Welcome to Santa Clara
Even though it is the ninth-most populous city in the Bay Area, the City of Santa Clara doesn’t make claims about being the heart or center of anything. It’s comfortable in its role as well-balanced member of the Silicon Valley community and prime local and national destination. With a host of attractions, businesses, and local events, Santa Clara offers something for practically anyone.
Lay of the Land
Santa Clara is located 45 miles south of San Francisco in the northern edge of the Silicon Valley. Covering an area of approximately 18.4 square miles, Santa Clara’s 116,468 residents are bordered by several different cities and communities. These include San Jose, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Campbell. As part of the Silicon Valley, residents enjoy a median household income of $95,415, well above the state average. With a median home value of $922,000 it remains again above the state average but on the affordable side compared to other sections of the Valley.
Transportation
Santa Clara is home to two major train stations which provide residents access to Amtrak commuter services and CalTrain commuter services. Additionally, Santa Clara has stations dedicated to light rail services within the Valley as well as commuter bus lines which operate within the city and surrounding area. Ground transport is available via several Interstate Freeways and U.S. Routes. Finally, Air transportation is possible via the nearby San Jose international Airport or the distant San Francisco National Airport.
Local Historical Sites
Founded in 1772, Santa Clara is one of the oldest cities in the region. The city has done everything it can to preserve cultural and historical landmarks. These include a variety of locations, including the Mission Santa Clara de Asis for which the city is named. Visitors and residents alike are encouraged to enjoy the many historic locations around the city. To this end, the city has prepared a historic properties story map which can be followed around the city and includes 34 unique historic locations.
Art and Wine Festival
While the city of Santa Clara is home to numerous events and activities over the course of the year, the annual Art and Wine Festival is the one that draws the largest crowds and which the residents are most proud of. Generally held in the early fall, the Art and Wine Festival has been held annually since 1980. The festival boasts hundreds of arts and crafts booths, dozens of local groups providing food and beverages, and vintners from all over the area providing wine and beer. Live entertainment is featured on three stages and an extra emphasis is placed on children through the Kid’s Kingdom and Toddler Town sections of the festival.
Activities
Levi\’s Stadium is the home stadium of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, providing Santa Clara with 8 NFL regular season games per year. Additionally, Santa Clara is also home to California’s Great America, an amusement park operated and owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. The Santa Clara Convention center is one of the largest venues of its type in the Silicon Valley area, hosting numerous local, regional, and national events over the course of the year.Finally, Santa Clara has numerous activities devoted to the cultural arts. The Mission City Center for Performing Arts provides a venue for numerous local and traveling theater groups, which often include the local high schools. The city also features the Intel Museum dedicated to the technological history of the area and the Triton Museum of Art.
Education
The city of Santa Clara is home to over 19 total schools. These include elementary schools, K-8 centers, middle schools, and area high schools. The Santa Clara Unified School District uses these schools to provide educational services to the residents of Santa Clara as well as a small section of Sunnyvale and San Jose. Santa Clara University, originally Santa Clara College, is the oldest institution of higher education in California as well founded in 1851.
