MARTINEZ

city, seat (1850) of Contra Costa county, western California, U.S., on the south shore of Carquinez Strait (between Suisun and San Francisco bays) near Oakland. It was named for Ignacio Martnez, commandant of the San Francisco presidio and grantee (1829) of the Rancho El Pinole, which was part of the original townsite (laid out in 1849 by Col. William E. Smith). The completion of the Contra Costa Canal (1947) to its Martinez Reservoir terminus and the opening of the BeniciaMartinez Bridge (1962) across the strait boosted the city's port and industrial development (petroleum, chemicals, steel, and copper). The home of John Muir, the naturalist, is preserved as a national historic site. Inc. 1864. Pop. (1990) 31,808.