Sunol (formerly, Sunolglen) is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 913 at the 2010 census.
The small, rural town of Sunol located along Niles Canyon is well known for its historic railroad system, on which the tourist railroad Niles Canyon Railway makes an in-town stop and the Altamont Commuter Express passes en route to San Jose and the Central Valley.
The first Sunol post office opened in 1871 and the name was changed to Sunolglen the same year. The name reverted to Sunol in 1920. The town’s name is in honor of Antonio Suñol, first postmaster in nearby San Jose and part owner of the historical Rancho Valle de San Jose land grant that once contained the site of the town.
- The Sunol Water Temple is an unusual Roman-inspired structure that marks the confluence of three sources of water that flow into the Sunol Valley.
- Elliston Vineyards. Offers wine tasting on the weekends, and is a popular wedding destination.
- Nella Terra Cellars. Another vineyard and wedding destination, with wine tastings for large parties.
- The Niles Canyon Railway Sunol Depot was built in 1884, and is the last surviving example of a Southern Pacific standard design known as a “One-Story Combination Depot #7.” The building has been restored and is operated by the Pacific Locomotive Association.
- Niles Canyon Road runs westward from Sunol and is a scenic 7-mile (11 km) drive to Fremont.
- A statue of Bosco, the dog elected mayor, sits in front of the Post Office. Bosco achieved a degree of international notoriety in 1990 when the Chinese newspaper People’s Daily reported on his tenure as an alleged example of the failings of the American electoral process.
- In 2007, Songwriter Will Stratton released a song named after the town on his first album.
- Sunol Regional Wilderness
- Sunol Valley Golf Club, home to the Cypress & Palm golf course
Sunol is located adjacent to two railroads and lies near the crossroads of Interstate 680 and State Route 84. These connect Sunol with Fremont to the south and west, Pleasanton to the north, and Livermore to the northeast. Sunol sits 17 miles (27 km) north of the center of San Jose and 32 miles (51 km) southeast of San Francisco.
The town lies near Alameda Creek at the northwest edge of the Sunol Valley. The San Antonio Reservoir lies 3 miles (4.8 km) to Sunol’s east, and the Calaveras Reservoir lies 8 miles (13 km) south of the town.
North of the town is Kilkare Woods, accessible only through Sunol.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Sunol CDP has a total area of 27.8 square miles (72 km2), of which 99.95% is land and 0.05% is water.
Content courtesy of Wikipedia.org
Sunol, CA Homes for Sale