page_title: Alameda County, California
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Alameda County, California / Geography
caption_attribution_description: The rebuilt mission at Mission San Jose, California.
context_page_description: Alameda County is located in the state of California in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,510,271, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state. and 20th most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alameda County is included in the San Francisco Bay Area, occupying much of the East Bay region.
  The Spanish word alameda means either, "...a grove of poplars, ...or a tree lined street" a name originally used to describe the Arroyo de la Alameda. The willow and sycamore trees along the banks of the river reminded the early Spanish explorers of a road lined with trees. Although a strict translation to English might be "Poplar Grove Creek", the name of the principal stream that flows through the county is now simply "Alameda Creek."
  Alameda County is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area.
context_section_description: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 821 square miles (2,130 km²), of which 739 square miles (1,910 km²) is land and 82 square miles (210 km²) (10%) is water. The San Francisco Bay borders the county on the west.
  The crest of the Berkeley Hills form part of the northeastern boundary and reach into the center of the county. A coastal plain several miles wide lines the bay; and is Oakland's most populous region. Livermore Valley lies in the eastern part of the county. Amador Valley abuts the western edge of Livermore Valley and continues west to the Pleasanton Ridge.
  The Hayward Fault, a major branch of the San Andreas Fault to the west, runs through the most populated parts of Alameda County, while the Calaveras Fault runs through the southeastern part of the county.
caption: The reconstructed mission at Mission San José (located in Fremont)
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