Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a lake located in a large tidal lagoon basin in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. The pick nearby is Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, 9.1 mi off. For mild weather, aim for March to November (64–75°F highs).
A lake inside Oakland
You can stay in Oakland
Lake Merritt is inside Oakland, which has 89 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Jose
San Jose is about 43 miles southeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 64–75°. When to go ↓
An airport 6 miles away
Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK) has airline service, about 6 miles from Lake Merritt.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
The weather near Lake Merritt shifts through the year, as below.
Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a lake located in a large tidal lagoon basin in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. It is named after Samuel Merritt, Oakland's mayor in 1867–1869, who had the lagoon dammed turning the varying tidal lagoon into a stable brackish lake. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. Historically significant as the first official wildlife refuge in the United States, designated in 1870, the lake has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1963. The circumference of the lake is 3.4 miles (5.5 km), with an area of 155 acres (63 ha).
- Type
- Lake
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966) · National Historic Landmark (1963)
- Wikipedia readers
- 21K a year
Nights near Lake Merritt
For a bed close by, look to Oakland (89) and San Francisco (528).
- 1Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
- 2USS Hornet
- 3Chase Center
- 4Oracle Park
- 5Lombard Street
- 6Presidio of San Francisco
- 7Oakland Arena
- 8Children's Fairyland
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Lake Merritt | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | in town | — | 89 56 hotels · 22 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds | 440,838 | $930K | D− |
| San Francisco | 9 mi west | 15 min | 528 426 hotels · 24 motels · 37 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 27 hostels · 6 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 826,079 | $1,395K | D |
| Berkeley | 5 mi northwest | 5 min | 30 24 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel | 121,911 | $1,414K | D− |
| South San Francisco | 12 mi southwest | 20 min | 36 32 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 64,941 | $1,189K | C |
| Alameda | 4 mi south | 5 min | 12 11 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 76,876 | $1,236K | D |
| Emeryville | 3 mi northwest | 5 min | 8 6 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 13,251 | $605K | D− |
| Richmond | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 14 9 hotels · 3 motels · 2 lodges & cabins | 114,861 | $668K | D |
| Hayward | 15 mi southeast | 20 min | 21 15 hotels · 4 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 157,113 | $854K | D |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
More to see nearby
These well-known sights sit within 12 miles.
Big draw19 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw23 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw47 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw59 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw611 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
75 mi Stadium & arenaOakland Arena
8in town Theme parkChildren's FairylandPhoto credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oakland Arena: Mike Disharoon, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Children's Fairyland: Wordworking, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Lake Merritt: common questions
Is Lake Merritt in Oakland?
Yes. It’s inside Oakland, CA.
When is the best time to visit Lake Merritt?
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, with highs of 64–75°.
How far is Lake Merritt from San Jose and Stockton?
About 43 miles southeast of San Jose and about 53 miles east of Stockton, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Lake Merritt?
Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK), about 6 miles away.
Where should I stay near Lake Merritt?
San Francisco (9 mi, 528 places to stay), Oakland (in town, 89 places to stay) and Berkeley (5 mi, 30 places to stay).
Word from Oakland
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Oakland’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.