Many residents commute west through the tunnel to San Francisco and Oakland or east to Walnut Creek and Concord.
With a cluster of restaurants and generally high-end shops in its downtown, Lafayette is considered the retail hub of the region.
Moraga, located to the south, is more isolated with only a pair of two-lane roads connecting it to Orinda and Lafayette as well as to Highway 24 to the north.
The towns to the east of the hills, situated on or near Highway 24 and their surrounding areas (Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda) are collectively known as Lamorinda.
The major central county cities along Interstate 680 include Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, and unincorporated Alamo.