| With a population of almost 450,000, Oakland, in the northern part of the state of California, is the forty-first largest city in the United States. The area was settled in the 1700s but Oakland was not formed until 1852. It is located within Alameda County at an elevation of about 40 feet. It is within the Pacific Standard Time Zone and Oakland area code is 510. Oakland festivals and events include Lakefest, Oakland International Film Festival, Fire Arts Festival, Laurel Street Fair, Montclair Jazz and Wine Festival, and the Oakland Greek Festival. Oakland things to do include Chinatown, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland Aviation Museum, Paramount Theatre, Preservation Park, USS Potomac, and Oakland Zoo. Oakland weather ranges from average winter lows of 44 degrees to summer highs around 80. Precipitation averages about two inches a month of rain. The median family income is $56,000. The area's largest employers are Alameda County with nearly 8,000 jobs and Kaiser Permanente with almost 7,000 jobs. The Oakland Tribune is the area's newspaper. Higher education institutions in the area include Patten University, Lincoln University, Laney College, Mills College, Merritt College, and University of California Berkeley. Oakland International Airport serves the area. Local main highways include Interstate I-580, I-80, I-880, SR 24 and SR 13. Area sports teams include baseball's Oakland Athletics, NFL football's Oakland Raiders, and basketball's Golden State Warriors. |
