Santa Clara Valley, Geographic valley in San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Santa Clara Valley stretches about 30 miles (50 kilometers) between San Francisco Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains, forming a wide corridor in Northern California. The plain is bordered by gentle hills to the west and east, while several rivers cross the land and flow toward the bay.
Since the 18th century, the area shifted from Ohlone settlement through Spanish missions to a farming center with fruit orchards. By the mid-20th century, the land changed again when electronics firms replaced the orchards and laid the foundation for today's tech-focused region.
The name comes from Mission Santa Clara, founded in 1777 and now part of a local university. Many tech companies draw their names from this Spanish heritage or from the farming vocabulary that once defined the region.
Three airports are located nearby and make it easy to arrive from different directions. Highways and public transit connect the communities, though travel times can vary greatly depending on the time of day.
Some old fruit trees still stand in parks and gardens, reminding visitors of the time when the plain was known mainly for its cherries and apricots. The term Silicon Valley emerged only in the 1970s and gradually replaced the earlier name Valley of Heart's Delight.
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