Richmond is situated in the San Francisco Bay area in Contra Costa County. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905 and has since been gradually moving from a economy based on heavy industry towards one which concentrates more on commercial and service industries. San Pablo, together with the unincorporated areas of North Richmond, El Sobrante and East Richmond Heights, are surrounded by the Richmond's city limits. The city is now the 56th largest in the state with a population that was approximately 103,468 in the year 2006. Richmond is the largest city in the country who has a green party mayor.
The city was ranked the 6th most dangerous city within the US in 2010. Thankfully, most of the crime problem is located within the cities core with the rest of the city being relatively safe. The police department admits that the city has had a chronic violent crime rate for decades.
There are several unique companies that have been located within Richmond. The Giant Powder Company, that made dynamite and gunpowder, closed down in 1960. Point Molate was the location of the last active whaling station within the county, which was closed during the year 1971. The Prohibition during the year 1919 caused Winehaven, among the world's biggest wineries, to close down.
Throughout the Second World War, the economy of the city was supported mainly by shipbuilding and various industrial industries. As time passed, the city be a major port, shipping well over 26 million tons of cargo per year, nearly all being the petroleum and oil variety. A major oil refinery, run by Chevron USA, is located in the city and has a capacity of 15 million barrels.
A couple of the biggest businesses in the city are the Social Security Administration, that employs over 1000 people, and the Kaiser Pemanente's Richmond Medical Center Hospital, that is located within downtown Richmond. A video game animation studio, Treeskunk Production, is located downtown, as in Bay View recording studio, where artists including Smash Mouth record their hit records. Galaxy Desserts is likewise operated and run in Richmond.
Vetrazzo is a green business situated within the former Ford Assembly Plant that takes recycled beer bottles and old traffic lights and creates superb glass countertops. It has won numerous awards for its green initiatives.