Quirky Little Livermore Trivia Quiz

Answer: The East Bay

Livermore is located in what is called the "Tri-Valley Area" of the East Bay. The Tri-Valley Area is comprised of the Livermore Valley, the Amador Valley and the San Ramon Valley. It is home to the cities of Livermore, Plesanton, Dublin, San Ramon, Danville and Sunol. Livermore is a good hour's drive from San Francisco, but "The City" is easily accessible via our subway system, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

Answer: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL, or, "The Lab" as Livermore residents call it) is one of the largest nuclear weapons testing facilities in the country. They don't actually blow huge weapons up, but they run diagnostics to make sure they will function properly.

The lab is home to a huge (too big, in my opinion) store of radioactive material. Also, the lab is one of the forerunners in research in the fields of chemistry and biology.

Answer: Wind

The Altamont Pass Wind Farm is the largest windmill farm in the world. It is even in the Guinness Book of World Records. In recent times, the local environmental groups have been throwing a hissy fit about birds getting killed by flying through the windmills, and so the farm has been operating at very limited capacity.

In my opinion, a small amount of birds is a small price to pay for the vast amount of clean energy that the farm produces. Also, the problem could be solved by building large windmills, which turn at slower speeds and would allow birds to fly through more safely.

Answer: 580

Interstate 580 runs east-west all the way from a desolate area in the Central Valley, over the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to it's terminus at Highway 101 in San Rafael. The section that runs from Tracy, through the Livermore and Amador valleys is considered the worst stretch of the freeway and one of the worst commutes in the whole Bay Area. I-680 runs north-south from San Jose, through Fremont and over the Sunol grade.

It passes through neighboring Pleasanton and eventually crosses Suisun Bay and ends at I-80 in the booming town of Cordelia in the North Bay. I-280 also starts in San Jose but takes a route up the Peninsula and ends in San Francisco.

It is probably also the most scenic freeway in the Bay Area. I-880 takes an urban route, commencing in San Jose and running close to the shore of the bay, going through Fremont, Hayward and Oakland before joining Interstates 580 and 880 to form the MacArthur Maze.

Answer: Union High School

Livermore High School is the home of the Cowboys! The school is in a huge rivalry with neighboring high school, Granada High, Home of the Matadors.

Answer: Wente Vineyards and Concannon Vineyard

Wente is by far the largest winery in Livermore, with Concannon a close second. In 1935, Ernest and Herman Wente, second-generation winemakers, were the first to establish Sauvignon Blanc as a California varietal.

Answer: Second

The Livermore Rodeo has been around since 1918. It is the self-proclaimed "World's Fastest Rodeo." The event is very big and draws throngs of people from around the state and country. Livermore is a modern, suburban town that doesn't forget its cowboy roots.

Answer: The World's Longest Burning Lightbulb

The World's Longest Burning Lightbulb has been burning continuously since 1901. It currently hangs in Fire Station 1 on East Avenue. In 2001, the town celebrated the lightbulb's 100th birthday by throwing a party, complete with cake. They even sang "Happy Birthday" to the lightbulb.

Answer: William Mendenhall

This may seem a trick question, but it was indeed William Mendenhall who founded the city. Robert Livermore owned the first ranch here, but he did not found the city. Mendenhall founded the city in 1869 and named it after his good friend Robert Livermore who died in 1858.

Answer: Springtown

Springtown is a small area of our city that lies north of Interstate 580. It was originally planned as a huge development for seniors, but that plan fizzled out. Now, Springtown is home to a nine-hole golf course and one of the Bay Area's largest Hindu temples.