Alameda, County

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 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state. The county includes the cities of Oakland, which is its seat and Berkeley. 

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 analameda.

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, then to farms, ranches, and orchards, then multiple city centers and suburbs, is shared with the adjacent and closely associated Contra Costa County.

The county is divided into five districts. A County 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 Nadia Lockyer; District 3, Supervisor Wilma Chan; 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 Miley is serving currently as president; Supervisor Carson 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 theAlameda 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 forensics 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 the Alameda County Superior Court. The current Sheriff is Gregory J. Ahern, who was elected in 2006, succeeding Charles 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 district, with the Board of Supervisors as its governing body. Municipal and specialized fire departments have been consolidated into the ACFD over the years. 1993 brought in the Castro Valley and Eden Consolidated FD, and the County Fire Patrol. San Leandro joined in 1995, Dublin in 1997, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2002, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 2007, The Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center in 2008, and Newark and Union City in 2010.

The Alameda County Water District is operated by the county.

Alameda County Superior Court operates in twelve separate locations throughout the county, with its central René 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.

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.

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 821.15 square miles (2,126.8 km2), of which 737.57 square miles (1,910.3 km2) (or 89.82%) is land and 83.57 square miles (216.4 km2) (or 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. 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 theCalaveras Fault runs through the southeastern part of the county.

• Alameda, a charter city formed in 1916

• Albany, incorporated as the City of Ocean View in 1908, renamed Albany in 1909

• Berkeley, incorporated 1878

• Dublin, initially the Murray Township (1868), incorporated as Dublin in 1982

• Emeryville, incorporated 1896

• Fremont, incorporated 1956, combining the former communities of Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs

• Hayward, named as early as 1852, chartered as Haywards in 1876, incorporated as Hayward in 1928

• Livermore, incorporated 1876

• Newark, incorporated 1955

• Oakland, incorporated 1852

• Piedmont, incorporated 1907

• Pleasanton, incorporated 1894

• San Leandro, incorporated 1872

• Union City, incorporated 1959

The unincorporated communities in Alameda County are governed directly by the county. Alameda County has 6 major unincorporated communities that qualify as census designated places (CDP):

• Ashland, east of San Leandro

• Castro Valley, north of Hayward, east of San Leandro

• Cherryland, north of Hayward

• Fairview, north of Hayward

• Sunol, east of Fremont

• San Lorenzo, south of San Leandro, north of Hayward

The county has a number of smaller named neighborhoods, not governed by cities.

Albrae Altamont Asco Baumberg Brightside Brookshire Carpenter Dougherty

Dresser East Pleasanton Farwell Hall Station Halvern Kilkare Woods Komandorski Village Lorenzo Station Mattos

Mendenhall Springs Midway Mountain House Mowry Landing Radum San Ramon Village Scotts Corner Sorenson Verona

• Oakland Township - the northern portion subsequently became the cities of Berkeley and Albany

• Alameda Township - Now essentially coterminus with the City of Alameda

• Brooklyn Township - Mostly contained within Oakland and Piedmont

• Eden Township - parts have been 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.

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)

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/Tunnel Road/Ashby Avenue)  State Route 24 (William Byron Rumford Freeway)  State Route 61  State Route 84  State Route 92 (Jackson Street/San Mateo Bridge)  State Route 123 (San Pablo Avenue) – formerly  U.S. Route 40  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

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