Oakland

Oakland

Oakland is the most populous city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third-largest city overall in the Bay Area and the eighth-most populated city in California. With a population of 440,646 in 2020, it serves as the Bay Area's trade center and economic engine: the Port of Oakland is the busiest port in Northern California, and the fifth- or sixth-busiest in the United States. A charter city, Oakland was incorporated on May 4, 1852.Oakland's territory covers what was once a mosaic of California coastal terrace prairie, oak woodland, and north coastal scrub. In the late 18th century, it became part of a large rancho grant in the colony of New Spain. Its land served as a resource when its hillside oak and redwood timber were logged to build San Francisco. The fertile flatland soils helped it become a prolific agricultural region. In the 1850s, what became the first campus of the University of California was founded in Oakland. In the late 1860s, Oakland was selected as the western terminal of the Transcontinental Railroad. Following the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake, many San Francisco citizens moved to Oakland, enlarging the population, increasing its housing stock, and improving its infrastructure. It continued to grow in the 20th century with its busy port, shipyards, and a thriving automobile manufacturing industry. Between 2019 and 2023, Oakland became the first city in U.S. history to lose three professional major league sports teams to other cities within a span of five years: Oakland Raiders (NFL) went to Las Vegas; Golden State Warriors (NBA) to San Francisco; and Oakland Athletics (MLB), who are expected to relocate to Las Vegas.

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