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

In the late 19th century, the land was named by Alice Marsh Cameron, probably in honor of the poet Katherine Philips, who was also known as the "Matchless Orinda".

[8] In the 1880s, United States Surveyor General for California Theodore Wagner built an estate he named Orinda Park.

[9] Orinda was also the site of Bryant Station, a stop on the failed California and Nevada Railroad around the turn of the 20th century.

[9] Orinda's popularity as a year-round residence grew after the 1937 completion of the Caldecott Tunnel, which provided easier access to the west.

Bisected by California State Route 24 and framed by its rolling oak-covered hills, the city of Orinda was incorporated on July 1, 1985.

The city is served by Orinda station on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Yellow Line and Route 6 of the County Connection.

Because Orinda is located in a hilly area, microclimates often dominate temperature differences in short distances.

The 2010 United States Census[12] reported that Orinda had a population of 17,643, The population density was 1,389.5 inhabitants per square mile (536.5/km2), The racial makeup of Orinda was 14,533 (82.4%) White-American, 149 (0.8%) African American, 22 (0.1%) Native American, 2,016 (11.4%) Asian-American, 24 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 122 (0.7%) from other races, and 777 (4.4%) from two or more races.