Saratoga, City in Santa Clara County, United States
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, spread across wooded hillsides and residential blocks. Streets run between redwood groves and scattered vineyards, while the compact downtown gathers shops and restaurants along a few walkable blocks.
The settlement began in 1847 with a sawmill along the creek and went through the names McCarthysville and Bank Mills. The name Saratoga was adopted in 1865 after visitors compared the local mineral springs to those in New York State.
The name refers to mineral springs that reminded early settlers of the famous resort in New York State. Many homes stand among old fruit trees left from the days when orchards covered much of the valley floor.
The downtown can be walked easily and sits near several parks with trails into the wooded hills. Many paths lead through redwood groves that provide shade during warm months.
The walkable village center preserves several low wooden buildings from the late 1800s that recall the small-town layout before incorporation. A major fire in 1903 destroyed the resort hotel near the springs, which remain barely visible today.
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