Sunol, California

, founder and namesake of Sunol, founded on his Rancho Valle de San José. Sunol, formerly Sunolglen, is named for Don Antonio Suñol, owner of Rancho Valle de San José. His adobe ranch house from the 1840s was located where the San Francisco water system's works are now located. ==History==

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. ==Geography==

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 north of the center of San Jose and southeast of San Francisco. The town lies near Alameda Creek at the northwest edge of the Sunol Valley. The San Antonio Reservoir lies to Sunol's east, and the Calaveras Reservoir lies south of the town. North of downtown is the neighborhood of Kilkare Woods. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Sunol CDP has a total area of , of which 98.8% is land and 1.2% is water. ==Demographics==

Sunol first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. census. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $182,250, and the per capita income was $94,218. Of those aged 16 and over, 58.4% were employed. ==Area attractions==

• 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. • Sunol Regional Wilderness is part of the East Bay Regional Parks District, and has hiking trails, naturalist events, and a visitor center. • 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 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. ==School district==

The majority of Sunol is in the Sunol Glen Unified School District. Castro Valley Unified School District and Pleasanton Unified School District have small portions of Sunol. The Sunol Glen School, a K–8 public school, is the sole school of Sunol Glen USD. High school students are served by other local high schools, including Foothill High School in nearby Pleasanton. ==References==