its fire hazard maps says the updated maps are effective as of July 10, 2025, and lists a file called “LRA Antioch Map (PDF)”. To see which class your own address is in, use the District’s Antioch map or the map viewer the District links.

State layer read Oct 25 2026; District page read Oct 25 2026

The City’s fire code

The City’s municipal code authorizes the Fire Chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to enforce the Fire Code within the city’s boundaries (section 8-15.03). The District’s own pages list Antioch among the areas served for weed abatement and name defensible-space guidance and inspections among its programs.

Code read Oct 25 2026 (the code’s own header: 2025 S-41); District pages read Oct 25 2026

See 7 more

Weeds and brush on your lot

The District’s weed-abatement page says: “It is a parcel owner’s responsibility to eliminate exterior fire hazards on their parcel, which may also endanger their neighbors and the community at large.” The page is called Weed Abatement (Annual Program) and posts the deadlines under a year heading, so check it for this year’s date.

District page read Oct 25 2026

Dead trees

The District’s weed-abatement FAQ asks “Can the Fire District abate dead trees?” and answers: “If the tree is dead or dying and is designated a Fire Hazard by a fire official.”

District FAQ read Oct 25 2026

The City’s weed chapter

The City’s Weed and Rubbish Abatement chapter says its purpose is “to declare certain public nuisances and to provide for the abatement of such nuisances and for the payment of the costs of abatement.” It defines weeds to include “Dry grass, stubble, brush, litter, or other flammable material which endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard.”

Code read Oct 25 2026 (purpose and definitions only)

Embers and the roof

The District’s Defensible Space brochure says fire could burn to a home through several scenarios, including “ember ignition of vegetative debris on the ground and ember ignition of vegetative debris on the roofs.”

Brochure undated; saved copy of Oct 7 2026

Roofs and gutters

CAL FIRE’s page on defensible space tells homeowners: “Remove all dead and dying plants, weeds, and debris (leaves, needles, etc.) from your roof, gutter, deck, porch, stairways, and under any areas of your home.” It is a statewide page; the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District serves Antioch.

CAL FIRE page read Oct 7 2026, asked twice

The District’s own Zone 0

The District’s page on its home-sale inspection describes a “Zone 0” of its own: the five feet out from the face of a structure’s exterior wall, where it asks for “the most stringent fuel reduction”. That is the District’s own use of the name, separate from the State’s Zone 0 rule below.

District PDF undated; read Oct 25 2026

Zone 0, the State’s rule: where it stands

The State’s rule for the first five feet around a home, called Zone 0: adopted by the Board; in final review with the Office of Administrative Law; no effective date known. This is the status on our standing check of October 22, 2026.

Standing check of Oct 22 2026; next re-read due Nov 7

Need a hand with this? Gutter guards

Antioch this month

Storm season: the City’s Public Works Department provides a self-service sandbag station for residents during the rainy season, at its Maintenance Service Center (entrance on N Street).

The Antioch blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.

Culture and history

The Antioch Historical Museum

The Antioch Historical Society’s museum, in the old Riverview Union High School building, is open Wednesday and Saturday from 1 to 4 pm, with free admission. Its rooms include a fire house with a 1927 Ford Model T fire truck, a Delta Room on industries of the past and the Antioch Sports Legends Hall of Fame; the grounds hold a 1929 Santa Fe caboose and an 1861 cook house moved there in 2008. More in The story of Antioch, below.

Society’s pages read Oct 25 2026 (opening days: refresh before use)

The Fourth of July in Rivertown

The City celebrates Independence Day in historic Rivertown, with an annual parade, live entertainment and local food vendors at Waldie Plaza.

City’s page for the 2026 celebration, read Oct 25 2026; the parade is annual, the page says

See 5 more

The Kids Fishing Derby

The City’s Recreation Department and the California Striped Bass Association’s West Delta Chapter put on a free Kids Fishing Derby at Waldie Plaza and the Antioch Public Fishing Pier, to teach kids fifteen and younger conservation and the basics of fishing competition. The Recreation Department lists it among its yearly special events.

City pages read Oct 25 2026; the page prints no year

El Campanil Theatre

The Spanish-style El Campanil Theatre has a story that runs from its 1928 opening to a citizens’ effort to restore it. More in The story of Antioch, below.

Owner’s history page, undated; read Oct 25 2026

Juneteenth at Williamson Ranch Park

The City’s annual, city-sponsored Juneteenth Celebration is held at Williamson Ranch Park, and the City’s page calls it a time “to honor freedom, culture, and community.”

City page read Oct 25 2026; it prints no event date

Día de Los Muertos at the Nick Rodriguez Community Center

The Recreation Department holds an annual Día de Los Muertos Celebration at the Nick Rodriguez Community Center.

City page read Oct 25 2026; the page’s 2026 date is not written here

Parks

The City says it has over 30 parks open to the public, from dawn to dusk, and its Public Works Department’s Parks & Landscaping Division keeps them up.

City pages read Oct 25 2026

Community

Antioch Historical Society

The Society says it was founded in 1974 by a group of local citizens, and its page dates the charter for its reorganization to April 24, 1975. Its purpose is to collect and protect historical artifacts and resources of cultural and historic value relative to the City of Antioch and its sphere of influence.

Society’s page read Oct 25 2026

Sister city: Chichibu, Japan

Antioch’s sister city is Chichibu, Japan. More in The story of Antioch, below.

City page read Oct 25 2026

See 2 more

Delta Learning Center

A non-profit tutoring organization for kids from kindergarten through twelfth grade, established in 1976.

Organization’s pages read Oct 25 2026

Antioch Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber says it was incorporated in 1938 and is “a voluntary partnership of business and professional people”.

Chamber’s page read Oct 25 2026

City rules and regulations

Building codes

The Building Division page says: “Effective January 1, 2026, the City will enforce the California 2025 Building Codes.” The Building Services Division, it adds, is responsible for administering state and local building construction regulations.

City page read Oct 25 2026

Re-roofs and the City’s permits

The City’s Building Division lists “Re-Roof Projects” among the typical residential permit types in its California Energy Code Requirements guide: documentation for roof alterations goes in with the permit application, and before the final inspection the City asks for documentation and “verification of roofing materials and attic ventilation, where applicable”. The guide says re-roof permits must meet the energy code’s roofing requirements: approved roofing products, cool roof requirements where applicable, roof insulation, attic ventilation and the compliance documents.

City guide read Oct 25 2026

See 6 more

Where a permit application goes

Building permit applications and supporting documents may be submitted electronically through the City’s Online Permit Portal. The Building Division page says: “Applicable fee rates can be found in the City of Antioch Master Fee Schedule and supporting development fee documentation.” If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you, as most of our customers ask us to.

City pages read Oct 25 2026

Work in the street

Work in the public right-of-way, including curb cuts and driveway modifications, needs a separate encroachment permit from the Engineering Division.

City page read Oct 25 2026

How the City decides a protected-tree permit

The code says the City decides a permit for a protected tree on developed property within 10 working days after a complete application is filed. Its criteria include “The condition of the tree(s) with respect to its health, proximity to existing structure(s), and the likelihood of future damage to said structure(s) and nearby utilities”.

Code read Oct 25 2026

A hazard tree

If the condition of a tree presents an immediate hazard to life or property, the City Engineer may authorize its removal.

Code read Oct 25 2026

Willows, cottonwoods, poplars and aspens

The code restricts planting willows (except the Australian willow) and cottonwoods, poplars and aspens because of their root systems.

Code read Oct 25 2026

When you buy or sell The District’s home-sale inspection

The District’s page on its home-sale inspection says that when a parcel with a structure is sold in a High or Very High fire hazard class, the seller must give the buyer documentation that the property received and passed the inspection. An initial inspection typically needs the fire inspector on site for one to two hours, and the District’s page says the process “can take up to 5 working days”. The District’s ordinance is wider: it asks the seller to give the buyer the documentation for “any Parcel within the Fire District”.

District PDF undated; read Oct 25 2026

Need a hand with this? Roofing

Storms, flood and drainage

Sandbags

The City’s Public Works Department provides a self-service sandbag station for residents during the rainy season, at its Maintenance Service Center (entrance on N Street), to help protect against localized flooding.

City page undated; read Oct 25 2026

Where FEMA’s flood study says water backs up

FEMA’s countywide flood study says: “Shallow flooding occurs often in Antioch at a few locations.” It names the areas north of the Union Pacific Railroad and north of West 10th Street on West Antioch Creek, the culverts at Contra Loma Boulevard and at L Street, the low-lying areas by Lake Alhambra on East Antioch Creek, and the undersized Markley Creek culvert at the railroad. It builds on analyses from 1978 and 1985, so read it as FEMA’s account, not today’s conditions.

Study revised March 21, 2017; read Oct 25 2026

See 1 more

Check the flood map for your address

FEMA’s community list shows the City’s current effective flood map date as March 21, 2017. To see the flood zone for your own address, use FEMA’s flood map service.

Community list report dated Oct 25 2026

Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning

Programs, loans and insurance

Housing Rehabilitation Program, loans and small grants

The City partners with Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley to provide eligible homeowners with financial assistance for health and safety repairs, accessibility improvements, property maintenance and energy efficiency upgrades, both loans and small grants, for lower income homeowners in Antioch. The City’s page lists “Roofs” among the repairs that may be eligible. Habitat’s page asks that you own and live in the home; it says a limited number of repair grants are available, which cost the homeowner nothing and “may be approved for health and safety problems only”, and that one-time loans of up to $75,000 are available for major repairs, with reroofing among the common uses. Income limits are on Habitat’s page and change from year to year. Habitat’s number is (510) 803-3388.

City and Habitat pages read Oct 25 2026

County-wide Con Fire’s Low-Income Exterior Hazard Control Program

Con Fire’s Measure X page says the program “assists eligible low-income property owners with exterior hazard removal” and “Provides up to $1,500 in hazard control or weed abatement work”. The County’s Wildfire Mitigation Program flyer says anyone in Contra Costa County can apply for a Wildfire Mitigation Program “regardless of their local fire district or department”, as long as they meet the program’s requirements, so an Antioch address can apply. The page gives no open or closed word.

District page and County flyer read Oct 25 2026

See 8 more

County-wide Check back Con Fire’s Home Hardening Outreach Program: check back

The District’s page on the program says: “Coming soon – check back for details on how to apply.” The program is to provide education and resources to help homeowners make their homes more resistant to wildfire.

District page read Oct 25 2026

County-wide County weatherization for low and fixed income households

The County’s Weatherization Program is a Federal and State-funded program to assist low and/or fixed income people in making their homes more energy-efficient. Improvements it lists include ceiling insulation, weather-stripping of exterior doors, gas furnace and water heater repair or replacement, and replacement of broken windows. The County’s FAQ says: “This program is available to all parts of the Contra Costa County.” Applications go through the program’s page on the County’s site.

County page and FAQ read Oct 25 2026

Check back PG&E Energy Savings Assistance: check back

PG&E’s Energy Savings Assistance program offers to “Improve the energy efficiency of your home at no cost to you” for income-qualified households who live in a house, mobile home or apartment at least five years old. The page names no county or town, and PG&E’s service-area page lists Antioch in its territory. You can apply online or call 1-800-933-9555.

PG&E pages read Oct 25 2026

Check back BayREN EASE Home: check back

BayREN says its EASE Home Program “covers 80% of the cost for essential weatherization upgrades, including insulation and duct sealing”, with your portion capped at 20%. To qualify you live in a single-family home (four or fewer units) built before 2010, are a PG&E customer and have a household income under or at 120% of the area median; mobile and manufactured homes cannot be served. BayREN works with the nine Bay Area counties, its home page says, and its phone is (866) 998-8655.

BayREN pages read Oct 25 2026

County-wide Free creek consultation for owners

The Streamside Management Program for Landowners is a free service for landowners in Contra Costa County: “If you are a Contra Costa County resident with a creek on the property, these services are available to you at no charge.” The California Urban Streams Partnership’s staff give a site evaluation and advice on issues such as creek bank failure, erosion and flooding, and the County’s Flood Control and Water Conservation District funds the service.

Program page read Oct 25 2026

Check back Earthquake Brace + Bolt: check back

The California Residential Mitigation Program, a joint body, runs Earthquake Brace + Bolt, and its 2025 Northern California ZIP list has the line “Antioch 94509, 94531”. When we read the program’s page on October 20, it said: “The EBB Program is currently closed.”

ZIP list of 2025; program page as read Oct 20 2026

The City’s pre-approved ADU plans

The City offers Pre-Approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) plans with reduced plan check fees. With a pre-approved plan, “City staff will review and approve or deny your application within 30 days of submission”, and changes to the plans take it out of the streamlined process.

City page undated; read Oct 25 2026

Republic Services: free on-call cleanups

Republic Services’ 2025 Antioch residential service guide lists free on-call cleanups each year: two garbage cleanups of up to two cubic yards of extra trash (about 14 32-gallon bags, no green waste), two bulky-item pickups and three recycling and green waste cleanups. Call Customer Service at 925.685.4711 to schedule one.

2025 guide, read Oct 25 2026; the guide is the 2025 edition

Who serves your home in Antioch

Fire: The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, whose Fire Prevention Bureau page lists Antioch first among the places its services are provided to.
Water: The City of Antioch runs its own water system, with two treatment plants and 31,274 service connections and meters. The Contra Costa Water District’s map page lists Antioch under “Municipal Systems”, not among the “Treated Water Cities – Served by CCWD”.
Sewer: The City’s Sewer Collections Division maintains the sewer pipelines inside the city, and Delta Diablo conveys and treats the wastewater of Antioch, Pittsburg and Bay Point.
Garbage and recycling: Republic Services, the City’s franchised hauler; the City says subscribing to garbage and recycling service is mandatory.
Electricity and gas: PG&E; its service-area page lists Antioch in the Contra Costa list of its electric territory and in the one of its gas territory.
Air: The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which covers the nine counties around San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa among them.
Storm drains: The City’s Public Works Department; its Stormwater Collections Maintenance Program keeps up the catch basins, storm drains, channels, detention basins, creeks, culverts and concrete-lined “V” ditches in open space that handle stormwater run-off. That is the City’s storm system, not roof gutters.

Useful links: Antioch Unified School District · Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire): weed abatement and fire prevention · City of Antioch: Street Maintenance (the sandbag station) · City of Antioch: Building Division and the Online Permit Portal · City of Antioch: Parks and Facilities · East Bay Regional Park District (Contra Loma Regional Park, the Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline) · BART (the Antioch station) · Delta Diablo · Republic Services of Antioch · Antioch Historical Society

The homes of Antioch

Antioch’s median home was built in 1985. The 1990s were its biggest decade of building, about 21 percent of its homes, and about 41 percent of the homes were built before 1980; the percentages are our own calculations from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 tables. The City’s General Plan consultants call it “a city of nearly 39,000 homes, of which roughly four out of five units are a single-family home”.

Early to mid-1900s

Older homes near downtown

The City’s consultants say the northern part of the city, including the older neighborhoods near downtown, has a mix of early to mid-20th-century homes on smaller lots, generally built at low to medium-low densities.

1970s to 2000s

Conventional subdivisions

The central and southeastern parts of the city are conventional single-family subdivisions built primarily between the 1970s and 2000s on gently rolling terrain.

The newest homes

Planned communities in the south and east

The southern and eastern parts, including the Sand Creek Focus Area and areas near Deer Valley Road, hold the city’s newest residential development, with planned communities offering single-family detached homes, townhomes and apartment complexes.

Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation

The story of Antioch

History and character