Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

Alameda County, California

Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2000 census it had a population of 1,443,741, making it the 7th largest county in the state, and by 2006 it was estimated 1,457,426. The county seat is Oakland.

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 word 'alameda' means 'a place where poplar trees grow', a name which originally was given to the Arroyo de la Alameda (Poplar Grove Creek). The willow and sycamore trees along the banks of the river reminded the early explorers of a road lined with trees, also known as an 'alameda'.

The county seat at the time it was formed was located at Alvarado; it was moved to San Leandro in 1856 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 1872-1875. Brooklyn is now part of Oakland, which has been the county seat since 1873.

Much of what is now considered an intensively urban region, with major cities, was 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, thence to farms, ranches, and orchards, suburbs and eventually cities, is shared with the adjacent Contra Costa County (see that article for an extensive history applicable to this county).

Government

Alameda County is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors.

The county's law enforcement is overseen by an elected county sheriff and an elected district attorney. The sheriff supervises a force of deputies whose primary responsibilities include policing unincorporated areas of the county, and providing security for county buildings including courthouses, the county jail and other properties. The County Sheriff also serves various court writs and warrants.

Events

The annual county fair is held at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The fair runs for 3 weekends from June to July. Attractions include horse racing, carnival rides, 4-H exhibits, and live bands.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 821 square miles (2,127 km²), of which, 738 square miles (1,910 km²) of it is land and 84 square miles (216 km²) of it (10.18%) is water.

The San Francisco Bay borders the county on the west. The crest of the Berkeley Hills form part of the northeastern boundary, and reach into the center of the county. A coastal plain several miles wide lines the bay, being home to Oakland and the most populated regions. Livermore Valley lies in the eastern part 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.

Incorporated cities

Unincorporated communities

Former townships

Oakland Township - the northern portion subsequently became the cities of Berkeley and Albany
Alameda Township
Brooklyn Township
Eden Township
Washington Township
Murray Township

Adjacent counties

Santa Clara County, California - south
San Mateo County, California - west
San Francisco County, California - west
Contra Costa County, California - north
San Joaquin County, California - east
Stanislaus County, California - southeast by a corner

National protected area

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Transportation infrastructure

Major highways

Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway)
Interstate 238
Interstate 580 (MacArthur Freeway/Arthur Breed Freeway)
Interstate 680 (Sinclair Freeway)
Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway/Cypress Freeway)
Interstate 980 (John B. Williams Freeway)
State Route 13 (Warren Freeway/Ashby Avenue/Tunnel Road)
State Route 24 (William Byron Rumford Freeway)
State Route 84
State Route 92 (Jackson Street)
State Route 123 (San Pablo Avenue)
State Route 185 (Mission Boulevard/East 14th Street)
State Route 238 (Mission Boulevard/Foothill Boulevard)

Mass transit

ACE train - commuter rail using existing railroad tracks; primarily brings commuters from San Joaquin County to Santa Clara County
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
BART - commuter rail centered on northwest Oakland, primarily serving commuters to downtown San Francisco and downtown Oakland
Capitol Corridor - commuter rail using existing railroad tracks, extending from San Jose to Sacramento, running through western Alameda County
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.
Alameda / Oakland Ferry and Harbor Bay Ferry - connect Oakland, Alameda, and Bay Farm Island with downtown San Francisco
San Joaquins - Amtrak route between Oakland and Bakersfield through Fresno and the Central Valley
VTA - commuter service between southern Alameda county and job centers in the Silicon Valley
Dumbarton Express - additional service across the Dumbarton Bridge between Fremont and Palo Alto

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,443,741 people, 523,366 households, and 339,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,957 people per square mile (756/km²). There were 540,183 housing units at an average density of 732 per square mile (283/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 48.79% White, 20.45% Asian, 14.93% Black or African American, 8.94% from other races, 5.63% from two or more races, 18.97% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.63% Native American, and 0.63% Pacific Islander. 5.0% were of Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 63.2% spoke English, 14.3% Spanish, 5.0% Chinese or Mandarin, 3.5% Tagalog, 1.6% Vietnamese and Cantonese as their first language.

In 2005 Alameda County had a population that was 38.0% non-Hispanic whites. African-Americans constituted 13.8% of the population. Asians were 24.2% of the population. Hispanics came in at 20.8%, while both Native Americans and Pacific Islanders came in at 0.7% of the population.

In 2000 there were 523,366 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living within them, 47.00% married couples living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.20% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.30% 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 24.60% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 33.90% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.20% 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. Males had a median income of $47,425 versus $36,921 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,680. About 7.70% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.50% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

There is a major Portuguese community, from where Tom Hanks' mother came and where Lyndsy Fonseca was raised for some time.

Politics

Alameda County is a stronghold of the Democratic Party. It has not voted Republican since Dwight Eisenhower in 1956. Even when Ronald Reagan won the national popular vote by an 18.3% margin in 1984, Walter Mondale won Alameda County by a slightly larger margin. In 2004 it voted for John Kerry by a margin of over 50%. Every city and town voted Democratic. In the House of Representatives, all of the 9th district, parts of the 10th and 11th districts, and most of the 13th district are in the county. All four districts are held by Democrats: Barbara Lee, Ellen Tauscher, Jerry McNerney, and Pete Stark, respectively.

In the State Assembly, parts of the 14th and 15th districts, all of the 16th and 18th districts, and most of the 20th district are in the county. Four of its five legislators are Democrats: Loni Hancock of the 14th district, Sandré Swanson of the 16th district, Mary Hayashi of the 18th district, and Alberto Torrico of the 20th district. The lone Republican that represents Alameda County is Guy Houston of the 15th district. In the State Senate, most of the 9th and 10th districts are in the county and are both represented by Democrats: Don Perata and Ellen Corbett, respectively.

According to the California Secretary of State, there are 709,414 registered voters in Alameda County. 401,847 (56.6%) are registered Democrats, 116,864 (16.5%) are registered Republicans, 33,689 (4.8%) are registered to minor political parties, and 157,014 (22.1%) declined to answer. This means Democrats have a 40.1% registration advantage over Republicans. Every city, town, and unincorporated area in Alameda County has more registered Democrats than Republicans.

Presidential election results
Year	DEM	GOP	Others
2004	75.2% 422,585	23.3% 130,911	1.5% 8,594
2000	69.4% 342,889	24.1% 119,279	6.5% 32,168
1996	65.8% 303,903	23.1% 106,581	11.2% 51,560
1992	63.0% 334,224	20.6% 109,292	16.3% 86,629
1988	64.8% 310,283	34.0% 162,815	1.2% 5,899
1984	58.7% 282,041	40.0% 192,408	1.3% 6,425
1980	48.3% 201,720	38.0% 158,531	13.7% 57,366
1976	57.9% 235,988	38.1% 155,280	4.0% 16,413
1972	55.0% 259,254	42.8% 201,862	2.1% 10,079
1968	53.9% 219,545	37.6% 153,285	8.5% 34,519
1964	66.4% 283,833	33.5% 142,998	0.1% 509
1960	54.0% 217,172	45.6% 183,354	0.4% 1,474

Arts

Home to the Alameda County Arts Commission which serves the arts in Alameda County.
The Oakland Museum of California has a substantial collection of California art works and historical artifacts.