Located on the banks of the San Joaquin River, the city of Antioch was founded in 1849 under the short-lived name of Smith’s Landing. Antioch is the gateway to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which stretches 25 miles east to Stockton and 50 miles north to south from Sacramento to Tracy. Sustained by the Delta, Antioch began as a small agricultural community. In the last century, the city has developed into a center for advanced industries, including paper, chemical, and steel manufacturers. Recent years have seen dramatic population growth. This has been accompanied by an increased prominence of the service sector, including financial institutions, hospitals, and schools, such as Los Medanos College. Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor and Highway 4 serve as the main transportation arteries. The city of Antioch boasts a Marina on the San Joaquin River, the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge, and an annual jamboree and blues festival.

According to the 2008 U.S. Census Department estimate, 100,219 people live in Antioch. According to the 2000 Census, the city of Antioch is 65.3 percent White, 9.7 percent Black, 7.4 percent Asian, 0.9 percent American Indian and Alaska Native, and 0.4 percent Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. 22.1 percent of Antioch residents are of Latino or Hispanic origin, and 7 percent of residents report being of two or more races.