Alameda originally occupied apeninsula connected toOakland.[11] The area was low-lying and marshy, while higher ground was part of one of the largest coastal oak forests in the world. A local band of theOhlone tribe inhabited the region for more than 3,000 years. They were present at the time of the arrival of the Spanish in the late 18th century. The Ohlone created numerous oyster shell mounds across the peninsula, some as large as 14 feet tall.[12]
Spanish colonists called the areaEncinal, meaning "forest of evergreen oak".[13] What is now Alameda, and much of the East Bay was included in the vastRancho San Antonio granted to DonLuis María Peralta by the Spanish king who claimed California. The grant was later confirmed by theRepublic of Mexico after its independence in 1821 from Spain. Over time, the place became known as Bolsa de Encinal or Encinal de San Antonio.[14]
The borders of Alameda were expanded to include the entire island in 1872, incorporating Woodstock into Alameda.[14]
In his autobiography, writerMark Twain described Alameda as "The Garden of California."[17]
Alameda shipyards at the turn of the 20th century
The first post office opened in 1854.[14] The first school, Schermerhorn School, was opened a year later in 1855 (eventually renamed as Lincoln School). TheSan Francisco and Alameda Railroad opened the Encinal station in 1864.[14] The early formation of thePark Street Historic Commercial District (or downtown) was centered near the train lines.[18] Encinal's own post office opened in 1876, was renamed West End in 1877, and closed in 1891.[14]
TheCroll Building, on the corner of Webster Street and Central Avenue, was the site of Croll's Gardens and Hotel, used as training quarters for some of the most popular fighters in boxing from 1883 to 1914.[20]Jack Johnson and several other champions all stayed and trained here.[21]
The need for expanded shipping facilities and increased flow of current through theestuary led to the dredging of a tidal canal through the marshland between Oakland and Alameda. Construction started in 1874, but it was not completed until 1902, resulting in Alameda becoming an island.[22]
In 1917, a private entertainment park calledNeptune Beach was built in the area now known as Crab Cove, which became a major recreation destination in the 1920s and 1930s. It was sometimes referred to as the "Coney Island of the West".[23] Thepopsicle was first sold to the public at Neptune Beach in 1923.[24] The park closed down in 1939.
TheAlameda Works Shipyard was one of the largest and best-equipped shipyards in the country. Together with other industrial facilities, it became part of the defense industry buildup before and during World War II, which attracted many migrants from other parts of the United States for the high-paying jobs. In the 1950s, Alameda's industrial and shipbuilding industries thrived along theAlameda Estuary.
In the early 21st century, thePort of Oakland, across the estuary, has become one of the largest ports on the West Coast. Its operators use shipping technologies originally experimented within Alameda. As of April 2006,[25] Alameda is a "Coast Guard City", one of six then designated in the country (as of 2025, it is one of 34).[26]
Aerial view of Alameda, 1936
In addition to the regular trains running to theAlameda Mole, Alameda was also served by local steam commuter lines of the Southern Pacific (initially, the Central Pacific). Alameda was the site of the Southern Pacific's West Alameda Shops, where all the electric trains were maintained and repaired. These were later adapted as theEast Bay Electric Lines. The trains ran to both theOakland Mole and the Alameda Mole.
In the 1930sPan American Airways established aseaplane port along with the fill that led to the Alameda Mole, the original home base for theChina Clipper flying boat. In 1929, the University of California established the San Francisco Airdrome located near the current Webster Street tube as a public airport. The Bay Airdrome had its gala christening party in 1930. The Airdrome was closed in 1941 when its air traffic interfered with the newly builtNaval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda).[27]
In the late 1950s, the Utah Construction Company began a landfill beyond theOld Sea Wall and createdSouth Shore.
On February 7, 1973, a USNVoughtA-7E Corsair II fighter jet on a routine training mission fromLemoore Naval Air Station suddenly caught fire 28,000 feet (8,500 m) above theSan Francisco Bay, crashing into the Tahoe Apartments in Alameda. Eleven people including the pilot died in the crash and fire.[28][29]
Alameda's nickname is "The Island". Today, the city consists of three major sections:
Alameda Island – The main original section created by dredging a channel between Oakland to the north, with the formerNaval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) at the west end of Alameda Island,South Shore along the southern side of Alameda Island,
Bay Farm Island – Part of the mainland proper, and attached to Oakland.
The area of the former NAS is now known as "Alameda Point." The South Shore area is separated from the main part of Alameda Island by a lagoon; the north shore of the lagoon is located approximately where the original south shore of the island was. Alameda Point, Bay Farm Island, and South Shore are largely built on bay fill.
Not all of Alameda Island is part of the City of Alameda; a small portion of a dump site west of the former runway at Alameda Naval Air Station extends far enough into San Francisco Bay that it is over the county line and therefore part of theCity and County of San Francisco.[31] Ballena Isle, an even smaller island, is also part of Alameda.
This region experiences warm (but not hot), dry summers, and cool (but not cold), wet winters. According to theKöppen climate classification system, Alameda has awarm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[32] Annual precipitation is about 22 in (560 mm), all rain (snow is extremely rare at sea level in the San Francisco Bay Area).
The low-lying island has seen sea-level and groundwater level rise threaten its infrastructure and people not just through flooding events, but through the increasedliquefaction risk from more saturated soils. The locations of increasing groundwater-induced risks and flooding risks may be most precise in private insurance company maps.[34]
Alameda, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The census reported that 98.0% of the population lived in households, 0.8% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1.2% were institutionalized.[40]
There were 30,980 households, out of which 30.2% included children under the age of 18, 47.7% were married-couple households, 6.6% werecohabiting couple households, 28.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.0% had a male householder with no partner present. 28.3% of households were one person, and 11.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48.[40] There were 19,640families (63.4% of all households).[41]
The age distribution was 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.7% aged 18 to 24, 28.4% aged 25 to 44, 27.4% aged 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 41.4years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males.[40]
There were 33,009 housing units at an average density of 3,159.1 units per square mile (1,219.7 units/km2), of which 30,980 (93.9%) were occupied. Of these, 48.3% were owner-occupied, and 51.7% were occupied by renters.[40]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 25.4% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 65.4% spoke only English at home, 6.7% spokeSpanish, 6.6% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 20.1% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.2% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 93.4% were high school graduates and 60.3% had a bachelor's degree.[42]
The median household income in 2023 was $132,015, and theper capita income was $72,245. About 4.8% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line.[43]
The2010 United States census[44] reported that Alameda had a population of 73,812. (2015 census estimates place the population at 78,630)
The population density was 3,214.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,241.3/km2). The racial makeup of Alameda was 37,460 (50.8%)White, 23,058 (31.2%)Asian, 4,759 (6.4%)African American, 426 (0.6%)Native American, 381 (0.5%)Pacific Islander, 2,463 (3.3%) from other races, and 5,265 (7.1%) from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,092 persons (11.0%).
The Census reported that 72,316 people (98.0% of the population) lived in households, 857 (1.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 639 (0.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 30,123 households, out of which 9,144 (30.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13,440 (44.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,623 (12.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,228 (4.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,681 (5.6%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 459 (1.5%) same-sex married couples or same-sex partnerships. 9,347 households (31.0%) were made up of individuals, and 2,874 (9.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40. There were 18,291families (60.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.06.
The age distribution of the population shows 15,304 people (20.7%) under the age of 18, 5,489 people (7.4%) aged 18 to 24, 21,000 people (28.5%) aged 25 to 44, 22,044 people (29.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 9,975 people (13.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
Per capita annual income (in 2013 dollars) in 2009–2013 was $41,340 per the US Census. Median household income in 2009–2013 was $74,606 per the US Census.
There were 32,351 housing units at an average density of 1,409.0 per square mile (544.0/km2), of which 30,123 were occupied, of which 14,488 (48.1%) were owner-occupied, and 15,635 (51.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 37,042 people (50.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 35,274 people (47.8%) lived in rental housing units.
There is a largeFilipino community; and also a majorPortuguese community, from whichTom Hanks' mother came and whereLyndsy Fonseca was raised for some time. Alameda also has a historicJapanese American community and had a small Japanese business district on a portion of Park Street before World War II, when the city'sJapanese population was interned. A Japanese Buddhist church is one of the few remaining buildings left of Alameda's pre-war Japanese American community.[45]
A cluster of artisan distilleries, wineries, breweries and tasting rooms along Monarch Street at Alameda Point is now referred to by the City of Alameda as "Spirits Alley".[47] Admiral Maltings also sits in this area, supplying craft brewers and whisky producers, and is the first craft malting house in California.[48]
Photo-realistRobert Bechtle has painted numerous Alameda subjects, includingAlameda Gran Torino, which was acquired bySFMOMA in 1974 and remains one of Bechtle's most famous works.[49]
The Altarena Playhouse, which performs comedies, dramas, and musicals, was founded in 1938 and is the longest continuously operating community theater in the San Francisco Bay Area.[51]
Radium is a planned performing arts complex at the former naval air station and has seasonal shows in an outdoor theater.[52]
The Fourth of July parade is advertised as the longest in the United States.[53] It features homemade floats, classic cars, motorized living room furniture, fire-breathing dragons, and marching bands.
There are multiple major events when streets in Alameda's historic downtown district are closed to vehicular traffic. Park Street Art and Wine Faire is the biggest and takes place the last weekend of every July with more than 200 artists and vendors. Seasonal events like the spring and winter markets, as well as themed rum, whiskey and hot cocoa strolls are spread out through the year.[54]
The annual Sand Castle and Sculpture Contest takes place in June[55] at the Robert Crown Memorial State Beach, attracting hundreds of participants.[56] The first contest was held in 1967.[57]
Alameda Point Antiques Faire is held on the first Sunday of every month at the former Naval Air Station runways. It is the largest antiques and collectibles show in Northern California, attracting upwards of 10,000 visitors and featuring 800 dealer booths. The faire specializes in items 20 years or older, including furniture, decorations, clothing, jewelry, art, pottery, books, and collectibles.[58]
California Historical Radio Society Museum – set in a 125 year old telephone building, the museum covers electronic communication with artifacts from the late 1800s on display.[60]
Pacific Pinball Museum – an interactive museum/arcade with a chronological and historical selection of rare and early pinball games including a rotating set of more than 100 playable pinball machines ranging in era from the 1940s to present day located on Webster Street.[61]
Alameda is a charter city governed by a five-member City Council, including the Mayor, who are all elected at large. The city operates under a council-manager system defined by the City Charter,[62] with a professional City Manager overseeing daily administration. The City Manager is responsible for city operations, budget administration, and implementing council policies, distinguishing Alameda from strong-mayor systems often in bigger cities. The City Attorney and City Clerk report directly to the council.
The budget for the city is greater than $310 million a year as of the 2023-25 biannual budgets planning cycle.[63] The City Treasurer and City Auditor are independently elected.[62] Residents appointed by the Mayor and City Council serve on a range of boards and commissions overseeing major components of the city (for example recreation and parks, library, transportation and planning).[64]
Alameda's government is responsible for a range of municipal services, including public safety, transportation, parks, and land use planning. Rare to a city of its size, it operates its own city-wide electricity utility,Alameda Municipal Power, which has 100% clean electricity[65] and as much as a 48% savings over comparable PG&E rates.[66]
There are three library locations: the Main Library in downtown Alameda, the Bay Farm Island Library and the West End Library. Beyond books, services at the library include events and author talks, computer labs, home delivery of books,[67] as well as e-book, streaming digital media, and audio book catalogs.[68] Historical resources of Alameda's past include local newspaper and magazine archives, high school yearbooks, books by local authors and maps.[69]
In 2000 voters authorized abond measure to construct a new main library to replace the city'sCarnegie Library, damaged during the1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The city also received state funds for the new main library and opened the doors to the new facility in November 2006.
Public primary and secondary education in Alameda is the responsibility of theAlameda Unified School District (AUSD), which is legally separate from the City of Alameda government (as is common throughout California). More than 9,000 students are enrolled in the AUSD system across nine elementary, four middle, four high schools.[70] The California Department of Education School Dashboard reports student performance is "green" and above state standards for English, math and college/career preparation.[71]
Alameda's first newspaper, theEncinal, appeared in the 1860s.[73] Following theEncinal, several other papers appeared along geographic lines, and theDaily Argus eventually rose to prominence.[74] Around 1900, theDaily Argus began to fade in importance and east and west papersThe Times andThe Star combined to take the leading role as theAlameda Times-Star in the 1930s. TheTimes-Star was sold to theAlameda Newspaper Group in the 1970s. In 1997, the Hills Newspaper chain was bought byKnight Ridder. Between 2001 and 2023, theAlameda Sun ran a local weekly print newspaper.[75]
California State Route 61 runs down city streets from the Posey and Webster Street Tubes, across the Bay Farm Island Bridge, and south to the Oakland Airport. The island is just minutes offInterstate 880 in Oakland. The speed limit for the city is 25 mph (40 km/h) on almost every road.
Water Shuttle – The Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle is pedestrian/bike boat that connects Alameda Landing and Oakland's Jack London Square runs five days a week for free.
BART and Rail – The closestBART stations areLake Merritt and12th Street, near the exit to the Posey Tube, andFruitvale, near the Fruitvale Bridge. BART's long-term plans for asecond tunnel include Alameda as a candidate for the first stop on a new East Bay line.[78] The closest Amtrak rail station isOakland-Jack London Square.
Air –Oakland International Airport abuts the eastern border of Alameda's Bay Farm Island, and includes passenger, freight and private aircraft flights.
Phyllis Diller, television comedian, attended Sunday school at First Presbyterian, married and lived in Alameda at the start of her comedy career in San Francisco in the 1950s.[88]
General James Doolittle, who received the Medal of Honor for his bombing of Japan during World War II; Doolittle was born in Alameda in 1896.[90]
Garrett Eckbo, landscape architect who lived in Alameda as a child, later forming the Bay Area firm of Eckbo, Royston, Williams withRobert Royston and Edward Williams.[91]
Don Perata, former President Pro Tempore of California State Senate, lives in Alameda; once taught at Saint Joseph Notre Dame High, Encinal High, and Alameda High, among other Alameda schools.[114]
Initiated in 1959 as part ofPresident Eisenhower'speople-to-people-movement, whose purpose was to develop better understanding among people from different countries after World War II. Both Alameda and Lidingö are islands with a bridge connecting them to a big city.
^abcdeDurham, David L. (1998).California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, California: Word Dancer Press. p. 592.ISBN1-884995-14-4.
^Kulczyk, David. (2009). Death In California – The Bizarre, Freakish, and Just Curious Ways People Die in the Golden State. Craven Street Books. P117ISBN978-1-884995-57-6
^"ISC Alameda Home".Webarchive.loc.gov. Archived from the original on November 9, 2001. RetrievedJuly 13, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
_(cropped).JPG)
_2.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(9370088388).jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
_2_(cropped).JPG)
_01.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
