Oakley is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States.

The name Oakley is of Old English origin and its meaning is "meadow of oak trees".

Whightman preferred the name "Oakley" because the terrain was largely meadows and oaks.

Marsh may have lost the game and the right to name the city but he ensured his immortality by choosing downtown street names whose first initials spelled "Marsh" — Main, Acme, Ruby, Star and Home.

One substantial shell mound was discovered early in the 20th century near what is now the eastern edge of town.

Around three dozen such projects have been completed in the past 25 years, yielding only four prehistoric sites in the city.

However, the information center believes there is a high possibility that other prehistoric sites remain within the city.

[9] The first accounts of identifiable cultural community in the west delta are attributed to the Bay Miwoks, who occupied the region between 1100 and 1770 AD.

The Bay Miwok people, usually called the Julpunes or Pulpunes by European explorers, were organized into "tribelets"—political units that included several fairly permanent villages and a set of seasonal campsites arrayed across a well-defined territory.

The first group to enter the present-day city limits was the De Anza expedition of 1775–76.

However, after a failed attempt to find a route through the tule swamps to the Sierra, the De Anza expedition returned to Monterey.

This part-time nature of the council opens up opportunities for ordinary citizens who are working in the private sector to participate.

Early Portuguese and Italian immigrants found the climate amenable and planted thousands of acres of vineyards.

[citation needed] The BNSF Railway runs through town from east to west.

California State Route 4 used to run right through town from Antioch to Brentwood on Main Street.

From 2000 to 2008 a Bypass was constructed from California State Route 160 to Marsh Creek Road south of Brentwood to extend the freeway from Antioch.

Oakley relinquished Hwy 4 through downtown to the state in 2012, and is now connected through the Laurel Rd exit.

1,522 households (14.2%) were made up of individuals, and 515 (4.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

13.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.