Hayward formerly Haywards, Haywards Station, and Haywood) is a town located in Alameda County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area East Bay sub-region. Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area, with a population of 159,620 in 2018, and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward has been ranked the 33rd most populated California municipality. It is located mainly between Castro Valley and Union City, and lies at the San Mateo Hayward Bridge's eastern terminus. Early in its history the town was ravaged by the Hayward earthquake of 1868. From the early 20th century until the early 80s, Hayward's economy was dominated by its now extinct food canning and salt industry.