Lodging in a Nutshell |
Ron Callari, Contributing Writer |
 Santa Clara County, also referred to as "Silicon Valley," is unique because of its combination of physical attractiveness and economic diversity.
Santa Clara County is located at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay and encompasses 1,312 square miles. The Santa Clara Valley runs the entire length of the county bordered by the Diablo Range on the east, and the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west. Salt marshes and wetlands lie in the northwestern part of the county, adjacent to the waters of San Francisco Bay. Along the Pacific Coast there are a number of white sand beaches from Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay to Monterey and Carmel.
The Santa Clara area has more than 3,700 guestrooms that include all the major chain affiliates and lodging options to satisfy all budgets.
Today, the county is a major employment center for the region, providing more than a quarter of all jobs in the Bay Area. It has one of the highest median family incomes in the country, and a wide diversity of cultures, backgrounds and talents.
The county's population of over 1.6 million is the fifth largest in the state, following Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange Counties, and the largest of the nine Bay Area counties. Its population constitutes about one fourth of the Bay Area's total population. There are 15 cities in the county including the city of Santa Clara.
In sports and recreation, San Jose is home to professional soccer, minor league baseball, and the San Jose Sharks, the only professional ice hockey team in Northern California. Numerous public and private golf courses are located throughout the county, and Santa Clara operates 27 parks covering more than 50,000 acres including miles of hiking and biking trails.
Local museums and art galleries include the Tech Museum of Innovation, the Rosicrucian Museum, the Children’s Discovery Museum, the San Jose Museum of Art and the Triton Museum. There are also abundant performing arts venues, including opera, symphonies, musical theatre, repertory theatre, concerts, and children's musical theatre.
Local theme parks and venues for children and adults include Paramount’s Great America, Bonfante Gardens, Raging Waters and the Santa Clara County Fair.
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