Contra Costa County, California Genealogy

Guide to Contra Costa County, California ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Contra Costa means "opposite coast" in the Spanish language; it is located opposite of San Francisco, in an easterly direction, on the San Francisco Bay. The county is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Contra Costa County 725 Court Sreet Martinez, CA 94553 Phone: 925-608-1000 Contra Costa County Website

County Recorder has birth and death records. County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * History of Contra Costa County, California ... and Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Settlers. By J. P. Munro-Fraser. [San Francisco, California] : W.A. Slocum, 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Contra Costa County, California : with Biographical Sketches. Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Company, 1926. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Contra Costa County Biographies at USGenWeb Archives
 * Contra Costa County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)

Church Records

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Directories

 * 1914-1915 Richmond, California, City Directory, 1914 - 1915 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1914-1915 Richmond, California, City Directory, 1914 - 1915 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1914-1915 Richmond, California, City Directory, 1914 - 1915 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1914-1915 Richmond, California, City Directory, 1914 - 1915 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Genealogies

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use the Collection

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1871 (*); Contra Costa County, County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1850-1917 (*); Contra Costa County, County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1851-1888 (*); Contra Costa County, County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1851-1916 (*); Contra Costa County, County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1852-1865 (*); Contra Costa County, County Clerk at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1852-1925 (*); Contra Costa County, County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1876-1877 (*); Contra Costa County, County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1894
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Antioch Centennial Almanac. By Fred S. Cook. Volcano, California : California Traveler, 1972. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * The History of Contra Costa County, California. Edited by F. J. Hulaniski. Berkeley, California : Elms Publishing Co., 1917. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Contra Costa County, California ... and Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Settlers. By J. P. Munro-Fraser. [San Francisco, California] : W.A. Slocum, 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Contra Costa County, California : with Biographical Sketches. Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Company, 1926. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of the San Francisco Bay region. By Bailey Millard. Tucson, Arizona : W.C. Cox & Co., 1974. - images.
 * California Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Military Records
 Civil War
 * Contra Costa County, Gen. Canby Post No. 77, G. A. R. 1886, Civil War - Rosters (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 World War II
 * Alphabetical Index to Contra Costa County Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnell from Contra Costa County, California, 1946 (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization and Citizenship Indexes and Records


 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1860-1899
 * 1864-1899
 * 1870-1877
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
 * 1993
 * 1994
 * 1995
 * 1995

Obituaries

 * Contra Costa County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Contra Costa County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)

Voting Records

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Periodicals

 * - Contra Costa County Genealogical Society

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Contra Costa County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images  Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1851-1941 Index to marriages (men), 1851-1941 (surnames A-M) at FamilySearch
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Contra Costa County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Death

 * 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1873-1921
 * 1880 Persons who died during the year ending May 31, 1880, in the County of Costa, State of California (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Divorce

 * 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Antioch California FamilySearch Center
 * Concord California FamilySearch Center
 * Danville California FamilySearch Center
 * Sacramento California FamilySearch Center
 * California Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Societies
Contra Costa County Genealogical Society Concord/Walnut Creek FamilySearch Center 3700 Concord Blvd Concord, CA 94519-1808 Phone:925-686-1766 Website Contra Costa County Historical Society 610 Main Street Martinez, California 94553 Phone: 925-229-1042 Website El Cerito Historical Society PO Box 304 El Cerrito, CA 94530 Phone:510-526-7507 Website Lafayette Historical Society Lafayette Library Learning Center 3491 Mount Diablo Boulevard Lafayette, CA 94549 Phone: 925-283-1848 Website Martinez Historical Society P.O. Box 14 Martinez, CA 94553 Phone: 925-228-8160 Website Moraga Historical Society Post Office Box 103 1500 St. Mary's Rd. Moraga, CA 94556-2099; Phone: ( 925 ) 377-8734 Website Point Richmond History Association 139 1/2 Washington Avenue Point Richmond, CA Phone: 510-234-5334 or 510-235-1336 website Richmond Museum of History P.O. Box 1267 400 Nevin Avenue Richmond, California 94802 Phone: (510) 235-7387 website San Ramon Valley Genealogy Society P.O. Box 305 Diablo, CA 94528-0305 serves local genealogy enthusiasts. Monthly meetings are held at the Danville FamilySearch Center in Alamo, California on the 3rd Tuesday at 10am. Website Walnut Creek Historical Society 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road Walnut Creek, California Phone: (925) 935-7871 Website

Websites

 * Contra Costa County CAGenWeb and CA GenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Contra Costa County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Contra Costa County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

 * Contra Costa Research Guide at California State Library