El Cerrito is a city in Contra Costa County, California, occupying a hillside setting in the East Bay between Berkeley and Richmond. Its name, Spanish for "the little hill," reflects the terrain that rises east from the flatlands along San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80 toward the Berkeley Hills. The city was founded in the years after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, when refugees relocated across the bay, and it was renamed El Cerrito in 1917. The 2020 census recorded a population of about 26,000, and the city functions as both a suburban residential community and a transit-oriented one. Two BART stations — El Cerrito Plaza in the south and El Cerrito del Norte in the north — provide direct rail service into San Francisco, Oakland, and the wider Bay Area system, while AC Transit buses and other regional carriers connect at del Norte, which serves as a hub for western Contra Costa County. This access makes El Cerrito an unusual hillside city where commuting by rail is genuinely practical. El Cerrito's identity also rests on its residential architecture. The hills above San Pablo Avenue are known for mid-century modern and ranch-style homes, many designed to capture views of the bay and the Golden Gate, while the flatlands hold older bungalows and, near the stations, condominiums and apartments. The Hillside Natural Area preserves open space and trails across the city's upper elevations, offering wildflower displays and expansive views. The city is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, which also serves neighboring Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, and Kensington, with El Cerrito High School located within the city. El Cerrito suits a range of residents — Bay Area commuters, families drawn to the schools, and those seeking mid-century homes with views — all within a compact, walkable-to-transit footprint at the heart of the East Bay.