Oakland

I

Introduction

Oakland, city in central California on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay and a major industrial center and West Coast port. Oakland is among the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States.

Oakland is known for its comfortable climate. In January the average high temperature is 14° C (57° F) and the average low 4° C (40° F); in July the average high is 24° C (75° F) and the low 12° C (53° F). Oakland receives 640 mm (25 in) of precipitation annually. The period between October and April is the rainy season and the summer months are quite dry.

The Spanish named a portion of the region Encinal del Temescal (“oak grove by the sweathouse”) because of the area’s luxuriant growth of oaks. When the city was laid out in the 1850s, the name Oakland was chosen by its founders.

II

People

Oakland was the eighth largest city in California at the time of the 2000 census. The city’s population grew from 339,337 in 1980 to 399,484 in 2000. New residents were attracted to the city by its climate, central bay-area location, and economic opportunities. In 2005, Oakland's population was estimated at 395,274.

---

---

Oakland is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States. According to the 2000 census, blacks were 35.7 percent of the population, whites 31.3 percent, Asians 15.2 percent, Native Americans 0.7 percent, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 0.5 percent. People of mixed heritage or not reporting race were 16.6 percent of the population. Hispanics, who may be of any race, were 21.9 percent of the people. More than 80 languages are spoken in Oakland. The ethnic diversity of the area increased with the arrival of new residents from Asia and Latin America.

The population of the Oakland metropolitan area (Alameda and Contra Costa counties) increased from 1,761,710 in 1980 to 4,152,688 in 2005.

III

Oakland and its Metropolitan Area

Oakland lies within a rim of low hills along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, covering a land area of 145.0 sq km (56.0 sq mi). The city’s average elevation is 13 m (42 ft). Manufacturing plants and port facilities line Oakland Inner Harbor, a long, narrow inlet of the bay. The inlet separates Oakland from the city of Alameda, which is connected to Oakland by several bridges and a vehicle tunnel. Just inland from the waterfront area lies downtown Oakland, the central business district. Along the hilly eastern edge of the city, overlooking the bay, is a wide belt of parks and Oakland’s main residential districts.

The Oakland metropolitan area is composed of Alameda and Contra Costa counties and covers a land area of 3,775.7 sq km (1,457.8 sq mi). The region is also known as Greater East Bay, and includes the cities of Alameda, Berkeley, Concord, Fremont, Hayward, Richmond, and Walnut Creek. The city of Piedmont is an enclave within Oakland.

At the city’s historic center stands Oakland City Hall, built in 1914 in the Beaux Arts style. The building was heavily damaged in the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 but was later restored to its original splendor as part of a redevelopment project. North of City Hall is the magnificent art deco Paramount Theatre, with colorful tile murals depicting the performing arts. Just south of City Hall are the twin towers of the Federal Building and Oakland City Center. A few blocks west is Preservation Park, a neighborhood of restored Victorian residences; to the east is Lake Merritt and its surrounding Lakeside Park. Near the southwest shore of the lake stand the fortresslike Alameda County Courthouse and the Oakland Museum of California. A waterfront square of shops and restaurants has been named to honor one of the city’s early residents and well-known author, Jack London.

Oakland’s cultural institutions include the Oakland Ballet, Oakland East Bay Symphony, and Oakland Ensemble Theatre. The Oakland Museum of California, devoted to the art, environment, and history of the Golden State, is a notable attraction. The African American Museum and Library interprets the experiences of blacks living in California and the West. Among Oakland’s annual events is Festival at the Lake, a June celebration of the arts and culture of the Bay area.

Educational institutions in Oakland include Mills College (founded in 1852 as the first women’s college in the western United States); Holy Names College (1868), a Roman Catholic liberal arts college; the California College of Arts and Crafts (1907), one of the nation’s largest visual arts colleges; Samuel Merritt College (1909), a health sciences school; and Patten College (1944), an interdenominational Christian college. Nearby is the Berkeley campus (founded in 1868) of the University of California. The Hayward campus (1957) of California State University is also nearby.

Oakland features 64 parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities. Its crown jewel is Lakeside Park, which encircles Lake Merritt, the nation’s largest urban saltwater lake. Designated in 1870 as the first wildlife refuge in the United States, Lakeside Park is a favorite of lawn bowlers, joggers, and bicyclists. Also on the shores of the lake are Children’s Fairyland, a theme park based on popular nursery rhymes, and the Cameron-Stanford House, a restored Victorian home. Nestled in the Oakland Hills is Knowland Park and the Oakland Zoo, featuring more than 300 exotic and native animals. Nearby is the East Bay Regional Park System, with additional parklands.

The city's professional baseball team, the Oakland Athletics, and football team, the Oakland Raiders, play at McAfee Coliseum. The Golden State Warriors, the professional basketball team, play next door at the Arena in Oakland, which was extensively renovated in 1997. The Raiders were based in Oakland from 1960 to 1981, then moved to Los Angeles. The team returned to Oakland in 1995.

IV

Economy

Oakland is one of the largest container-ship ports in North America. Huge container ships arrive daily at the Port of Oakland from countries around the Pacific Rim. The ships carry cargo in standard-sized metal containers, loaded and unloaded by dockside cranes. The Port of Oakland controls about 31 km (19 mi) of shoreline within the city and also operates the Oakland International Airport.

Nearly 20 percent of Oakland’s workers are employed in either retail or wholesale trade, and 16 percent work in manufacturing and construction. Oakland’s principal products are processed foods, transportation equipment, chemicals, and electrical equipment. The seven largest employers in Oakland are federal, county, and city agencies. An era of intense military activity in the Oakland region came to an end in the 1990s, when a federal commission voted to close several major facilities as part of a national base consolidation program. Affected were a naval air station and depot at Alameda, a naval hospital and army base in Oakland, and a naval station on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay.

Oakland is the transportation hub of the San Francisco Bay area. Interstate 80, a major east-west route across the United States, passes through the city before crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. A network of other freeways (580, 880, and 980) also serve the city, as do major state highways (13 and 24). Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) provides high-speed rail service to San Francisco and to Oakland’s outlying suburban communities. Oakland is also a terminus for freight railroads, providing an important connection between U.S. and overseas markets. Oakland International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the United States in passengers served, and is an important air freight facility.