museum
Exploratorium
A pioneering hands-on science museum on San Francisco's waterfront that inspired interactive museums worldwide.
11 km · about 20 min drive
North AmericaUnited StatesCalifornia
Chinatown
California, United States · North America
About Chinatown
Chinatown works well as a base: 5 minutes from Emeryville, 29km from Muir Woods National Monument.
Chinatown is in California, United States, with about 3,400 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Emeryville, about 4 km away.
The Chinatown neighborhood in Oakland, California (Chinese: 屋崙華埠), is traditionally Chinese which reflects Oakland's diverse Chinese American, and more broadly Asian American community. It is frequently referred to as "Oakland Chinatown" in order to distinguish it from nearby San Francisco's Chinatown. It lies at anRead more
elevation of 39 feet (12 m).
Chinese were the first Asians to arrive in Oakland in the 1850s, followed by Japanese in the 1890s, Koreans in the 1900s, and Filipinos in the 1930s and 1940s. Southeast Asians began arriving in the 1970s during the Vietnam War. Many Asian languages and dialects can be heard in Chinatown due to its diverse population.
Chinatown is located in downtown Oakland, with its center at 8th Street and Webster Street. Its northern edge is 12th Street, and its southern edge is Interstate 880 (located approximately at 6th Street). It stretches from Broadway on the west to the southern tip of Lake Merritt in the east. Due to a combination of factors, some more broad-based related to difficult circumstances for Oakland itself, while other factors are more specific to this neighborhood, Oakland's Chinatown faces a struggle for survival.
Where to Stay in Chinatown
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Chinatown?
Within an hour or so of Chinatown: Exploratorium (11 km), Coit Tower (12 km), Alcatraz Island (14 km), Golden Gate Bridge (18 km).
Are there any good drives near Chinatown?
The nearest famous roads are 17-Mile Drive.
Where is Chinatown?
Chinatown is in California, United States, about 4 km from Emeryville.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,425
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Region
- California
- Timezone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Coordinates
- 37.7999, -122.2703
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United States
AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.
Full driving guide for United StatesTags
Worth the detour from Chinatown
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Coit Tower
Art Deco observation tower on Telegraph Hill offering 360-degree views of San Francisco, the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
12 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Alcatraz Island
Notorious former federal penitentiary on a rocky island in San Francisco Bay that once held America's most dangerous criminals.
14 km · about 25 min drive
bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Art Deco suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in famous International Orange; drive, cycle, or walk it, with classic viewpoints at Battery Spencer and Fort Point.
18 km · about 20 min drive
museum
California Academy of Sciences
A unique museum combining an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum under a living green roof in Golden Gate Park.
18 km · about 20 min drive
national park
Muir Woods National Monument
An ancient old-growth coast redwood forest just north of San Francisco, offering peaceful trails beneath towering thousand-year-old trees.
29 km · about 35 min drive
museum
Blackhawk Museum
Classic and rare automobiles displayed as art in an elegant gallery setting in the San Francisco Bay Area.
31 km · about 35 min drive
tunnel
Tom Lantos Tunnels (Devil's Slide)
Twin highway tunnels that bypass the notorious Devil's Slide cliffs on Highway 1 south of Pacifica; the old clifftop roadbed is now a spectacular coastal trail.
33 km · about 40 min drive
Driving roads near Chinatown
- 18 kmGolden Gate BridgeThe Art Deco suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait in famous International Orange; drive, cycle, or walk it, with classic viewpoints at Battery Spencer and Fort Point.
- 33 kmTom Lantos Tunnels (Devil's Slide)Twin highway tunnels that bypass the notorious Devil's Slide cliffs on Highway 1 south of Pacifica; the old clifftop roadbed is now a spectacular coastal trail.
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