Alameda County, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alameda County
County
Images, from top down, left to right: looking southwest across Lake Merritt in Oakland, Sather Tower on the UC Berkeley campus, a water tower in Hayward, Lake Elizabeth in Fremont, Pleasanton sign
Flag Seal
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	San Francisco Bay Area
Incorporated	March 25, 1853
Named for	Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda (also see Alameda Creek)
County seat	Oakland
Largest city	Oakland (population) Fremont (area)
Government
• Type	Council–CAO
• Body	Alameda County Board of Supervisors
Area
• Total	821 sq mi (2,130 km2)
• Land	739 sq mi (1,910 km2)
• Water	82 sq mi (210 km2)
Highest elevation	3,843 ft (1,171 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,682,353
• Density	2,000/sq mi (800/km2)
Gross Domestic Product
• Total	US$148.710 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes	510, 341, 925
FIPS code	06-001
Congressional districts	10th, 12th, 14th, 17th

Alameda County (ⁱ/ˌæləˈmiːdə/ AL-ə-MEE-də) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alameda County is in the San Francisco Bay Area, occupying much of the East Bay region.

The Spanish word alameda means either "a grove of poplars...or a tree lined street". The name was originally used to describe the Arroyo de la Alameda; the willow and sycamore trees along the banks of the river reminded the early Spanish explorers of a road lined with trees. Although a strict translation to English might be "Poplar Grove Creek", the name of the principal stream that flows through the county is now simply "Alameda Creek".

Alameda County is part of the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed on March 25, 1853, from a large portion of Contra Costa County and a smaller portion of Santa Clara County.

The county seat at the time of the county's formation was located at Alvarado, now part of Union City. In 1856, it was moved to San Leandro, where the county courthouse was destroyed by the devastating 1868 quake on the Hayward Fault. The county seat was then re-established in the town of Brooklyn from 1872 to 1875. Brooklyn is now part of Oakland, which has been the county seat since 1873.

Much of what is now an intensively urban region was initially developed as a trolley car suburb of San Francisco in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The historical progression from Native American tribal lands to Spanish then Mexican ranches, then to farms, ranches, and orchards, then to multiple city centers and suburbs, is shared with the adjacent and closely associated Contra Costa County.

Geography and climate

View of downtown Oakland looking west across Lake Merritt

View of Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay at nightfall

The reconstructed mission at Mission San José (located in Fremont)

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 821 square miles (2,130 km²), of which 739 square miles (1,910 km²) is land and 82 square miles (210 km²) (10%) is water. The San Francisco Bay borders the county on the west.

The crest of the Berkeley Hills forms part of the northeastern boundary and reaches into the center of the county. A coastal plain several miles wide lines the bay; and is Oakland's most populous region. Livermore Valley lies in the eastern part of the county. Amador Valley abuts the western edge of Livermore Valley and continues west to the Pleasanton Ridge. The ridges and valleys of the Diablo Range, containing the county's highest peaks, cover the very sparsely populated southeast portion of the county.

The Hayward Fault, a major branch of the San Andreas Fault to the west, runs through the most populated parts of Alameda County, while the Calaveras Fault runs through the southeastern part of the county.

The areas near the Bay itself have a maritime warm-summer Mediterranean climate, whereas behind the mountains, summers are significantly warmer. The climate charts below are for Oakland and inland Livermore.

Adjacent counties

The City and County of San Francisco, California, borders the county on the west, and has a small land border with the city of Alameda, California due to land filling.

Santa Clara County borders the county on the south.

San Joaquin County borders the county on the east.

Contra Costa County borders the county on the north.

Stanislaus County borders the county on the easternmost end of its southern boundary for 250 feet (76 m).

National protected area

• Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2020 census

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2014

Ethnic origins in Alameda County

A 2014 analysis by The Atlantic found Alameda County to be the fourth most racially diverse county in the United States, in terms of closest to equal representation of each racial and ethnic group,—behind Aleutians West Census Area and Aleutians East Borough in Alaska, and Queens County in New York—as well as the most diverse county in California. The 2020 census shows Alameda as having one of the highest Asian percentages and being the only county in the continental US, along with neighboring Santa Clara County, California, to have an Asian plurality - consisting largely of Chinese, Indian and Filipino ancestry.

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Alameda County had a population of 1,510,271. The population density was 2,047.6 inhabitants per square mile (790.6/km²). The racial makeup of Alameda County was 649,122 (43.0%) White, 190,451 (12.6%) African American, 9,799 (0.6%) Native American, 394,560 (26.1%) Asian (9.7% Chinese, 5.5% Filipino, 4.8% Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 1.2% Korean, 0.8% Japanese, 2.2% Other Asian), 12,802 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 162,540 (10.8%) from other races, and 90,997 (6.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 339,889 persons (22.5%): 16.4% Mexican, 0.8% Puerto Rican, 0.2% Cuban, 5.1% Other Hispanic.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,443,741 people, 523,366 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living within them, 47.0% married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $55,946, and the median income for a family was $65,857 (these figures had risen to $66,430 and $81,341 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $47,425 versus $36,921 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,680. About 7.7% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

In 2000, the largest denominational group was the Catholics (with 306,437 adherents). The largest religious bodies were the Catholic Church (with 306,437 members) and Judaism (with 32,500 members).

2019 United States Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates

Racial Makeup of Alameda County (2019)      White alone (38.84%)     Black alone (10.66%)     Native American alone (0.76%)     Asian Alone (31.13%)     Pacific Islander Alone (0.81%)     Other race alone (11.45%)     Two or more races (6.35%)

Racial Makeup of Alameda County excluding Hispanics from racial categories (2019) NH=Non-Hispanic      White alone (30.43%)     Black alone (10.33%)     Native American alone (0.33%)     Asian Alone (30.93%)     Pacific Islander Alone (0.77%)     Other race alone (0.47%)     Two or more races (4.41%)     Hispanic Any Race (22.32%)

Racial Makeup of Hispanics in Alameda County (2019)      White alone (37.69%)     Black alone (1.48%)     Native American alone (1.91%)     Asian alone (0.89%)     Pacific Islander alone (0.17%)     Other race alone (49.16%)     Two or more races (8.69%)

According to 2019 US Census Bureau estimates, Alameda County's population was 38.8% White (30.4% Non-Hispanic White and 8.4% Hispanic White), 10.7% Black or African American, 31.1% Asian, 11.5% Some Other Race, 0.8% Native American and Alaskan Native, 0.8% Pacific Islander and 6.4% from two or more races.

The White population continues to remain the largest racial category in Alameda County and includes the 37.7% of Hispanics who self-identify as White. The remainder of Hispanics self-identify as Other Race (49.2%), Multiracial (8.7%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (1.9%), Black (1.5%), Asian (0.9%), and Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (0.2%).

The Black population continues to decline and at 10.7% (including Black Hispanics) is below the national average of 12.8% (including Black Hispanics). The Black population peaked in the 1980 Census at 18.4%. Alameda county has the 2nd highest percentage of Black residents in California after Solano County at 13.4%.

If Hispanics are treated as a separate category from race, Alameda County's population was 30.4% White, 30.9% Asian, 22.3% Hispanic-Latino, 10.3% Black or African American, 0.5% Some Other Race, 0.3% Native American and Alaskan Native, 0.8% Pacific Islander and 4.4% from two or more races.

Asian Americans are now the largest racial/ethnic group at 30.9% (excluding Asian Hispanics).

White Non-Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group at 30.4% of the population.

By ethnicity, 22.3% of the total population is Hispanic-Latino (of any race) and 77.7% is Non-Hispanic (of any race). If treated as a category separate from race, Hispanics are the third largest minority group in Alameda County.

The largest ancestry group of Hispanics in Alameda County (2018) are of Mexican descent (72.9% of Hispanics) followed by Salvadoran descent (5.5% of Hispanics), Guatemalan descent (3.9%), Puerto Rican descent (3.4%), Spaniard descent (2.0%), Nicaraguan descent (1.7%), Peruvian descent (1.4%), Cuban descent (1.2%), Colombian descent (1.1%), and those of other Hispanic ethnicity or of mixed Hispanic ethnicity (6.9%).

Education

The Alameda County Office of Education oversees seventeen K–12 school districts and one K–8 district in Alameda County. In all, there are approximately 10,000 teachers serving 225,000 students. The ACOE also services three community college districts with a total enrollment of approximately 55,000 students.

The Alameda County Library operates libraries in the cities of Albany, Dublin, Fremont, Newark and Union City and the unincorporated communities of Castro Valley and San Lorenzo. The cities of Alameda, Berkeley, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland, San Leandro, and Pleasanton have their own library systems.

Colleges and universities

Alameda County is home to the University of California, Berkeley, the flagship campus of the University of California system, and one of the largest and most prestigious research universities in the world.

Other colleges and universities located within Alameda county include:

• Berkeley City College
• California State University, East Bay, one of the campuses of the California State University system
• Chabot College, a two-year community college, part of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
• College of Alameda, a two-year community college, part of the Peralta Community College District of northern Alameda County
• Graduate Theological Union, a consortium of several Bay Area seminaries, affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley.
• Laney College, a two-year community college, part of the Peralta Community College system
• Las Positas College
• Merritt College, a two-year community college, part of the Peralta Community College system
• Mills College at Northeastern University, a private 4 year women's college and coeducational graduate school
• Ohlone College, part of the Ohlone Community College District
• Samuel Merritt University

Other local colleges and universities which have now closed include:

• SAE Expression College, a for-profit school specializing in creative media
• Holy Names University

Public schools

School districts

K–12 unified school districts:

Others:

• Lammersville Joint Unified School District (high)
• Mountain House Elementary School District (elementary)

State-operated schools

• California School for the Blind
• California School for the Deaf, Riverside

Arts

The Alameda County Arts Commission, a division of the county administration, under the California Arts Council, was created in 1965. Its fifteen appointed members act in an advisory capacity to the board of supervisors, in promoting the arts. The Oakland Museum of California has a substantial collection of California art works and historical artifacts.

Sports

The following sports teams play in Alameda County:

Events

The annual county fair is held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The fair runs for four weekends from June to July. Attractions include horse racing, carnival rides, 4-H exhibits, and live bands.

Parks and recreation

There are more than 350 parks located within the county. The East Bay Regional Park District operates within Alameda and neighboring Contra Costa County, with numerous parks within the county, including Tilden Regional Park, Redwood Regional Park, Anthony Chabot Regional Park, Coyote Hills Regional Park, Ardenwood Historic Farm, Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park and Vargas Plateau Regional Park. Eastshore State Park is located partially along the bay shore of northern Alameda County. The San Francisco Bay Trail, a project of the Association of Bay Area Governments, will run along the bay shore of the county. The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District is the largest special park district in California.

Transportation

Major highways

Mass transit

Rail

• Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) – commuter rail using existing railroad tracks; primarily brings commuters from San Joaquin County to Santa Clara County
• Amtrak
  • California Zephyr – intercity train route running between Emeryville and Chicago.
  • Capitol Corridor – commuter rail using existing railroad tracks, extending from San Jose to Sacramento, running through western Alameda County
  • Coast Starlight – intercity train route running between Los Angeles and Seattle via Oakland and Emeryville
  • San Joaquins – Amtrak route between Oakland and Bakersfield through Fresno and the Central Valley
• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) – rapid transit commuter rail centered on northwest Oakland, primarily serving commuters to downtown San Francisco and downtown Oakland
• Valley Link – planned commuter rail running between the Tri-Valley and San Joaquin County (expected to commence in 2028)

Bus

• AC Transit – local bus system in western Alameda County and west Contra Costa County, with additional service across the three bridges from Alameda County to downtown San Francisco, San Mateo, and Palo Alto
• WHEELS – bus system in the cities of southeastern Alameda County
• Union City Transit – local city bus service within Union City in addition to AC Transit
• Emery-Go-Round – free bus service in Emeryville
• Dumbarton Express – additional service across the Dumbarton Bridge between Fremont and Palo Alto
• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) – commuter service between southern Alameda county and job centers in the Silicon Valley

Ferry

• Alameda / Oakland Ferry and Harbor Bay Ferry – connect Oakland, Alameda, and Bay Farm Island with downtown San Francisco

Airports

The main airport is the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, with two general aviation airports, the Hayward Executive Airport and Livermore Municipal Airport.

Services

Alameda Health System operates the public health system in Alameda County. It operates five hospitals (Alameda Hospital, Fairmont Hospital, Highland Hospital, John George Psychiatric Hospital, and San Leandro Hospital), and four primary care medical clinics (called ambulatory wellness centers) within the county.

The Alameda County Community Food Bank nonprofit provides food bank resources to residents. The Family Emergency Shelter Coalition coordinates services for homeless families.

Landmarks

Alameda County has eight National Historic Landmarks: The Abbey, Joaquin Miller House, First Church of Christ, Scientist, USS Hornet (CVS-12) (aircraft carrier), Lake Merritt Wild Duck Refuge, Lightship WAL-605, Relief, Paramount Theatre, Potomac (Presidential yacht), and Room 307, Gilman Hall, University of California. The county has a large number of National Historic Places, as well as a number of California Historical Landmarks.

Sister county

Alameda has a sister county: Taoyuan County, Taiwan (now Taoyuan City).

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

• Ashland
• Castro Valley
• Cherryland
• Fairview
• San Lorenzo
• Sunol

Unincorporated communities

Former townships

Map of Alameda County, 1878 (Six Townships)

• Oakland Township – the northern portion subsequently became the cities of Berkeley and Albany.
• Alameda Township – now essentially coterminous with the City of Alameda.
• Brooklyn Township – mostly contained within Oakland and Piedmont.
• Eden Township – partly incorporated into San Leandro and Hayward, the rest contains the communities of Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and other unincorporated areas.
• Washington Township – contains Union City, Newark, Fremont, and small unincorporated areas nearby.
• Murray Township — Contains cities of Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore, and substantial unincorporated areas including Sunol.

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Alameda County.

† county seat

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Alameda para niños