Profile for Oakland, California, CA

Oakland is on San Francisco Bay.

After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, 50,000 refugees moved here.

Shipbuilding center during World War I.

The city struggled with crime, failing schools and other urban ills, but has rebounded in recent years with economic growth and downtown redevelopment.

Public transportation: Alameda-Contra Costa Transit, BART (See the transit and travel sections below.)

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 5,613. The number of murders and homicides was 109. The violent crime rate was 13.8 per 1,000 people.

Oakland received national attention for a 1989 earthquake, which collapsed portions of the double-decked Nimitz Freeway (Interstate 880), killing 42 people.

Filming location for:
· 1986 movie, "Howard the Duck"
· 1988 movie, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"
· 1993 movie, "Made in America"
· 2006 movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness"

Well-known residents have included:
· M.C. Hammer, rapper
· Jack London, author
· Mark Hamill, actor
· Amy Tan, author
· Tom Hanks, actor

Local bands (past and present) have included Tower of Power, Pointer Sisters, Too $hort

Coffee: National and regional coffee companies with outlets here include Peet's Coffee & Tea, Starbucks

Local festivals include:

• TET Festival - Feb. 11, 2007
• Art & Soul Festival - Sept. 1-3, 2007

Performing arts: Oakland Ballet Company, Oakland East Bay Symphony

Nearby parks & recreation: Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach, Lake Merritt, Anthony Chabot Regional Park, Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline, Redwood Regional Park, Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve

Oakland attractions: Oakland Zoo, Children's Fairyland

Sports teams: Athletics (AL), Raiders (NFL), Golden State Warriors (NBA)

Historic sites and museums: Oakland Museum of California, Camron-Stanford House, Chabot Space & Science Center, African-American Museum, Museum of Children's Art, Western Aerospace Museum

Colleges and universities: Holy Names University, Mills College, Laney College, Merritt College, Patten College

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was above the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 312

Quotes:
There is no there, there.
-- Gertrude Stein, Oakland native

Listed places near Oakland

Airports (1)

Archives (2)

Attractions (3)

Cemeteries (6)

Colleges (24)

Communities (14)

Hotels (54)

Libraries (30)

Museums (11)

Parks (6)

Wineries (2)

Add extra pins to the map by clicking on the list above the map. You may click the displayed pins for more information, or search the displayed pins by using the above search field.

Neighborhoods in Oakland include Chinatown, Dimond, East Oakland, Fruitvale, Glenview, Millsmont, North Hills Phoenix, Northlake, Piedmont Pines, Redwood Heights ... More neighborhood info

Neighborhoods in Oakland include Chinatown, Dimond, East Oakland, Fruitvale, Glenview, Millsmont, North Hills Phoenix, Northlake, Piedmont Pines, Redwood Heights ... More neighborhood info

• Oakland population
• Ancestry of people in Oakland
• Housing in Oakland
• Income in Oakland
• Marital status of adults in Oakland
• Place of birth of people in Oakland
• Residence in 1995, of people in Oakland
• School enrollment & education levels in Oakland
• Transportation & commute times in Oakland
• Alameda County data
• Fastest-growing counties in California
• State data - California
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Oakland demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Alameda County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Oakland area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 94606 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Oakland city government
• Alameda County government
• Oakland Chamber of Commerce
• Oakland tourism

5% of Oakland residents report German ancestry, and 4% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Oakland ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Oakland
• Cemeteries in Alameda County
• Genealogy page (CA GenWeb) for Alameda County
• Libraries in or near Oakland

Post a query on a message board:

• Alameda County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - CA data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

Dance

• Oakland Ballet Company

Music

• Oakland East Bay Symphony

• Oakland area attractions
• Oakland museums
• Oakland historic sites
• Oakland area parks
• Wineries near Oakland

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Oakland area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Alameda County
• Cemetery record compendium
• California cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Oakland
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Alameda County

• Oakland business guide
• Oakland Chamber of Commerce
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in California
• Local ordinances in California

• Crime in Alameda County
• Arrests in Alameda County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in California
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Oakland was $21,936, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Alameda County economic census
• Alameda County economic summary
• Alameda County employment growth
• Alameda County unemployment rate
• California economic data

31% of Oakland residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Oakland
• Colleges in California
• Learning Disabilities Association in California
• Schools in or near Oakland
• School districts in or near Oakland
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of California high schools

• Movies & TV shows filmed in Oakland
• Movies playing in or near Oakland
• Tickets to local concerts, sporting events & theaters
• YouTube videos about Oakland

• Air pollution in Alameda County
• Diesel soot in Alameda County
• Land contamination in Alameda County
• Nature Conservancy projects in California
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Recycling info for Alameda County
• Toxic chemical releases in Alameda County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in California

Oakland festival dates:

• TET Festival - Feb. 11, 2007
• Art & Soul Festival - Sept. 1-3, 2007

Dates often change. Check with local tourism officials to be sure.

Oakland festival web sites:

• Art & Soul Festival

• ePodunk festival listings
• California county fairs
• California festivals (California tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Oakland

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Oakland
• Geocaches in California

• Oakland items now on sale

• Oakland local government Web site
• Alameda County government
• California state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Oakland medical services & health statistics

• Local historical societies in California
• State historical society

Historic districts in Oakland include Oakland Waterfront Warehouse District ... View historic districts

• Historic sites in or near Oakland
• Historic sites in California
• Museums in or near Oakland
• Museums in California
• California state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Alameda County genealogy forum

Median rent in Oakland, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $631.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $1,504.

• Research Oakland Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Oakland
• Homes for sale in Oakland
• Find a Oakland Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check California mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Jobs in the Oakland area
• Job services in California
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Oakland include Asian Branch Library, Brookfield Village Library, California Genealogical Society, Cesar E. Chavez Branch Library, Dimond Branch Library, Eastmont Branch Library, Elmhurst Branch Library, Golden Gate Branch Library, Lakeview Branch Library, Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library ... View libraries

• California library

• California statewide library catalog

• Get directions from Oakland
• Get directions to Oakland
• Census map of Oakland area
• Historic maps of CA cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of California
• Topographic map of Oakland

Newspapers in Oakland include Oakland Tribune

TV stations in Oakland include KTVU.

• Daily newspapers in or near Oakland
• AM radio stations in or near Oakland
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Oakland
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Oakland
• TV stations in or near Oakland
• Media ownership in the Oakland area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in California

• Military bases in California
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Oakland
• Search obituaries in California
• Recent death notices - selected CA newspapers

• Oakland Chamber of Commerce
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in California
• Lions clubs in California
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Oakland
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Oakland

• Parks near Oakland
• National forests in California
• Ski areas near Oakland
• Ski areas in California
• State parks in California

• Find friends & family
• Photos of people from Oakland

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Oakland
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of California communities
• Photo collection - California communities
• Photo exhibits of Oakland
• Photos of California places
• Post cards of California communities

Alameda County supported John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Oakland political report.

• California Democratic party
• California Republican party
• Alameda County elections board
• California elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Oakland
• Total membership by faith, in Alameda County

Oakland restaurants taking online reservations include A Cote, B Restaurant, Citron, Garibaldi's on College, Il Porcellino, Jack's Bistro, Kincaid's Bayhouse - Oakland, Mezze, Montclair Bistro, Oliveto Cafe & Restaurant ... View restaurants

• Nearby restaurants taking online reservations
• Chowhound message boards for CA

The average commute time for Oakland workers is 31 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 119 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Oakland between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of 3.0 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

• Bus schedules
• Subway map

• Oakland travel guide
• Airports near Oakland
• Amtrak station in Oakland
• Hotels near Oakland
• California tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• California coastal water temperatures
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in California
• Wildlife refuges in California

Browse list of California community profiles