Port Costa was founded in 1879 as a landing for the railroad
ferry Solano, owned and operated by the
Central Pacific Railroad. This put Port Costa on the main route of the
transcontinental railroad. Port Costa's first post office was established in 1881 with postmaster Kate Hurley. It later moved to a warehouse built by McNear, where it remains today. St. Patrick Church was founded in 1884, rebuilt in 1898, and restored in 1980. For the early decades of Port Costa's existence, much of the town's commercial activities took place on wharves and docks along the waterfront. These wharves and docks suffered from numerous fires between 1883 and 1941, and a large part of the "Waterfront Port Costa" area was demolished in 1921 after being badly damaged by
shipworms. No docks or wharves are left standing today, although pilings remain. After
California's wheat output dropped in the early 20th century and especially after the
Southern Pacific (which took over the operations of the Central Pacific) constructed a railroad bridge at
Martinez in 1930 to replace the ferry crossing, Port Costa lost population and importance. In 2012, the restaurant Bull Valley Roadhouse, which sits in McNear's old office building, was renovated. Port Costa continues to be a destination for day or weekend trips. ==Geography==