Alameda County, California
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Alameda County is a county in California's San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2000 census it had a population of 1,443,741. The county seat is Oakland.
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Events
The annual Alameda County fair is held at the fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The fair runs for 3 weekends from June to July. Attractions include horse racing, carnival, 4H exhibits, and live bands.
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History
The county was formed on March 25, 1853 from portions of Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties.
The word 'alameda' means 'a place where poplar trees grow', a name which originally was given to El Arroyo de la Alameda (Alameda 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, and was at 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 Land Grants, 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).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,127 km² (821 mi²). 1,910 km² (738 mi²) of it is land and 216 km² (84 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 10.18% water.
The San Francisco Bay borders the county on the west. The Berkeley Hills lie form part of the northern 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 east part of the county.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 1,443,741 people, 523,366 households, and 339,141 families residing in the county. The population density is 756/km² (1,957/mi²). There are 540,183 housing units at an average density of 283/km² (732/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 48.79% White, 14.93% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American, 20.45% Asian, 0.63% Pacific Islander, 8.94% from other races, and 5.63% from two or more races. 18.97% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 523,366 households out of which 32.60% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.00% are married couples living together, 13.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.20% are non-families. 26.00% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.30% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.71 and the average family size is 3.31.
In the county the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $55,946, and the median income for a family is $65,857. Males have a median income of $47,425 versus $36,921 for females. The per capita income for the county is $26,680. 11.00% of the population and 7.70% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.50% of those under the age of 18 and 8.10% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns
- Alameda
- Albany
- Ashland
- Berkeley (home of the University of California, Berkeley)
- Castro Valley
- Cherryland
- Dublin
- Emeryville
- Fairview
- Fremont
- Hayward (home of California State University, East Bay)
- Livermore (home of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
- Mount Eden (Now a suburb which has been incorporated into Hayward)
- Newark
- Oakland
- Piedmont
- Pleasanton
- San Leandro
- San Lorenzo
- Sunol
- Union City
Former Townships
- Oakland Township
- Alameda Township
- Brooklyn Township
- Eden Township
- Washington Township
- Murray Township
Interesting Places to visit
- Chabot Space and Science Center (http://www.chabotspace.org/)
- Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker (http://www.scharffenberger.com/) (Berkeley)
- University of California, Berkeley
- Lawrence Hall of Science (http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/)
- Tilden Regional Park
See also
External links
- Alameda County's Official Web Site (http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/)
- Alameda County Fairgrounds - Annual county fair June to July (http://www.alamedacountyfair.com)
- Photographic virtual tour of Alameda County (http://www.Untraveledroad.com/USA/California/Alameda.htm)
Template:Cities of Alameda County, California
