BERKELEY, a city of California, U.S.A., on the east shore of San Francisco bay, in the northern part of Alameda county, directly opposite the Golden Gate and adjoining Oakland. It is served by the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe railways, and a direct ferry service to San Francisco (7m.) was opened in 1927. The area is 8.6 square miles. The population was 56,036 in 1920, of which about a fifth were foreign horn, and was 82,109 in 1930 by the Federal census.
The city is built on the Berkeley hills, surrounding on three sides the 53o-ac. campus of the State university (see CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF). A major city plan, especially important be cause territorial expansion is limited, is in process of develop ment. The assessed valuation of property in 1927 was 225. While primarily a residential suburb and a cultural centre, the industrial zone along the water-front has about 170 factories, producing a variety of commodities, with a total value in 1927 of $47,087,234. Berkeley is the seat of the State institute for the deaf and blind, and of three theological seminaries : the Berkeley Baptist divinity school; the Pacific Unitarian school for the ministry; and the Pacific School of Religion (undenomina tional). Many artists, musicians and writers make Berkeley their home. There is a community playhouse and an amateur symphony orchestra.
Berkeley was named after George Berkeley, bishop of Cloyne (1685-1753), author of the poem "Destiny of America," which contains the line, "Westward the course of empire takes its way." Its site was part of the Spanish grant to the Peralta family, and later was held by American pioneers. Settlement as a town began when the university moved there in 1873. In 1890 it was still a quiet village with a population of 5,101, but this grew to 13,214 in 1900 and 40,434 in 1910. In 1909 a city charter was secured, providing for initiative, referendum and recall, and establishing a commission form of government, which was superseded in 1923 by the council-manager form.