Selby is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County, California

Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 next to Rodeo

Rodeo, California

Rodeo is a census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California on the shore of San Pablo Bay. The population was 8,679 at the 2010 census. The town is named for the livestock roundups common in the late 19th century...

. It is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad

Southern Pacific Railroad

The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....

 6.5 miles (10.5 km) west-northwest of Martinez

Martinez, California

Martinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings...

, at an elevation of 20 feet (6 m). Al Zampa

Al Zampa

Alfred Zampa was a United States bridge worker who played an integral role in the construction of numerous San Francisco Bay Area bridges during the early twentieth century. He is most notable for being one of the first people to survive falling off the Golden Gate Bridge...

, a bridge construction worker who played an integral role in the construction of numerous San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

 bridges, was born here in 1905.

Selby is located on the Mexican land grant Rancho El Pinole

Rancho El Pinole

Rancho El Pinole was a Mexican land grant in present day Contra Costa County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Ygnacio Martinez...

 made to Ygnacio Martinez. A post office operated at Selby from 1886 to 1967. The name honors Prentiss Selby, its first postmaster.