Oakland, California

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, California
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridge-sm.jpg
Author: BLuP1


Oakland is a major city in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Located just 8 miles (13 km) from downtown San Francisco, Oakland is a major port city as well as the county seat of Alameda County. The city has a population of around 391,000 (2011 estimate) and is the eighth biggest city in California.

Oakland got its name from the forestry industry of the 19th century, when its hills were a rich source of oak and redwood timber. Due to its geographical location in the Bay Area called the East Bay, it was selected as the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad. The railway line helped it to develop its shipping industry, which spilled over to enhance an automotive industry.

Moss Cottage, Oakland
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moss_mansion.jpg
Author: Binksternet


Being near the San Andreas fault, Oakland suffers each time there is a major earthquake, as happened in 1906 and 1989. Other major calamities to have hit the city include the 1991 urban firestorm - the worst in American history - which destroyed 4,000 homes and claimed 25 lives. The city also faces social issues ranging from high unemployment and povery to high incidence of violent crimes.

On the other hand, Oakland is credited as the birthplace of Rocky Road ice cream and Mai Tai cocktail. The ice cream is said to have been invented by William Dryer in 1929 while Mai Tai, despite its seemingly Polynesian name, was invented in 1944 at Trader Vic's restaurant in Oakland.

Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chabot_SSC_entrance.jpg
Author: Daniel Olsen

Visiting Oakland, California

Oakland has its own international airport. The Oakland International Airport (OAK) is served mostly by Southwest Airlines and JetBlue. It has flights connecting it with major cities in the United States. The only international flights connect it to Mexico.

Places of Interest in Oakland, California

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.