Today Alamo is an enclave of green with many homes on lots of 0.5 acres (2,000 m2) between Walnut Creek and Danville. Alamo is located in Contra Costa County. Adjoining towns and cities are Walnut Creek to the north, Danville, Dublin, and San Ramon to the south, and Diablo plus Blackhawk to the southeast. The area was named Alamo, which means “poplar” or “cottonwood” in Spanish. Because of its location and fine weather, Alamo grew quickly. An early road from the redwoods near Moraga ran through Tice Valley to Alamo, since Americans preferred redwood for building materials instead of Mexican adobe brick. The Alamo post office is the oldest continuously operated one in the valley. It was always an important community gathering place.