NEIGHBORHOODS
Lafayette can best be described by highlighting five neighborhoods within our community. Each neighborhood represents the best of Lafayette while having its own distinctive characteristic and charm.
BURTON VALLEY
Burton Valley is a short drive from downtown Lafayette and borders Moraga. Streets are wider, lots and homes are typically larger. Many homes have been expanded or remodeled from their original ranch style. During the summer kids walk to local swim clubs and benefit from being near Lafayette Community Center and the community park facilities.
DOWNTOWN
The neighborhoods that surrounded the downtown area of Lafayette were originally cottages that were considered summer homes for families looking to escape the San Francisco fog. Because these homes were built as getaways, they are typically smaller, as are the lots. The downtown area of Lafayette is alive with shopping and restaurants which has attracted people looking for an urban feel in the suburbs. The new development in downtown has also made this part of Lafayette incredibly popular because of the walk-ability to BART and all that Lafayette has to offer. This neighborhood feeds into Lafayette Elementary School.
Trail Neighborhood - The trail Neighborhood borders Lafayette's beloved walking and biking trail that meanders from Lafayette to Moraga. Families living along the trail love that they can exercise for miles or that their kids can use the trail to walk or bike to Lafayette Elementary, Burton Valley Elementary and Stanley Middle School.
HAPPY VALLEY
Happy Valley is located in the northwestern part of Lafayette and is known for it's prestigious estate homes on large lots but there are also smaller homes on quaint streets. Happy Valley Elementary is tucked back along Upper Happy Valley Rd and while many homes are not in walking distance to the school it is a just short drive from these neighborhoods to downtown, BART and Highway 24.
Hidden Valley is a small pocket of Lafayette that feeds into Happy Valley Elementary. This neighborhood borders Orinda and is just south of Highway 24. Homes in this area are extremely popular because they are so commute friendly.
RELIEZ VALLEY
Reliez Valley is located in the northeastern part of Lafayette and has a very pastoral feel with beautiful green rolling hills in the winter and a toasted backdrop in the summer. It is not shocking to see horses walking down local streets to access the miles of trails in Briones Regional Park. Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill border Reliez Valley, making it convenient to benefit from the thriving downtowns' and local BART stations. Springhill Elementary is the neighborhood elementary school and Acalanes High School is also located in close proximity.
SARANAP
Saranap is the eastern most neighborhood just south of Highway 24 of the Pleasant Hill Rd exit. Saranap is bounded on the south and east by Walnut Creek and on the north and west by Lafayette. Some portions of Saranap have a Walnut Creek address but feed into Lafayette schools and some portions into Walnut Creek schools. Click here to read my recent article on Saranap.
SCHOOLS
A primary reason families move to Lafayette is our continuous top-rated, award-winning schools. Lafayette is all about family and a strong community and our schools best represent what Lafayette is all about. A summary of our schools is below and a copy of the Lafayette public school boundary map can be found here. Click on the interactive map above to view the location of pre-schools as well as public and private K-12 schools.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
There are four public elementary schools in Lafayette. Happy Valley Elementary serves the Happy Valley neighborhood, Lafayette Elementary serves the Downtown area, Springhill Elementary serves Reliez Valley and Burton Valley Elementary serves both Burton Valley and Saranap neighborhoods.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Stanley Middle School serves grades 6-8 and is Lafayette's only middle school. Stanley is located Downtown on School Street. Many children enjoy riding their bikes to Stanley on the Lafayette Trail that runs through Town.
HIGH SCHOOLS
The two public high schools in Lafayette are Acalanes High School located just off Highway 24 on Pleasant Hill Rd. and Campolindo High School on Moraga Rd.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
There are many great private schools in Lafayette including Bentley Upper School off Highway 24 at the Upper Happy Valley Rd., White Pony School south of Highway 24 at the edge of Saranap, St. Perpetua School on Hamlin Rd. and Temple Isaiah Religious School on Mt. Diablo Blvd.