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The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. Much of Santa Clara County, California is in the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was originally known as the Valley of Heart's Delight for the miles and miles of fruit trees blossoming in the spring. Once primarily agricultural because of its highly fertile soil, it is now largely urbanized. Silicon Valley is roughly synonymous with the Santa Clara Valley, although since the former is as much a state of mind as an actual location, people often refer to parts of the San Francisco Peninsula as being part of Silicon Valley as well.Looking west from Alum Rock Park over northern San Jose (downtown is at far left) and other parts of the valley.
The northern end of the Santa Clara Valley is at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, and the southern end is in the vicinity of Gilroy. The valley is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains on the southwest and by the Diablo Range on the northeast. It is about 30 miles long and about 15 miles wide. The valley's largest city, by far, is San Jose.
Cities and towns in the Santa Clara Valley include (in alphabetical order):
- Campbell
- Cupertino
- Gilroy
- Los Gatos
- Milpitas
- Morgan Hill
- Mountain ViewFor the community near Martinez, California, see Mountain View, Contra Costa County, California. Mountain View is a city located in Santa Clara County, in the U. state of California, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 70,708.
- Palo AltoPalo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA. Palo Alto is located at the northern end of the Silicon Valley, and is home to Stanford University (which is technically located in an adjacent area — Stanford, C
- San Jose
- San MartinSan Martin is a census-designated place and an unincorporated town located in Santa Clara County, California. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 4,230. As of 2004, the community is considering incorporating into either a city or town
- Santa ClaraSanta Clara founded in 1852, is a city located in Santa Clara County, in the U. state of California. The city is the site of Mission Santa Clara de Asis, on the campus of Santa Clara University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Ca
- SunnyvaleSunnyvale is a city located in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 131,760. Sunnyvale is headquarters to several high-tech companies
Because so much high-tech industry has spread out from the valley, FremontFremont is a city in California which was founded on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Mission San Jose, Irvington, Niles, Centerville, and Warm Springs. It is located in the southeast area of the San Francisco Bay Area in Ala, even though it is not in the Santa Clara Valley, is often included in discussions about Silicon Valley or is referred to as the Gateway to Silicon Valley (a title also claimed occasionally by San Jose).
California valleys
San Francisco Bay Area
