Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a valley south of the bay of San Francisco in the U.S. state of California. It was named after the city of Santa Clara; the largest city in the Valley is San Jose. Its territory covers several counties and is part of the Silicon Valley.
The northern end of the Santa Clara Valley at the southern tip of the Bay of San Francisco, the south end is near the town of Hollister. The valley is bordered by the Santa Cruz Mountains in the south west and the Diablo Range to the northeast. It is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) long and about 20 km (15 miles ) wide. Overall, about 1.8 million people live in the area of Santa Clara Valley.
The valley was originally known for its high concentration of orchards, flowering trees and plants. Until the 1960s it was the largest fruit packaging region of the world, with a total of 39 canneries. In particular, while the northern part of the valley is densely populated, the central and southern regions are more influenced by agriculture. Especially the fertile soil is good for agriculture. Crops are numerous fruit and vegetables such as apples, corn, tomatoes or citrus fruits. The Valley is also known for its extensive wine-growing regions. It is the first commercial wine region in California (and possibly the United States). The wine, as well as agricultural products are important economic factors. The products are exported to the entire United States as well as overseas. In urban regions, a widespread industry is to be found.
Major cities in the Santa Clara Valley
- Campbell
- Cupertino
- Gilroy
- Hollister
- Los Gatos
- Los Altos
- Los Altos Hills
- Milpitas
- Monte Sereno
- Morgan Hill
- Mountain View
- San José
- Santa Clara
- Saratoga
- Sunnyvale