With a population of , as of , [ 10 ] Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area, and the third largest in Alameda County.
The city was devastated early in its history by the Hayward earthquake. From the early 20th century until the beginning of the s, Hayward's economy was dominated by its now defunct food canning and salt production industries. Hayward was originally known as "Hayward's", then as "Haywood", later as "Haywards", and eventually as "Hayward".
There is some disagreement as to how it was named. Most historians believe it was named for William Dutton Hayward β , who opened a hotel there in He used his authority to influence the construction of roads in his own favor. He was also an Alameda County supervisor. In , a town was chartered by the State of California under the name of "Haywards". The name of the post office was then able to change because of the loss of the apostrophe before the "s".
This change occurred in In the 19th century, the land that is now Hayward became part of Rancho San Lorenzo , a Spanish land grant to Guillermo Castro , in The site of his home was on the former El Camino Viejo , or Castro Street now Mission Boulevard between C and D Streets, but the structure was severely damaged in the Hayward earthquake , with the Hayward Fault running directly under its location.
Most of the city's structures were destroyed in the earthquake, the last major earthquake on the fault. In , that site was chosen for the construction of the City Hall , which served the city until Hayward grew steadily throughout the late 19th century, with an economy based on agriculture and tourism.
