Chapter 2: GEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

In chapter 2, basically talks about topography. Here is some stats that I found:

Area: 56 square miles (2000)
Elevation: 42 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: January, 49.9° F; July, 62.1° F; annual average, 56.7° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 23 inches


Oakland has earned the nickname "bright side of the Bay" because of its sunny skies and moderate year-round climate. Humidity remains high while precipitation is low. Almost all the city's rainfall occurs between October and January. The temperature usually reads about five degrees warmer than San Francisco, and the warmest months are September and October. The area's climate has been ranked number one in the country by Places Rated Almanac.

Soil and vegetations:
The land that Oakland covers was once a mosaic of coastal terrace prairie, oak woodland, and north coastal scrub. Lake Merritt has only recently become a "lake," where it once was a productive estuary linked to the Bay. Oakland is home to many rare and endangered species including the Presidio Clarkia, Pallid Manzanita, Tiburon Buckwheat, Oakland Star-Tulip, Most-Beautiful Jewel Flower, Western Leatherwood, and the Alameda Whipsnake. Many rare species are localized to serpentine soils and bedrock.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland,_California#Post-WWII_.281940s_and_1950s.29

              http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-West/Oakland-Geography-and-Climate.html