Alameda County, California

Alameda 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 of Alameda County
Official seal of Alameda County
Map
Interactive map of Alameda County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionSan Francisco Bay Area
IncorporatedMarch 25, 1853[1]
Named forRancho Arroyo de la Alameda (also see Alameda Creek)
County seatOakland
Largest cityOakland (population)
Fremont (area)
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • BodyAlameda County Board of Supervisors
 • PresidentNate Miley
 • Vice PresidentDavid Haubert
 • Board of Supervisors[2]
Supervisors
  • David Haubert
  • Elisa Márquez
  • Lena Tam
  • Nate Miley
  • Keith Carson
 • County Administrator's OfficeSusan S. Muranishi
Area
 • Total821 sq mi (2,130 km2)
 • Land739 sq mi (1,910 km2)
 • Water82 sq mi (210 km2)
Highest elevation3,843 ft (1,171 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total1,682,353 Increase
 • Density2,000/sq mi (800/km2)
Gross Domestic Product
 • TotalUS$148.710 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes510, 341, 925
FIPS code06-001
Congressional districts10th, 12th, 14th, 17th
WebsiteACgov.org

Alameda County (/ˌæləˈmdə/ 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,[4][6] making it the 7th-most populous county in the state[7] and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland.[8] 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.[9][10] 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.

  1. ^ "Alameda County". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  2. ^ "Home | Board of Supervisors | Alameda County". bos.acgov.org.
  3. ^ "Discovery Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Alameda County, California". United States Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "Gross Domestic Product by County and Metropolitan Area, 2022" (PDF). www.bea.gov. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
  6. ^ "Alameda County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  7. ^ About Alameda County – County of Alameda – Superior Court of California Archived June 18, 2018, at the Wayback Machine Alameda.courts.ca.gov. Retrieved on July 15, 2013.
  8. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  9. ^ "ALAMEDA English Definition and Meaning". Lexico Dictionaries | English. Archived from the original on October 26, 2019.
  10. ^ "Definition of ALAMEDA". Merriam-Webster.