City in California, United States
City in California in the United States
Union City
is a city in
Alameda County
,
California
, United States in the
San Francisco Bay Area
. It is located approximately 19 miles (31 km) south of
Oakland
, 30 miles (48 km) from
San Francisco
, and 20 miles (32 km) north of
San Jose
. It was
incorporated
in 1959, combining the communities of
Alvarado
and
Decoto
. The city has 72,000 residents across a diverse population.
[4]
Alvarado is a
California Historical Landmark
(#503).
[5]
The city celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.
[6]
Geography
[
edit
]
According to the
United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 19 square miles (49 km
2
), all land with no bay frontage. The
Niles Cone
aquifer
, managed by the
Alameda County Water District
, supplies much of the water consumed by Union City.
Hayward
surrounds the city to the north.
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Census
| Pop.
| Note
| %±
|
1960
| 6,618
| | ?
|
---|
1970
| 14,724
| | 122.5%
|
---|
1980
| 39,406
| | 167.6%
|
---|
1990
| 53,762
| | 36.4%
|
---|
2000
| 66,869
| | 24.4%
|
---|
2010
| 69,516
| | 4.0%
|
---|
2020
| 70,143
| | 0.9%
|
---|
2020
[
edit
]
Union City, California ? Racial and ethnic composition
(
NH = Non-Hispanic
)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity
|
Pop 2000
[8]
|
Pop 2010
[9]
|
Pop 2020
[10]
|
% 2000
|
% 2010
|
% 2020
|
White
alone (NH)
|
13,610
|
10,009
|
7,693
|
20.35%
|
14.40%
|
10.97%
|
Black or African American
alone (NH)
|
4,321
|
4,194
|
3,006
|
6.46%
|
6.03%
|
4.29%
|
Native American
or
Alaska Native
alone (NH)
|
132
|
116
|
113
|
0.20%
|
0.17%
|
0.16%
|
Asian
alone (NH)
|
28,780
|
35,052
|
40,270
|
43.04%
|
50.42%
|
57.41%
|
Pacific Islander
alone (NH)
|
577
|
839
|
774
|
0.86%
|
1.21%
|
1.10%
|
Other race
alone (NH)
|
203
|
138
|
276
|
0.30%
|
0.20%
|
0.39%
|
Mixed race or Multiracial
(NH)
|
3,226
|
3,273
|
2,931
|
4.82%
|
4.71%
|
4.18%
|
Hispanic or Latino
(any race)
|
16,020
|
15,895
|
15,080
|
23.96%
|
22.87%
|
21.50%
|
Total
|
66,869
|
69,516
|
70,143
|
100.00%
|
100.00%
|
100.00%
|
According to the 2020 census estimate, the
median income
for a household in the city is $142,374.
[11]
Males have a
median household income
of $59,274 versus $40,625 for females. The
per capita income
for the city was $31,411. About 4.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
[
edit
]
Costanoans ("coastal peoples") were the first inhabitants, living along
Alameda
and Dry Creeks. Shell mounds along the sloughs of Alameda Creek near the Alvarado sugar mill contained burial sites.
[12]
: 7?9
[13]
: 8?9
The first non-native community was founded in 1850 by John and William Horner, who named it "Union City" after their
Sacramento River
Steamship
, "The Union".
[14]
In 1854, it merged with the nearby community of New Haven (founded 1851) to form the town of
Alvarado
, named after a former Mexican governor,
Juan Bautista Alvarado
.
[15]
Alvarado was the first
county seat
of
Alameda County
, a designation it lost in 1865 to
San Leandro
. Further east,
Decoto
was founded in 1870 as a railroad hub, hosting the
first transcontinental railroad
.
[14]
Alvarado-Niles Road, one of the city's largest streets, connects the historical Fremont district of Niles with the historical Union City district of Alvarado.
The
California Beet Sugar Company
, the US' first successful
sugar beet
mill, was located in Alvarado and began operations in 1870. The plant was
demolished
in 1977.
[16]
Union City is a former railroad and steel town with an extensive industrial heritage. The Pacific States Steel Company occupied the land behind Union City Station that is redeveloping into the Union City Station District Downtown. The Alvarado and Decoto neighborhoods were both former railroad hubs and active railroad lines bisect both East End and the West Side of town. Trains are a way of life in Union City and natives are accustomed to waiting for Amtrak and freight trains to cross while commuting.
In the 1950s, Alvarado and Decoto ? the latter making up the eastern side of the town ? were annexation targets of the nearby communities of Newark, Hayward, and what would become Fremont. On January 13, 1959, they decided to incorporate into a single city, and named it after the Horners' original settlement, Union City.
[14]
[17]
Tom Kitayama served as the city's first mayor in 1959 and was involved in Union City politics until his 1991 retirement.
[17]
The population grew from 6,000 in 1959 to 70,000 in 2020. In 2016, Union City started to rebrand and unveiled a new city seal. Union City opened a new Teen Center in 2018.
[18]
Economy
[
edit
]
Union City is the location of the
American Licorice Company
's
West Coast
operations, which moved there in 1971.
[19]
Union City is home to three major health care providers: a
Kaiser Permanente
facility, the
Tiburcio Vasquez
Health Center, and Washington Hospital's Nakamura Clinic.
Union City hosts industrial and shipping companies, including R&S Manufacturing, RCD Concrete, Jatco, and EntirelyPets.
Shopping
[
edit
]
Union Landing Shopping Center
is a 100-acre (40 ha) shopping center, adjacent to
Interstate 880
. It is one of the largest centers in the city and supports about 70 stores. The mall was completed in 1999. The land was previously a drive-in movie park.
[20]
A
Target
shopping center sits near the Hayward/Union City border.
[21]
Employers
[
edit
]
According to Union City's June 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
[22]
the top employers in the city were:
Education
[
edit
]
In 2014
New Haven Unified School District
enrolls 10,000 students from Union City and Hayward. The district consists of seven (K-5) elementary schools, two (6-8) middle schools, one comprehensive high school (
James Logan High School
) with approximately 3,000 students enrolled. In addition, James Logan houses a 3,000-seat gymnasium and a 4,000 seat football stadium with lights. Lastly one adult/K-12 independent study school program is available.
[26]
In December 2015, New Haven Unified School District renamed Alvarado Middle School to Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School in honor of
Philip Vera Cruz
and
Larry Itliong
.
[27]
The school district added solar power at school sites to cut energy costs. An arts center and new track and field are available at James Logan High School.
New Haven Unified School District's first teacher strike came in 2019.
[28]
Cornerstone International College, located at 725 Whipple Rd., is the city's first post-secondary institution.
Union City lies within the
Ohlone Community College District
and
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
.
[29]
[30]
Transport
[
edit
]
Several transit systems serve Union City, including
AC Transit
, the
Dumbarton Express
,
Bay Area Rapid Transit
(BART), and
Union City Transit
. The latter started in 1974 and runs nine bus lines throughout Union City and parts of Hayward.
[31]
BART came to Union City when the system opened in 1972. In 2007 the Union City BART station was rebuilt and developed into
Union City Intermodal Transit Station
.
[32]
Union City is served by a network of high-capacity streets, with four exits on
Interstate 880
(Nimitz Freeway).
Highway 238
also serves the city (
Mission Boulevard
). Quarry Lakes Parkway, formerly known as the East?West Connector, is a 3-mile (4.8 km) roadway project that connects Mission Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway.
Station district
[
edit
]
Union City invested $100 million into an expansion of the downtown district, including development surrounding the BART station, which links BART with rail services:
Capitol Corridor
,
Dumbarton Rail Corridor
and
Altamont Corridor Express
(ACE).
Government
[
edit
]
Union City runs a
council?manager government
. The City Council consists of five representatives on a part time basis. On November 3, 2020, the city switched from citywide elections to districts. The Mayor is elected at large. As of December 2023 the elected officials were: Singh, Jaime Patino, Jeff Wang, and Scott Sakakihara. The mayor and elected council members serve a 4-year term, with a 3-term limit. A utility tax was passed in November 2020.
Politics
[
edit
]
In 2017, Union City had 35,857 registered voters with 19,644 (54.8%) registered as Democrats, 4,200 (11.7%) registered as Republicans, and 10,693 (29.8%) registered as
decline to state
voters.
[33]
Media
[
edit
]
The monthly East Bay Echo
[34]
and bi-weekly
Tri-City Voice
newspapers offer local news. Union City Patch served the community and is part of Patch.com.
[35]
Culture
[
edit
]
CHL 768: marking the first sugar beet factory in the U.S. (2009)
The first
sugar beet
factory in the United States was located in Union City, called the
California Beet Sugar Company
. It is noted by a
California Historical Landmark
#768, situated at Dyer and Ratekin.
[36]
: 78
Bay Area
Flight 93
Memorial is in Sugar Mill Landing Park. It was the first monument completed in the United States designed to honor the passengers and crew of
United Airlines Flight 93
, which was bound for
San Francisco
, but was hijacked and crashed in rural
Pennsylvania
on
September 11, 2001
.
[37]
[38]
Courthouse
[
edit
]
Alameda County's first courthouse was located in Alvarado, starting on June 6, 1853. The original courthouse was a two-story wooden building that was originally a mercantile that included a
post office
.
[5]
[39]
It was built by A. M. Church and Henry C. Smith. In 1865 the county seat moved to
San Leandro
.
[5]
With the widening of Union City Blvd., the original site was paved over.
[36]
: 78
The site is listed on the
California Historical Landmarks
list.
[5]
Masonic Home
[
edit
]
Masonic Home administration building; original central part constructed in 1898
Masonic Home at Union City, a senior living community for Masons and their spouses, has as its centerpiece a large brick administration building.
[40]
The administration building was identified as a significant historic property in the 1974 Historic Resource Inventory of Washington Township.
[41]
Interior features include a main staircase with stained glass windows, a parlor filled with antiques, and paintings of fourteen Masonic US presidents.
[42]
The original five-story brick building formed the center of the Administration Building. It was constructed in 1898 and was the Masonic Widows and Orphans Home overlooking Decoto.
[36]
: 87
The north and south wings of the Administration Building were added in 1914 and 1928, respectively. Ten more buildings were built on this 305-acre (1.2 km
2
) campus,
[43]
including Acacia Creek, a continuing care retirement community for all seniors, both Masons and non-Masons, completed in 2010.
[44]
Climate
[
edit
]
Climate data for Union City, California
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)
|
58
(14)
|
62
(17)
|
65
(18)
|
67
(19)
|
71
(22)
|
75
(24)
|
77
(25)
|
77
(25)
|
77
(25)
|
73
(23)
|
64
(18)
|
58
(14)
|
69
(20)
|
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)
|
42
(6)
|
45
(7)
|
48
(9)
|
50
(10)
|
53
(12)
|
56
(13)
|
58
(14)
|
59
(15)
|
57
(14)
|
54
(12)
|
48
(9)
|
42
(6)
|
51
(11)
|
Average
precipitation
inches (mm)
|
2.95
(75)
|
3.02
(77)
|
2.34
(59)
|
1.02
(26)
|
0.48
(12)
|
0.11
(2.8)
|
0
(0)
|
0.03
(0.76)
|
0.17
(4.3)
|
0.81
(21)
|
1.70
(43)
|
2.56
(65)
|
15.19
(386)
|
Source: The Weather Channel
[45]
|
Sister cities
[
edit
]
Union City's
sister cities
are:
[46]
Notable people
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"California Cities by Incorporation Date"
. California Association of
Local Agency Formation Commissions
. Archived from
the original
(Word)
on November 3, 2014
. Retrieved
March 27,
2013
.
- ^
"2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
July 1,
2020
.
- ^
"U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Union City city, California"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
September 26,
2021
.
- ^
"About Union City"
. Retrieved
July 31,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Site of the first Alameda county courthouse"
. Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks
. Retrieved
October 6,
2012
.
- ^
50 Years: Union City
. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
- ^
"Census of Population and Housing"
. Census.gov
. Retrieved
September 20,
2021
.
- ^
"P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race ? 2000: DEC Summary File 1 ? Union City city, California"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
January 26,
2024
.
- ^
"P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race ? 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) ? Union City city, California"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
January 26,
2024
.
- ^
"P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race ? 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) ? Union City city, California"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
January 26,
2024
.
- ^
"U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Fremont city, California"
.
- ^
Sandoval, John S (1985).
The history of Washington Township
. Hayward, California: Mt. Eden Historical Publishers.
ISBN
093619300X
.
- ^
Raymundo, Myrla (2005).
Union City through the years (History of Union City)
. FolgerGraphics, Inc.
ISBN
097152114X
.
- ^
a
b
c
"History of Union City"
. City of Union City, California
. Retrieved
November 24,
2010
.
- ^
"The Union City Historical Museum Letter"
. Union City Historical Museum. September 2000
. Retrieved
November 24,
2010
.
- ^
"Tri-City Voice Newspaper - Whats Happening - Fremont, Union City, Newark, California"
.
tricityvoice.com
. Archived from
the original
on October 11, 2016
. Retrieved
August 2,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
"Tri-City Voice Newspaper - Whats Happening - Fremont, Union City, Newark, California"
.
www.tricityvoice.com
. Retrieved
May 31,
2017
.
- ^
"Union City Climate Action Plan"
. November 2010
. Retrieved
December 1,
2014
.
- ^
"Candy";
Modern Marvels
;
History Channel
; 2006; Viewed July 15, 2010.
- ^
"Union Landing"
. Archived from
the original
on August 20, 2011
. Retrieved
November 20,
2011
.
- ^
"24 hours fitness"
. July 21, 2014
. Retrieved
July 21,
2014
.
- ^
"City of Union City CAFR"
.
- ^
"manufacturers of bakery products and hispanic pastries"
.
Caravan Trading Company
. Archived from
the original
on August 17, 2007
. Retrieved
June 19,
2022
.
- ^
"Sterling Foods Acquires Caravan Trading Co"
.
powderbulksolids.com
. April 1, 2010
. Retrieved
June 19,
2022
.
- ^
"The Lebanese pilot behind America's pita"
.
News
.
Lebanese American University
. April 22, 2010
. Retrieved
June 19,
2022
.
- ^
New haven (June 9, 2014).
"New Haven Unified School District sites"
.
New Haven USD
. Retrieved
June 9,
2014
.
- ^
Chris De Benedetti (April 19, 2013).
"Union City school is nation's first named after Filipino-Americans, but acrimony over decision remains"
.
Mercury News
. Retrieved
May 5,
2013
.
- ^
"Union City Teachers to Strike Monday"
.
Kron4
. May 16, 2019
. Retrieved
May 31,
2022
.
- ^
First American Title, title report, 2005-02-28
Archived
December 21, 2006, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"Chabot-Las Positas Community College District website"
. Clpccd.cc.ca.us
. Retrieved
May 26,
2012
.
- ^
Maharaj, Zoneil (September 30, 2013).
"Union City Transit Announces New Routes, Fares"
.
Union City, CA Patch
. Retrieved
November 1,
2021
.
- ^
"Union City BART (Phase 2) Station Improvements and At-grade Pedestrian Crossing Component"
. Retrieved
July 31,
2019
.
- ^
"Report of Registration as of February 10, 2017 - Registration by Political Subdivision by County"
(PDF)
. February 10, 2017
. Retrieved
January 29,
2024
.
- ^
https://eastbayecho.com/
- ^
"Tri-City Voice: the newspaper for the new millennium"
.
tricityvoice.com
. Retrieved
February 15,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Swenson, Timothy (2008).
Union City
(Images of America ed.). Arcadia Publishing.
ISBN
978-0-7385-5809-7
. Retrieved
August 31,
2012
.
- ^
Tucker, Jill (December 9, 2007).
"Union City dedicates memorial to 9/11's United Flight 93"
.
San Francisco Chronicle
. Retrieved
July 30,
2014
.
- ^
"The Flight 93 Memorial, Union City California"
.
- ^
Swenson, Timothy.
"Union City History Collection"
(PDF)
. Museum of Local History
. Retrieved
August 31,
2012
.
- ^
"Union City Community"
.
Masonic Home at Union City
. Retrieved
May 6,
2011
.
- ^
"Masonic Home Independent Living Apartments"
.
DHA Case Studies
. Douglas Herring & Associates
. Retrieved
May 6,
2011
.
- ^
Raymundo, Myrla (July 2009).
"History: The Masonic Home in Union City"
.
Tri-City Voice Newspaper
. Retrieved
February 15,
2017
.
- ^
Pratt, Nancy (1998).
"History: Masonic Home"
.
nancypratt.com
. Retrieved
February 15,
2017
.
- ^
Mahal, Davinder (December 2012).
"Masonic Home for Adults, Union City"
.
mahal.org
. Retrieved
February 15,
2017
.
- ^
"Monthly Averages for Union City, CA"
. Weather.com. May 2012
. Retrieved
May 12,
2012
.
- ^
"Union City and Asadabad, Afghanistan, finally become sister cities"
.
eastbaytimes.com
. East Bay Times. February 15, 2018
. Retrieved
November 11,
2020
.
External links
[
edit
]
Places adjacent to Union City, California
|
---|
|
|
---|
North Bay
| |
---|
Oakland/East Bay
|
- 4th Street, Berkeley
- Abella Center, San Pablo
- Bay Street Emeryville
- Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek
- El Cerrito Plaza
- Grand Lake, Oakland
- Hilltop Horizon, Richmond
- Jack London Square, Oakland
- Macdonald 80 Shopping Center, Richmond
- Montclair Village, Oakland
- NewPark Mall, Newark
- Oakland City Center
- Pacific Commons, Fremont
- Pacific East Mall, Richmond
- Piedmont Avenue, Oakland
- Point Richmond Historic District
- Rockridge Market Hall, Oakland
- Skywest Commons, Hayward
- Solano Avenue, Albany and Berkeley
- Somersville Towne Center, Antioch
- Southland Mall, Hayward
- Stoneridge Shopping Center, Pleasanton
- Sunvalley Shopping Center, Concord
- Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley
- Union Landing Shopping Center
- Uptown Oakland
- Westgate Center, San Leandro
- The Willows Shopping Center, Concord
|
---|
San Francisco
/
Peninsula
|
- Bridgepointe Shopping Center
- Chinatown, San Francisco
- Emporium Centre San Francisco
- San Francisco Ferry Building
- Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
- Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco
- Hillsdale Shopping Center, San Mateo
- Metreon, San Francisco
- Serramonte Center, Daly City
- The Shops at Tanforan, San Bruno
- Stonestown Galleria, San Francisco
- Union Square, San Francisco
- Westlake Shopping Center, Daly City
|
---|
San Jose/South Bay
|
- Eastridge Center, San Jose
- Great Mall of the Bay Area, Milpitas
- Downtown Los Gatos
- Milpitas Square
- Pruneyard Shopping Center, Campbell
- San Antonio Shopping Center, Mountain View
- Santana Row, San Jose
- Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto
- Vallco Shopping Mall, Cupertino
- Westfield Oakridge, San Jose
- Westfield Valley Fair, San Jose
- Westgate Center, San Jose
|
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