racetrack
Sonoma Raceway
A challenging road course set among the rolling hills of California wine country, hosting NASCAR and IndyCar events.
22 km · about 25 min drive
North AmericaUnited StatesCalifornia
Hercules
California, United States · North America
About Hercules
Hercules works well as a base: 5 minutes from Tara Hills, 29km from Muir Woods National Monument.
Hercules is in California, United States, with about 25,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Tara Hills, about 4 km away.
Hercules is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. Situated along the coast of San Pablo Bay, it is located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area, approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Berkeley. As of the 2020 census, its population was 26,016, according to the United StatesRead more
Census Bureau. The site of Hercules was first developed in 1881 as a manufacturing facility of the California Powder Works for the production of its patented dynamite formulation, Hercules powder. In 1882, the Hercules Powder Company was incorporated and assumed responsibility for the Hercules site. It was one of several explosive manufacturers that were active along the Pinole shoreline in the late 19th to the mid-20th century. The small company town that grew up near the facility subsequently became known as "Hercules", and was incorporated at the end of 1900. Starting in the 1970s, Hercules was heavily redeveloped as suburban bedroom community that lies along the I-80 corridor in Western Contra Costa County. It has a very ethnically diverse population.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Hercules?
Within an hour or so of Hercules: Sonoma Raceway (22 km), Alcatraz Island (24 km), Exploratorium (26 km), Coit Tower (26 km).
Where is Hercules?
Hercules is in California, United States, about 4 km from Tara Hills.
Road trip
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Quick Information
- Population
- 25,314
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Region
- California
- Timezone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Coordinates
- 38.0171, -122.2886
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United States
AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.
Full driving guide for United StatesTags
Worth the detour from Hercules
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Alcatraz Island
Notorious former federal penitentiary on a rocky island in San Francisco Bay that once held America's most dangerous criminals.
24 km · about 30 min drive
museum
Exploratorium
A pioneering hands-on science museum on San Francisco's waterfront that inspired interactive museums worldwide.
26 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Coit Tower
Art Deco observation tower on Telegraph Hill offering 360-degree views of San Francisco, the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
26 km · about 30 min drive
bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Art Deco suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in famous International Orange; drive, cycle, or walk it, with classic viewpoints at Battery Spencer and Fort Point.
28 km · about 30 min drive
national park
Muir Woods National Monument
An ancient old-growth coast redwood forest just north of San Francisco, offering peaceful trails beneath towering thousand-year-old trees.
29 km · about 35 min drive
museum
California Academy of Sciences
A unique museum combining an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum under a living green roof in Golden Gate Park.
32 km · about 35 min drive
museum
Blackhawk Museum
Classic and rare automobiles displayed as art in an elegant gallery setting in the San Francisco Bay Area.
40 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Hercules
- 28 kmGolden Gate BridgeThe Art Deco suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in famous International Orange; drive, cycle, or walk it, with classic viewpoints at Battery Spencer and Fort Point.
- 53 kmTom Lantos Tunnels (Devil's Slide)Twin highway tunnels that bypass the notorious Devil's Slide cliffs on Highway 1 south of Pacifica; the old clifftop roadbed is now a spectacular coastal trail.
Nearby Destinations
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