William Hayward, who purchased 40 acres of land of what is now Downtown Hayward, founded Hayward in 1852. The early Hayward consisted of a stage coach stop, post office, general trading store, a dairy farm, and one of the area's finest hotel resorts.
Hayward boasts a variety of recreational and cultural attractions such as parks, swim centers, tennis courts, an arts center, performance theaters, a rodeo arena, a nature center, and a greenbelt hiking trail. Skywest, Hayward's professionally rated 18-hole golf course, is "one of the best municipal golf courses in the East Bay!" Hayward also has many restaurants.
Hayward is located on the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay, south of Oakland in Alameda County. There is also a Hayward, Wisconsin.
