Santa Clara, California
Encyclopedia
Santa Clara founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County
, in the U.S. state
of California
. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions
, Mission Santa Clara de Asís
, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the grounds of Santa Clara University. Saint Clare
is the patron saint of Santa Clara. The population was 116,468 at the 2010 census.
Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley
, and is home to the headquarters of Intel, Applied Materials
, Sun Microsystems
, NVIDIA
, Agilent Technologies
, and many other high-tech companies. It is home to both Mission College and Santa Clara University
, the latter being the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of California.
Santa Clara is also home to California's Great America, an amusement park operated by Cedar Fair, L.P. The San Francisco 49ers
NFL football team has its headquarters and practice facilities in Santa Clara. On Wednesday, November 8, 2006, the 49ers announced their intention to move the team to Santa Clara, after negotiations failed with the city of San Francisco
to build a new stadium.
Santa Clara owns and operates an electric utility called Silicon Valley Power
. In 2005 Silicon Valley Power brought online the Donald Von Raesfeld (DVR) Power Plant. The new combined-cycle gas turbine plant produces 147 megawatts of electricity for the city and its residents. As a result, the going rate for electricity in Santa Clara is considerably cheaper than that offered by Northern California's dominant utility, Pacific Gas and Electric
.
; these creeks are San Tomas Aquino Creek
, Saratoga Creek
, and Calabazas Creek
.
There are some significant biological resources within the city including habitat
for the burrowing owl
, a species
of special concern in California due to reduction in habitat from urban development during the latter 20th century. This owl uses burrows created by ground squirrel
s and prefers generally level grasslands and even disturbed areas.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city covers an area of 18.4 square miles (47.7 km²), all of it land.
was 6,327.3 people per square mile (2,443.0/km²). The racial makeup of Santa Clara was 52,359 (45.0%) White, 3,154 (2.7%) African American, 579 (0.5%) Native American, 43,889 (37.7%) Asian (13.6% Indian, 6.9% Chinese, 6.2% Filipino, 3.9% Vietnamese, 3.0% Korean, 1.5% Japanese, 0.8% Pakistani, 0.1% Bangladeshi, 0.1% Thai), 651 (0.6%) Pacific Islander, 9,624 (8.3%) from other races
, and 6,212 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22,589 persons (19.4%); 14.6% of Santa Clara is Mexican, 0.7% Salvadoran, 0.4% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Peruvian, 0.3% Nicaraguan, and 0.3% Guatemalan.
The Census reported that 113,272 people (97.3% of the population) lived in households, 2,860 (2.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 336 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 43,021 households, out of which 14,477 (33.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21,817 (50.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 4,081 (9.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,038 (4.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,146 (5.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 312 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,906 households (25.4%) were made up of individuals and 2,945 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63. There were 27,936 families
(64.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.18.
The population was spread out with 24,774 people (21.3%) under the age of 18, 12,511 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 41,876 people (36.0%) aged 25 to 44, 25,628 people (22.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,679 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.1 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
There were 45,147 housing units at an average density of 2,452.7 per square mile (947.0/km²), of which 19,747 (45.9%) were owner-occupied, and 23,274 (54.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 53,694 people (46.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 59,578 people (51.2%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there are 102,361 people, 38,526 households, and 24,117 families residing in the city. The population density
is 2,149.1/km² (5,566.2/mi²). There are 39,630 housing units at an average density of 832.0/km² (2,155.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 55.59% White, 2.29% African American, 0.53% Native American, 29.27% Asian, 0.43% Pacific Islander, 6.94% from other races, and 4.95% from two or more races. 15.99% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 38,526 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 39.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.9 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income
for a household in the city was $75,687, and the median income for a family was $98,977.http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&-CONTEXT=st&-tree_id=307&-redoLog=false&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=16000US0669084&-format=&-_lang=en Males had a median income of $58,641 versus $43,131 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $31,755. About 4.5% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
, Agilent Technologies
, Applied Materials
, Atheros
, Extreme Networks
, Intel, Intevac
, McAfee
, National Semiconductor
, Nvidia
, OmniVision Technologies
, PMC-Sierra
, Rovi, Synaptics
, Marvell Technology Group
and Trident Microsystems
are among the companies headquartered in Santa Clara.
Namco Bandai Games
's United States office is in Santa Clara.
The first Europe
an to visit the valley was José Francisco Ortega
in 1769. He found the area inhabited by Native Americans the Spanish called the Costanos, "coast people," later known as the Ohlone
. The Spanish began to colonize California with 21 missions and the
Mission Santa Clara de Asis
was founded in 1777.
In 1846, the American flag was raised over Monterey
and symbolized the transfer of California to the United States. In 1851, Santa Clara College was established where the old mission used to be. In 1852, Santa Clara was incorporated as a town; it became state-chartered by 1862. The economy centered on family farms since orchards and vegetables were thriving on the fertile soil. In 1905, the first public high-altitude flights by man were made over Santa Clara in gliders designed by John J. Montgomery
. By the beginning of the 20th century, the population had reached 5,000 and stayed about the same for many years.
The semiconductor industry
, which sprouted around 1960, changed the valley forever; little of its agricultural past remains.
Santa Clara's first medical hospital was built in 1963. This structure, on Kiely Boulevard, was replaced in 2007 with the new Kaiser Permanente medical center located on Lawrence Expressway at Homestead Road.
Santa Clara was also home to a major mental health facility, Agnews State Hospital. According to the National Park Service, more than 100 persons were killed at this site in the 1906 earthquake. The site is now home to Sun Microsystems
and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
and the Santa Clara Caltrain/ACE station
. The former is served by Amtrak's
Capitol Corridor
train as well as Altamont Commuter Express
trains, while the latter has Caltrain
. Santa Clara is located adjacent to Mineta San Jose International Airport, in fact a small portion of the airport is in Santa Clara. Some other nearby major airports include San Francisco International Airport
and Oakland International Airport
. Most public buses in the city are operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
. There is a light rail system in Santa Clara and the rest of the county which is also operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority(VTA).
Santa Clara Unified School District
serves Santa Clara. Jesuit college Santa Clara University
and junior college Mission College are among the city's higher education facilities.
The city is also home to the Santa Clara City Library.
Recently Santa Clara voters approved a plan to build a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL.
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
, Mission Santa Clara de Asís
Mission Santa Clara de Asís
Mission Santa Clara de Asís was founded on January 12, 1777 and named for Santa Clara de Asis , the foundress of the order of the Poor Clares. Although ruined and rebuilt six times, the settlement was never abandoned.-History:...
, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the grounds of Santa Clara University. Saint Clare
Clare of Assisi
Clare of Assisi , born Chiara Offreduccio, is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi...
is the patron saint of Santa Clara. The population was 116,468 at the 2010 census.
Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
, and is home to the headquarters of Intel, Applied Materials
Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. is a capital equipment producer serving the semiconductor, TFT LCD display, Glass, WEB and solar manufacturing industries....
, Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
, NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
, Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies , or Agilent, is a company that designs and manufactures electronic and bio-analytical measurement instruments and equipment for measurement and evaluation...
, and many other high-tech companies. It is home to both Mission College and Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, the latter being the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of California.
Santa Clara is also home to California's Great America, an amusement park operated by Cedar Fair, L.P. The San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
NFL football team has its headquarters and practice facilities in Santa Clara. On Wednesday, November 8, 2006, the 49ers announced their intention to move the team to Santa Clara, after negotiations failed with the city of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
to build a new stadium.
Santa Clara owns and operates an electric utility called Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power is a not-for-profit municipal electric utility owned and operated by the city of Santa Clara, California, USA.-History:...
. In 2005 Silicon Valley Power brought online the Donald Von Raesfeld (DVR) Power Plant. The new combined-cycle gas turbine plant produces 147 megawatts of electricity for the city and its residents. As a result, the going rate for electricity in Santa Clara is considerably cheaper than that offered by Northern California's dominant utility, Pacific Gas and Electric
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company , commonly known as PG&E, is the utility that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield almost to the Oregon border...
.
Geography and environment
Santa Clara is drained by three seasonal creeks, all of which empty into the southern portion of San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
; these creeks are San Tomas Aquino Creek
San Tomas Aquino Creek
San Tomas Aquinas Creek, known locally as San Tomas Aquino Creek, is a stream that heads on El Sereno mountain in El Sereno Open Space Preserve in Saratoga, California in Santa Clara County, California, United States...
, Saratoga Creek
Saratoga Creek
Saratoga Creek is a north-northeast flowing creek in Santa Clara County, California.-History:Saratoga Creek was originally called Arroyo Quito and then Campbell Creek after immigrant William Campbell, who operated a sawmill in 1848 in "Campbell's Redwoods" about three miles west of Saratoga,...
, and Calabazas Creek
Calabazas Creek (Santa Clara County)
Calabazas Creek is a northeast by northward-flowing stream originating on Table Mountain in Saratoga, California in Santa Clara County, California, United States...
.
There are some significant biological resources within the city including habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
for the burrowing owl
Burrowing Owl
The Burrowing Owl is a tiny but long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing Owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other open dry area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated...
, a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of special concern in California due to reduction in habitat from urban development during the latter 20th century. This owl uses burrows created by ground squirrel
Ground squirrel
The ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less...
s and prefers generally level grasslands and even disturbed areas.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city covers an area of 18.4 square miles (47.7 km²), all of it land.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Santa Clara had a population of 116,468. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,327.3 people per square mile (2,443.0/km²). The racial makeup of Santa Clara was 52,359 (45.0%) White, 3,154 (2.7%) African American, 579 (0.5%) Native American, 43,889 (37.7%) Asian (13.6% Indian, 6.9% Chinese, 6.2% Filipino, 3.9% Vietnamese, 3.0% Korean, 1.5% Japanese, 0.8% Pakistani, 0.1% Bangladeshi, 0.1% Thai), 651 (0.6%) Pacific Islander, 9,624 (8.3%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 6,212 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22,589 persons (19.4%); 14.6% of Santa Clara is Mexican, 0.7% Salvadoran, 0.4% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Peruvian, 0.3% Nicaraguan, and 0.3% Guatemalan.
The Census reported that 113,272 people (97.3% of the population) lived in households, 2,860 (2.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 336 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 43,021 households, out of which 14,477 (33.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 21,817 (50.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4,081 (9.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,038 (4.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,146 (5.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 312 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 10,906 households (25.4%) were made up of individuals and 2,945 (6.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63. There were 27,936 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(64.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.18.
The population was spread out with 24,774 people (21.3%) under the age of 18, 12,511 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 41,876 people (36.0%) aged 25 to 44, 25,628 people (22.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 11,679 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.1 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
There were 45,147 housing units at an average density of 2,452.7 per square mile (947.0/km²), of which 19,747 (45.9%) were owner-occupied, and 23,274 (54.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 53,694 people (46.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 59,578 people (51.2%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there are 102,361 people, 38,526 households, and 24,117 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 2,149.1/km² (5,566.2/mi²). There are 39,630 housing units at an average density of 832.0/km² (2,155.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 55.59% White, 2.29% African American, 0.53% Native American, 29.27% Asian, 0.43% Pacific Islander, 6.94% from other races, and 4.95% from two or more races. 15.99% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 38,526 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 39.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.9 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $75,687, and the median income for a family was $98,977.http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&-CONTEXT=st&-tree_id=307&-redoLog=false&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=16000US0669084&-format=&-_lang=en Males had a median income of $58,641 versus $43,131 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $31,755. About 4.5% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
AffymetrixAffymetrix
Affymetrix is a company that manufactures DNA microarrays; it is based in Santa Clara, California, United States. The company was founded by Dr. Stephen Fodor in 1992. It began as a unit in Affymax N.V...
, Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies , or Agilent, is a company that designs and manufactures electronic and bio-analytical measurement instruments and equipment for measurement and evaluation...
, Applied Materials
Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. is a capital equipment producer serving the semiconductor, TFT LCD display, Glass, WEB and solar manufacturing industries....
, Atheros
Atheros
Qualcomm Atheros is a developer of semiconductors for network communications, particularly wireless chipsets. Founded under the name Atheros in 1998 by experts in signal processing from Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley and the private industry, it became a public company...
, Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks
Extreme Networks, founded in 1996, is a publicly listed company that designs, builds, and installs Ethernet network solutions for enterprise and Carrier Class networks.-Corporate History:Extreme Networks is located in Santa Clara, California...
, Intel, Intevac
Intevac
Intevac, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Clara, California in the Silicon Valley. The company has U.S. offices in Carlsbad, California and Laramie, Wyoming and in Asia, with offices in China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia and Singapore....
, McAfee
McAfee
McAfee, Inc. is a computer security company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. It markets software and services to home users, businesses and the public sector. On August 19, 2010, electronics company Intel agreed to purchase McAfee for $7.68 billion...
, National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor was an American semiconductor manufacturer, that specialized in analog devices and subsystems,formerly headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. The products of National Semiconductor included power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers,...
, Nvidia
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
, OmniVision Technologies
OmniVision Technologies
OmniVision Technologies Inc. is a corporation that designs and develops digital imaging products. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, OmniVision Technologies has offices in the USA, Western Europe and Asia, including a design center and testing facility in Shanghai, China. The company...
, PMC-Sierra
PMC-Sierra
PMC-Sierra is a fabless semiconductor company which develops and sells devices into the communications, storage, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces.-Corporate history:...
, Rovi, Synaptics
Synaptics
Synaptics develops human interface solutions for many major consumer electronics companies, such as Apple Inc., Asus, Acer, Dell, Gateway, HP, HTC, Lenovo, LG, Logitech, Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and several others...
, Marvell Technology Group
Marvell Technology Group
Marvell is an American producer of storage, communications and consumer semiconductor products.Founded in 1995, Marvell Technology Group Ltd. has operations worldwide and approximately 5,700 employees. Marvell’s U.S. operating subsidiary is based in Santa Clara, California and Marvell has...
and Trident Microsystems
Trident Microsystems
Trident Microsystems is a supplier of display-processors for flat panel displays . At one time, Trident was also a supplier of PC graphics chipsets and sound controllers.- History :...
are among the companies headquartered in Santa Clara.
Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
's United States office is in Santa Clara.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top private employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intel | 5,734 |
| 2 | Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield... |
5,630 |
| 3 | Applied Materials Applied Materials Applied Materials, Inc. is a capital equipment producer serving the semiconductor, TFT LCD display, Glass, WEB and solar manufacturing industries.... |
3,746 |
| 4 | Oracle Oracle Corporation Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems... |
2,700 |
| 5 | Nvidia NVIDIA Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles... |
2,657 |
| 6 | BAE Systems Land & Armaments | 1,914 |
| 7 | National Semiconductor National Semiconductor National Semiconductor was an American semiconductor manufacturer, that specialized in analog devices and subsystems,formerly headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. The products of National Semiconductor included power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers,... |
1,500 |
| 8 | Agilent Technologies Agilent Technologies Agilent Technologies , or Agilent, is a company that designs and manufactures electronic and bio-analytical measurement instruments and equipment for measurement and evaluation... |
1,384 |
| 9 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose... |
1,350 |
| 10 | Pacific Maintenance Company | 1,000 |
Representation of the State of California
- California Governor
-
- Jerry BrownJerry BrownEdmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
(D)
- Jerry Brown
- Federal Senators
-
- Barbara BoxerBarbara BoxerBarbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
(D) - Dianne FeinsteinDianne FeinsteinDianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
(D)
- Barbara Boxer
- Federal Representative
-
- Mike HondaMike HondaMichael Makoto "Mike" Honda is an American Democratic Party politician. He currently serves as the U.S. Representative for , encompassing western San Jose and Silicon Valley...
(D) of California's 15th congressional districtCalifornia's 15th congressional districtCalifornia's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Santa Clara County west of San Jose and includes the cities of Los Gatos and Cupertino in Silicon Valley...
- Mike Honda
- State Senator
-
- Elaine AlquistElaine AlquistElaine Kontominas Alquist is currently a Democratic State Senator from California's 13th Senate District...
(D)
- Elaine Alquist
- State Assembly Members
-
- Paul FongPaul FongPaul Fong is a Democratic California State Assembly member from California's 22nd State Assembly district. Prior to being elected to the assembly, he served as a Foothill De Anza Community College District Trustee....
(D) of California's 22nd Assembly District - James T. Beall, Jr. (D) of California's 24th Assembly District
- Paul Fong
- Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
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- Ken YeagerKen YeagerKen Yeager is an American politician from California, currently serving on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, representing District 4. First elected to the board in 2006, he represents the cities of Campbell and Santa Clara, as well as west San Jose and the Burbank and Cambrian...
of District 4
- Ken Yeager
- City Manager
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- Jennifer Sparacino
- Mayor
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- Jamie L. Matthews
- City Council
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- Lisa Gillmor
- Will Kennedy
- Pat Kolstad
- Patricia Mahan
- Jamie McLeod
- Kevin Moore
History
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an to visit the valley was José Francisco Ortega
José Francisco Ortega
José Francisco Ortega was soldier and early settler of California.-Early life:Ortega was born in 1734 at Zelaya, Guanajuanto, Mexico, where he worked as a warehouse clerk. In 1755, he enlisted and served at the Presidio at Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto. In 1759 Ortega married María Antonia...
in 1769. He found the area inhabited by Native Americans the Spanish called the Costanos, "coast people," later known as the Ohlone
Ohlone
The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan, are a Native American people of the central California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the area along the coast from San Francisco Bay through Monterey Bay to the lower Salinas Valley...
. The Spanish began to colonize California with 21 missions and the
Mission Santa Clara de Asis
Mission Santa Clara de Asís
Mission Santa Clara de Asís was founded on January 12, 1777 and named for Santa Clara de Asis , the foundress of the order of the Poor Clares. Although ruined and rebuilt six times, the settlement was never abandoned.-History:...
was founded in 1777.
In 1846, the American flag was raised over Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
and symbolized the transfer of California to the United States. In 1851, Santa Clara College was established where the old mission used to be. In 1852, Santa Clara was incorporated as a town; it became state-chartered by 1862. The economy centered on family farms since orchards and vegetables were thriving on the fertile soil. In 1905, the first public high-altitude flights by man were made over Santa Clara in gliders designed by John J. Montgomery
John J. Montgomery
John Joseph Montgomery was an aviation pioneer, inventor, professor at Santa Clara College.On August 28, 1883 he made the first manned, controlled, heavier-than-air flights of the United States, in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego, California...
. By the beginning of the 20th century, the population had reached 5,000 and stayed about the same for many years.
The semiconductor industry
Semiconductor industry
The semiconductor industry is the aggregate collection of companies engaged in the design and fabrication of semiconductor devices. It formed around 1960, once the fabrication of semiconductors became a viable business...
, which sprouted around 1960, changed the valley forever; little of its agricultural past remains.
Santa Clara's first medical hospital was built in 1963. This structure, on Kiely Boulevard, was replaced in 2007 with the new Kaiser Permanente medical center located on Lawrence Expressway at Homestead Road.
Santa Clara was also home to a major mental health facility, Agnews State Hospital. According to the National Park Service, more than 100 persons were killed at this site in the 1906 earthquake. The site is now home to Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Transportation
Santa Clara has two major train stations: the Great America-Santa Clara StationGreat America-Santa Clara Station
Great America-Santa Clara is a train station in Santa Clara, California. It hosts Amtrak's Capitol Corridor trains and Altamont Commuter Express trains. The station is located close to Great America, hence the name. VTA's Lick Mill light rail stop is located several blocks east of the station,...
and the Santa Clara Caltrain/ACE station
Santa Clara (Caltrain/ACE station)
Santa Clara station is one of two heavy railway stations in Santa Clara, California...
. The former is served by Amtrak's
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Capitol Corridor
Capitol Corridor
The Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in California. Because it is fully supported by the state, the Capitol Corridor operates under Amtrak California. It runs from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento, roughly parallel to Interstate 80...
train as well as Altamont Commuter Express
Altamont Commuter Express
The Altamont Commuter Express is a regional rail service in California connecting Stockton with San Jose....
trains, while the latter has Caltrain
Caltrain
Caltrain is a California commuter rail line on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the Santa Clara Valley in the United States. The northern terminus of the rail line is in San Francisco, at 4th and King streets; its southern terminus is in Gilroy...
. Santa Clara is located adjacent to Mineta San Jose International Airport, in fact a small portion of the airport is in Santa Clara. Some other nearby major airports include San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
and Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
. Most public buses in the city are operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is a special-purpose district responsible for public transit services, congestion management, specific highway improvement projects, and countywide transportation planning for Santa Clara County, California, United States...
. There is a light rail system in Santa Clara and the rest of the county which is also operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority(VTA).
Education
Santa Clara Unified School District
The Santa Clara Unified School District operates sixteen elementary schools , three middle schools , three high schools , and one K-12 school in Santa Clara, California, the Alviso neighborhood of San Jose, and parts of Sunnyvale teaching 14451 students...
serves Santa Clara. Jesuit college Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
and junior college Mission College are among the city's higher education facilities.
The city is also home to the Santa Clara City Library.
Athletics
- The San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose EarthquakesThe San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
of Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
currently plays its home games at Buck Shaw StadiumBuck Shaw StadiumBuck Shaw Stadium is a 10,300-seat soccer stadium at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. The stadium is the current home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer teams and was the former home of the now defunct Santa Clara football team as well as the Santa Clara baseball team. The baseball...
, located at Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara UniversitySanta Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
. At one point the entire team and management moved and formed the current MLS team Houston DynamoHouston DynamoThe Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
, but recently the Earthquakes have returned with new management and both teams have been moderately successful.
- The Santa Clara VanguardSanta Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle CorpsSanta Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in Santa Clara, California and founded in 1967, and is a member corps of Drum Corps International...
, a competitive marching music organization, has been headquartered in Santa Clara since its inception. The organization runs and operates a winter guardWinter guardWinter guard is an indoor color guard activity, derived from marching band or drum & bugle corps. Unlike traditional color guard, winter guard is performed indoors, usually in a gymnasium or an indoor arena...
, an indoor percussion ensemble, and two drum and bugle corpsDrum and bugle corps (modern)A drum and bugle corps, also known as a drum corps, is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions...
, all of which compete across the country every year. All four ensembles have been very successful competitively, especially the two drum corps, one of which has won 2 Open Class titles and the other 6 World Class titles. The latter is the only drum corps that has made finals every year since the beginning of Drum Corps InternationalDrum Corps InternationalDrum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...
.
Recently Santa Clara voters approved a plan to build a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL.
Sister cities
Santa Clara currently has two sister cities. They are:- Coimbra
CoimbraCoimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, since 1972 - Izumo, Shimane
Izumo, Shimaneis a city located in Shimane, Japan. Izumo is known for Izumo soba noodles and the Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine.-Demographics:The modern city was founded on November 3, 1941....
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, since 1986
See also
- Santa Clara Unified School DistrictSanta Clara Unified School DistrictThe Santa Clara Unified School District operates sixteen elementary schools , three middle schools , three high schools , and one K-12 school in Santa Clara, California, the Alviso neighborhood of San Jose, and parts of Sunnyvale teaching 14451 students...
- Golden State Baptist CollegeGolden State Baptist CollegeGolden State Baptist College is an Independent Fundamental Baptist Bible college in Santa Clara, California, offering bachelor's degrees and master's degree programs in fields related to Christian ministry...
- Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara UniversitySanta Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
- Santa Clara County, CaliforniaSanta Clara County, CaliforniaSanta Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
- Santa Clara Convention CenterSanta Clara Convention CenterThe Santa Clara Convention Center is located in northern Santa Clara, California. It serves as one of the large meeting and convention facilities in Silicon Valley, with of meeting space....
- Agnew's Village, CaliforniaAgnew's Village, CaliforniaAgnew's Village, California was a small unincorporated village in what is now Santa Clara, California. It was named for Abram Agnew, a Santa Clara Valley pioneer from Ohio who settled there around 1873...
- Santa Clara Vanguard