Welcome to Mountain View
Mountain View is the type of city that most people imagine when they think about Silicon Valley. Located snugly between the San Francisco Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mountain View is 12 square miles of technological innovation and picturesque landscape. Home to numerous nationally and internationally recognized technology brands, Mountain View is considered one of the main employment hubs in Santa Clara Valley. However, the citizenry also prides itself on a strong level of community involvement and a powerful connection to traditional neighborhood values.
Lay of the Land
Home to approximately 75,000 residents, Mountain View is situated in the Santa Clara Valley, 10 miles north of San Jose and 35 miles south of San Francisco. As a major employment center the daytime population is more than double the residents. Separated from the Pacific Ocean to the west by the Santa Cruz Mountains, the city is bounded by Palo Alto to the northwest, Los Altos to the southwest, by Sunnyvale to the northeast, and Moffett Federal Airfield to the northeast. As is the norm for the Santa Clara region, the median household income of $109,802 is well above the state average, as is the median home value of $852,200.
Transportation
As befits a city of its size, Mountain View is served by numerous forms of public transit. The various light rail, bus, commuter rail, and private shuttle systems in the city are all connected via the Downtown Mountain View Station. This is in addition to the various individual stations that the local bus lines and light rail lines operate within the city. Additionally, the city features two CalTrain commuter rail system stations. These provide commuter train services which run from San Francisco to the north all of the way down to Gilroy in the south. Finally, many of the local technology firms, including Google and Microsoft, offer shuttle services within the city that connect their local offices with the various transit options within the city.
Local Highlights
The technology industry is the most obvious feature when examining the town. In addition to numerous internationally known tech giants such as Google maintaining their corporate headquarters in Mountain View, dozens of additional companies also maintain at least a token presence. The presence of these corporations provides steady employment opportunities and an influx of funding for community projects. Despite the significant technology presence, the city of Mountain View has worked incredibly hard to create a balanced and inviting atmosphere within the city so as not to allow Mountain View to be solely defined by its industrial complex.Running along Castro Street for seven blocks between the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center and El Camino Real, Downtown Mountain View is the pedestrian friendly cultural center of the town. Four solid blocks of the area is dedicated to fine dining and a plethora of local cafes. The highlight of the dining scene is Chez TJ, an amazing restaurant that is one of the few Michelin Guide rated establishments in the Bay Area. The remainder of the downtown area is dominated by City Hall and the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. The theater features performances by traveling theater groups as well as several highly acclaimed local companies. The area in and around the performing arts center and City Hall has been designed to accommodate community events and local gatherings. The highlight of the outdoor area is a collection of public art.
Mountain View also boasts several well-maintained parks, the largest being Shoreline Park. Built along the edge of the Bay, Shoreline Park includes an amphitheater, the Shoreline Golf Course, and Rengstorff House, a nationally registered historic location. The park also features a bike and pedestrian path which runs alongside Stevens Creek through the length of the park. The town also features several other parks with a host of community accessible grounds and equipment. The impressive and massive Moffett Field hangars for blimps and rigid airships are easily visible from Highway 101.
Education
Mountain View is home to 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 3 high schools. All of the elementary and middle schools are governed solely by the Mountain View-Whisman School district. However, the public high schools are governed by the Mountain View-Los Altos Union School District. Mountain View also contains several private schools, including two international bilingual schools, one focused on German and one focused on Chinese.
