[2] The pass was named for Don Francisco Pérez Pacheco, noted Californio ranchero and owner of the Rancho Ausaymas y San Felipe.

However the east face of the pass was a steep and rough horse and mule trail, difficult for wheeled vehicles, until 1857 when Andrew D. Firebaugh built a wagon road with a gentler grade across the pass to what is now Bell Station, California from the Rancho San Luis Gonzaga at the foot of the Diablo Range to the east.

On the west side of the pass lies Casa de Fruta, an extensive trading post in the valley of Pacheco Creek.

[7] Originally a site devoted to selling locally produced fruit and nuts to travelers, Casa de Fruta has expanded to include a delicatessen, truckstop, RV park, and other facilities.

Casa de Fruta is the current home of the Northern California Renaissance Faire, which takes place in September and October each year.

[8] A rural locale named Bell Station also lies along the route, between Casa de Fruta and the pass.

[12] Pacheco Pass has been selected as the route that the California High-Speed Rail will take between the Bay Area and the Central Valley.