Alameda County, California
Alameda County | |
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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 | |
Interactive map of Alameda County | |
Location in California | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Incorporated | March 25, 1853 |
| Named after | Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda (also see Alameda Creek) |
| County seat | Oakland |
| Largest city | Oakland (population) Fremont (area) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–CAO |
| • Body | Alameda County Board of Supervisors |
| • President | David Haubert |
| • Vice President | Lena Tam |
| • Board of Supervisors | Supervisors
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| • County Administrator's Office | Susan S. Muranishi |
| Area | |
• Total | 821 sq mi (2,130 km2) |
| • Land | 739 sq mi (1,910 km2) |
| • Water | 82 sq mi (210 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 3,843 ft (1,171 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,682,353 |
• Estimate (2024) | 1,649,060 |
| • Density | 2,000/sq mi (790/km2) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $168.506 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Area codes | 510, 341, 925 |
| FIPS code | 06-001 |
| Congressional districts | 10th, 12th, 14th, 17th |
| Website | ACgov.org |
Alameda County (/ˌæləˈmiːdə/ ⓘ 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, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. 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. 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.