Alameda County, California
| County of Alameda | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| Region/Metro area | San Francisco Bay Area | ||
| Incorporated | March 25, 1853 | ||
| County seat | Oakland | ||
| Largest city | Oakland | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 821 sq mi (2,126.4 km2) | ||
| - Land | 737 sq mi (1,908.8 km2) | ||
| - Water | 83 sq mi (215 km2) | ||
| Population (2008 estimate) | 1,474,368 | ||
| - Density | 1,795/sq mi (693.1/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) | ||
| Area code(s) | 510, 925 | ||
| Website | www.acgov.org | ||
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 2008 it was estimated 1,474,368. The county seat is Oakland.
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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 Spanish 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
The county is divided into five different districts. A Supervisor is elected in each district, with an election held every four years. This elected group is known as the Board of Supervisors. Currently, District 1 is represented by Supervisor Scott Haggerty; District 2, Supervisor Gail Steele; District 3, Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker; District 4, Supervisor Nate Miley; District 5, Supervisor Keith Carson. The Board elects a president who presides at all meetings of the Board and appoints committees to handle work involving the major programs of the county. If the president is absent for a meeting, the vice president shall be responsible. A Board election occurs every two years for these positions. Supervisor Lai-Bitker is serving currently as president; Supervisor Miley is vice president.
Board meetings are open to the public, and occur every Tuesday (with the exception of holidays and board retreats) at 9:00 AM in the County Administration Building in Oakland. Day-to-day administrative operations are handled by the County Administrator. This position is appointed by the Board of Supervisors, currently held by Susan Muranishi.
The county's law enforcement is overseen by an elected Sheriff/Coroner and an elected District Attorney. The Sheriff supervises the deputies of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, whose primary responsibilities include policing unincorporated areas of the county and cities within the county which contract with the Sheriff's Office for police services; providing security and law enforcement for county buildings including courthouses, the county jail and other county properties; providing support resources, such as a criminalistics laboratory and search and rescue capabilities, to other law enforcement agencies throughout the county; and serving the process of the county's Superior Court system. The District Attorney's office is responsible for prosecuting all criminal violations of the laws of the state of California, the county, or its constituent municipalities, in Superior Court. As of late 2009, the Sheriff is Gregory J. Ahern, who was elected in 2006 to replace Charles C. Plummer, who had served in the post for 20 years. The Interim District Attorney is Nancy E. O'Malley, who was appointed to fill the position of retiring District Attorney Tom Orloff in September 2009. The Sheriff's Office operates two jails, one being Santa Rita Jail located in Dublin.
The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) was formed on July 1, 1993 as a dependent special district with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors as its governing body. This consolidation brought together into a single jurisdiction the Castro Valley Fire Department, Eden Fire Department and County Fire Patrol (each a dependent special district under the Board of Supervisors).
•Prior to 1993 Unincorporated Fire Protection •Castro Valley FPD •Eden Consolidated FPD •County Fire Patrol •July 1, 1993 Alameda County Fire Department •July 1, 1995 City of San Leandro •July 1, 1997 City of Dublin •August 1, 2002 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory •October 1, 2007 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory •January 20, 2008 Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center (ACRECC) •May 1, 2010 City of Newark •July 1, 2010 City of Union City
The county's Superior Court operates in twelve separate locations throughout the county, with its central Rene C. Davidson Courthouse located in Oakland near Lake Merritt. Most major criminal trials and complex civil cases are heard at this location or in courtrooms within the County Administration Building across the street.
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 (2,130 km2), of which 738 square miles (1,910 km2) is land and 84 square miles (220 km2) (10.18%) is water.
The San Francisco Bay borders the county on the west, and the City and County of San Francisco, California has a small land border with the city of Alameda due to land filling [1]. 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; it is home to Oakland and the most populous 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
- Alameda
- Albany
- Berkeley
- Dublin
- Emeryville
- Fremont
- Hayward
- Livermore
- Newark
- Oakland
- Piedmont
- Pleasanton
- San Leandro
- Union City
Unincorporated communities
- Ashland
- Castro Valley
- Cherryland
- Fairview
- Sunol
- San Lorenzo
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
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Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway).svg.png){kind=small}
Interstate 238.svg.png){kind=small}
Interstate 580 (MacArthur Freeway/Arthur Breed Freeway).svg.png){kind=small}
Interstate 680 (Sinclair Freeway).svg.png){kind=small}
Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway/Cypress Freeway).svg.png){kind=small}
Interstate 980 (John B. Williams Freeway)
State Route 13 (Warren Freeway/Ashby Avenue/Tunnel Road)
State Route 24 (William Byron Rumford Freeway)
State Route 61
State Route 84
State Route 92 (Jackson Street)
State Route 123 (San Pablo Avenue) – formerly .svg.png){kind=small}
State Route 185 (Mission Boulevard/East 14th Street)
State Route 238 (Mission Boulevard/Foothill Boulevard)
State Route 262 (Mission 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
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 130,197 |
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| 1910 | 246,131 | 89.0% | |
| 1920 | 344,177 | 39.8% | |
| 1930 | 474,883 | 38.0% | |
| 1940 | 513,011 | 8.0% | |
| 1950 | 740,315 | 44.3% | |
| 1960 | 908,209 | 22.7% | |
| 1970 | 1,073,184 | 18.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,105,379 | 3.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,279,182 | 15.7% | |
| 2000 | 1,443,741 | 12.9% | |
| Est. 2008 | 1,474,368 | 2.1% | |
As of the census[1] 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.[2]
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 (these figures had risen to $66,430 and $81,341 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[3]). 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.
Politics
Alameda County is a stronghold of the Democratic Party. It has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1956, when Dwight Eisenhower carried the county. Historically, the county was Republican until the 1958 defeat of William F. Knowland. 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.[4] 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, John Garamendi, 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. All of its five legislators are Democrats: Nancy Skinner of the 14th district, Sandré Swanson of the 16th district, Mary Hayashi of the 18th district, and Alberto Torrico of the 20th district, and Joan Buchanan 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: Loni Hancock 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.
| Year | DEM | GOP | Others |
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| 2008 | 78.9% 489,106 | 19.3% 119,554 | 1.8% 11,724 |
| 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 |
On Nov. 4, 2008 Alameda County voted 62.0 % against Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.[5]
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.
Education
Alameda County Library operates county libraries.
Colleges and Universities
- Berkeley City College
- Chabot College
- College of Alameda
- Laney College
- Las Positas College
- Merritt College
- Ohlone College
- University of California, Berkeley
- California State University, East Bay
- Mills College
School Districts (K-12)
- Alameda Unified School District
- Albany Unified School District
- Berkeley Unified School District
- Castro Valley Unified School District
- Dublin Unified School District
- Emery Unified School District
- Fremont Unified School District
- Hayward Unified School District
- Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
- Mountain House Elementary School District
- New Haven Unified School District
- Newark Unified School District
- Oakland Unified School District
- Piedmont Unified School District
- Pleasanton Unified School District
- San Leandro Unified School District
- San Lorenzo Unified School District
- Sunol Glen Unified School District
Sports
The following sports teams play in Alameda County.
| Club | Sport | Founded | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Golden Bears | NCAA | 1868 | NCAA: Pac-10 | California Memorial Stadium (Football), Haas Pavilion (Basketball), Evans Diamond (Baseball) |
| Oakland Athletics | Baseball | 1901 (in Oakland since 1968) | Major League Baseball: American League | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum |
| Oakland Raiders | American Football | 1960 (in Los Angeles from 1982–1994) | National Football League: American Conference. AFC West | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum |
| Golden State Warriors | Basketball | 1946 (In Oakland since 1971) | National Basketball Association: Western Conference. | Oracle Arena |
Interesting places to visit
- University of California, Berkeley
- Lawrence Hall of Science
- Tilden Regional Park
- Sunol Water Temple
- Livermore Valley
See also
- Hiking trails in Alameda County
- USS Alameda County (LST-32)
- List of school districts in Alameda County, California
- Solar power in Alameda County
External links
- Alameda County's Official Web Site
- Alameda County Fairgrounds - Annual county fair June to July
- A short film about Alameda County from 1958
- Short radio episode Baseball from "Lil' Yokohama," by Oakland writer Toshio Mori, 1941. California Legacy Project.
- Alameda County Fire Department
- Alameda County Fire Department Training Division
References
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Alameda County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
- ↑ Alameda County, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder
- ↑ pres_general_ssov_for_all.xls
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CA2008Prop8.png
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Contra Costa County | |
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| San Francisco County and San Mateo County |  |
San Joaquin County | ||
 Alameda County, California  |
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| Santa Clara County | Stanislaus County |
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