Union City, California | |
|---|---|
 Union City Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station. | |
 Flag | |
 Location inAlameda County and the state ofCalifornia | |
  Union City, California Location in California Show map of California Union City, California Union City, California (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:37°35′47″N122°02′54″W / 37.59639°N 122.04833°W /37.59639; -122.04833 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Alameda |
| Incorporated | January 26, 1959[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gary Singh |
| • City Council | Jaime Patiño Scott Sakakihara Jeff Wang Lance Nishihira |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.18 sq mi (49.68 km2) |
| • Land | 19.18 sq mi (49.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Population | |
• Total | 70,143 |
| • Density | 3,657/sq mi (1,412/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 94587 |
| Area codes | 510, 341 |
| FIPS code | 06-81204 |
| Website | www |
Union City is a city inAlameda County, California, United States in theSan Francisco Bay Area. The population in the2020 census was 70,143, up from 69,628 in the2010 census.
It is located approximately 19 miles (31 km) south ofOakland, 30 miles (48 km) fromSan Francisco, and 20 miles (32 km) north ofSan Jose.
It wasincorporated in 1959, combining the communities ofAlvarado andDecoto. Alvarado is aCalifornia Historical Landmark (#503).[4] The city celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.[5]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19 square miles (49 km2), all land with no bay frontage. TheNiles Coneaquifer, managed by theAlameda County Water District, supplies much of the water consumed by Union City.Hayward bounds the city to the north and Fremont and Newark to the south. Union City, Newark and Fremont are known as the Tri-Cities.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6,618 | — | |
| 1970 | 14,724 | 122.5% | |
| 1980 | 39,406 | 167.6% | |
| 1990 | 53,762 | 36.4% | |
| 2000 | 66,869 | 24.4% | |
| 2010 | 69,516 | 4.0% | |
| 2020 | 70,143 | 0.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1850–1870[7][8] 1880-1890[9] 1900[10] 1910[11] 1920[12] 1930[13] 1940[14] 1950[15] 1960[16][17] 1970[18] 1980[19] 1990[20]2000[21] 2010[22] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[23] | Pop 2010[24] | Pop 2020[25] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 13,610 | 10,009 | 7,693 | 20.35% | 14.40% | 10.97% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,321 | 4,194 | 3,006 | 6.46% | 6.03% | 4.29% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 132 | 116 | 113 | 0.20% | 0.17% | 0.16% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 28,780 | 35,052 | 40,270 | 43.04% | 50.42% | 57.41% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 577 | 839 | 774 | 0.86% | 1.21% | 1.10% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 203 | 138 | 276 | 0.30% | 0.20% | 0.39% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 3,226 | 3,273 | 2,931 | 4.82% | 4.71% | 4.18% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 16,020 | 15,895 | 15,080 | 23.96% | 22.87% | 21.50% |
| Total | 66,869 | 69,516 | 70,143 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
According to the 2020 census estimate, themedian income for a household in the city is $142,374.[26] Males have amedian household income of $59,274 versus $40,625 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $31,411. About 4.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Costanoans ("coastal peoples") were the first inhabitants, living alongAlameda and Dry Creeks. Shell mounds along the sloughs of Alameda Creek near the Alvarado sugar mill contained burial sites.[27]: 7–9 [28]: 8–9
The first non-native community was founded in 1850 by John and William Horner, who named it "Union City" after theirSacramento RiverSteamship, "The Union".[29] In 1854, it merged with the nearby community of New Haven (founded 1851) to form the town ofAlvarado, named after a former Mexican governor,Juan Bautista Alvarado.[30] Alvarado was the firstcounty seat ofAlameda County, a designation it lost in 1865 toSan Leandro. Further east,Decoto was founded in 1870 as a railroad hub, hosting thefirst transcontinental railroad.[29] Alvarado-Niles Road, one of the city's largest streets, connects the historical Fremont district of Niles with the historical Union City district of Alvarado.
TheCalifornia Beet Sugar Company, the US' first successfulsugar beet mill, was located in Alvarado and began operations in 1870. The plant wasdemolished in 1977.[31]
Union City is a former railroad and steel town with an extensive industrial heritage. The Pacific States Steel Company occupied the land behind Union City Station that is redeveloping into the Union City Station District Downtown. The Alvarado and Decoto neighborhoods were both former railroad hubs and active railroad lines bisect both East End and the West Side of town. Trains are a way of life in Union City and natives are accustomed to waiting for Amtrak and freight trains to cross while commuting.
In the 1950s, Alvarado and Decoto – the latter making up the eastern side of the town – were annexation targets of the nearby communities of Newark, Hayward, and what would become Fremont. On January 13, 1959, they decided to incorporate into a single city, and named it after the Horners' original settlement, Union City.[29][32] Tom Kitayama served as the city's first mayor in 1959 and was involved in Union City politics until his 1991 retirement.[32] The population grew from 6,000 in 1959 to 70,000 in 2020. In 2016, Union City started to rebrand and unveiled a new city seal. Union City opened a new Teen Center in 2018.[33] In March 2025, the city of Union City rolled out new city branded color coded trash carts with Republic Services and local Tri-CED community recycling to meet state and local goals.
Union City is the location of theAmerican Licorice Company'sWest Coast operations, which moved there in 1971.[34]
Union City is home to three major health care providers: aKaiser Permanente facility, theTiburcio Vasquez Health Center, and Washington Hospital's Nakamura Clinic.
Union City hosts industrial and shipping companies, including R&S Manufacturing, RCD Concrete, Jatco, and EntirelyPets.
Union Landing Shopping Center is a 100-acre (40 ha) shopping center, adjacent toInterstate 880. It is one of the largest centers in the city and supports about 70 stores. The mall was completed in 1999. The land was previously a drive-in movie park.[35]
ATarget shopping center sits near the Hayward/Union City border.[36]
According to Union City's June 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[37] the top employers in the city were:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven Unified School District | 1,196 |
| 2 | Southern Wine & Spirits | 600 |
| 3 | Walmart | 534 |
| 4 | Masonic Home For Adults | 498 |
| 5 | Abaxis | 400 |
| 6 | Mizuho OSI | 400 |
| 7 | Sterling Foods[38][39][40] | 400 |
| 8 | City of Union City | 313 |
| 9 | Emerald Packaging | 245 |
| 10 | American Licorice | 239 |
In 2014New Haven Unified School District enrolls 10,000 students from Union City and Hayward. The district consists of seven (K-5) elementary schools, two (6–8) middle schools, one comprehensive high school (James Logan High School) with approximately 3,000 students enrolled. In addition, James Logan houses a 3,000-seat gymnasium and a 4,000 seat football stadium with lights. Lastly one adult/K-12 independent study school program is available.[41]In December 2015, New Haven Unified School District renamed Alvarado Middle School to Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School in honor ofPhilip Vera Cruz andLarry Itliong.[42] The school district added solar power at school sites to cut energy costs. An arts center and new track and field are available at James Logan High School.
New Haven Unified School District's first teacher strike came in 2019.[43]
Cornerstone International College, located at 725 Whipple Rd., is the city's first post-secondary institution.
Union City lies within theOhlone Community College District andChabot-Las Positas Community College District.[44][45]
Several transit systems serve Union City, includingAC Transit, theDumbarton Express,Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), andUnion City Transit. The latter started in 1974 and runs 6 bus lines throughout Union City and parts of Hayward.[46]
BART came to Union City when the system opened in 1972. In 2007 the Union City BART station was rebuilt and developed intoUnion City Intermodal Transit Station.[47]
Union City is served by a network of high-capacity streets, with four exits onInterstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway).Highway 238 also serves the city (Mission Boulevard). Quarry Lakes Parkway, formerly known as the East–West Connector, is a 3-mile (4.8 km) roadway project that connects Mission Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway.
Union City invested $100 million into an expansion of the downtown district, including development surrounding the BART station, which links BART with rail services:Capitol Corridor,Dumbarton Rail Corridor andAltamont Corridor Express (ACE). Construction has started on 800 mixed units east of bart station known as station east near Decoto Road.
Union City runs acouncil–manager government. The City Council consists of five representatives on a part-time basis. On November 3, 2020, the city switched from citywide elections to districts. The Mayor is elected at large. As of October 2025 the elected officials were: Gary Singh mayor, Lance Nishihira, Jaime Patiño, Jeff Wang, and Scott Sakakihara. The mayor and elected council members serve a 4-year term, with a 3-term limit. A utility tax was passed in November 2020.
In 2017, Union City had 35,857 registered voters with 19,644 (54.8%) registered as Democrats, 4,200 (11.7%) registered as Republicans, and 10,693 (29.8%) registered asdecline to state voters.[48]
The monthly East Bay Echo[49] and bi-weeklyTri-City Voice newspapers offer local news. Union City Patch served the community and is part of Patch.com.[50]
The firstsugar beet factory in the United States was located in Union City, called theCalifornia Beet Sugar Company. It is noted by aCalifornia Historical Landmark #768, situated at Dyer and Ratekin.[51]: 78
Bay AreaFlight 93 Memorial is in Sugar Mill Landing Park. It was the first monument completed in the United States designed to honor the passengers and crew ofUnited Airlines Flight 93, which was bound forSan Francisco, but was hijacked and crashed in ruralPennsylvania onSeptember 11, 2001.[52][53]
| First Alameda County Courthouse | |
|---|---|
 The center two-story building is the original Alameda County courthouse, in the old town of Alvarado, 1853–1865. | |
 Interactive map of First Alameda County Courthouse | |
| Location | 30977 Union City Blvd., Union City, California |
| Coordinates | 37°35′48″N122°04′52″W / 37.596667°N 122.0811°W /37.596667; -122.0811 |
| Reference no. | 503[4] |
Alameda County's first courthouse was located in Alvarado, starting on June 6, 1853. The original courthouse was a two-story wooden building that was originally a mercantile that included apost office.[4][54] It was built by A. M. Church and Henry C. Smith. In 1865 the county seat moved toSan Leandro.[4] With the widening of Union City Blvd., the original site was paved over.[51]: 78 The site is listed on theCalifornia Historical Landmarks list.[4]
Masonic Home at Union City, a senior living community forFreemasons and their spouses, has as its centerpiece a large brick administration building.[55] The administration building was identified as a significant historic property in the 1974 Historic Resource Inventory of Washington Township.[56] Interior features include a main staircase with stained glass windows, a parlor filled with antiques, and paintings of fourteen Masonic US presidents.[57] The original five-story brick building formed the center of the Administration Building. It was constructed in 1898 and was the Masonic Widows and Orphans Home overlooking Decoto.[51]: 87 The north and south wings of the Administration Building were added in 1914 and 1928, respectively. Ten more buildings were built on this 305-acre (1.2 km2) campus,[58] including Acacia Creek, a continuing care retirement community for all seniors, both Masons and non-Masons, completed in 2010.[59]
| Climate data for Union City, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58 (14) | 62 (17) | 65 (18) | 67 (19) | 71 (22) | 75 (24) | 77 (25) | 77 (25) | 77 (25) | 73 (23) | 64 (18) | 58 (14) | 69 (20) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 42 (6) | 45 (7) | 48 (9) | 50 (10) | 53 (12) | 56 (13) | 58 (14) | 59 (15) | 57 (14) | 54 (12) | 48 (9) | 42 (6) | 51 (11) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.95 (75) | 3.02 (77) | 2.34 (59) | 1.02 (26) | 0.48 (12) | 0.11 (2.8) | 0 (0) | 0.03 (0.76) | 0.17 (4.3) | 0.81 (21) | 1.70 (43) | 2.56 (65) | 15.19 (386) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[60] | |||||||||||||
Union City'ssister cities are:[61]
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