What is the geography of Piedmont, California?
Piedmont is located at (37.821994, -122.231405) and straddles a ridge of hills situated west of the main ridgeline of the hills behind Oakland (technically, the Berkeley Hills). This ridgeline, actually a shutter ridge formed by the Hayward Fault, is lower than the ridge to the east, thus appearing to be foothills of the higher ridge to some early residents, who chose the name “Piedmont” (Italian “foot of the mountain”). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 km sq (1.7 square miles). There is a small lake with no public access called Tyson Lake, a small pond within the Mountain View Cemetery borders, and a swimming pool in the center of town. Piedmont’s major streets include Oakland Avenue, which runs from Piedmont’s small city center down into Oakland; Highland Avenue, which divides Piedmont into upper and lower sections; Moraga Avenue, which runs near the city’s northern border; and Grand Avenue, which runs near Piedmont’s western border. Lots
