About The City Of Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz is situated on the northern part of Monterey Bay about 74 miles south of San Francisco and 30 miles from San Jose. The City has of an area of 12 square miles and an estimated population of 56,300.

The University of California, Santa Cruz campus was opened in 1965 and has a population of 10,117 (1996). The major industries include agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, food processing, and high tech firms.

About 10% of the land area of the County is devoted to State Parks, several of which are within or adjacent to the City limits. The climate is mild. The average high temperature is 69 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low temperature is 44 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rainfall averages 32 inches per year.

In 1769 the Spanish explorer Don Gaspar de Portola discovered the land area which is now known as the City of Santa Cruz. When he came upon the beautiful flowing river, he named it San Lorenzo in honor of Saint Lawrence. He called the rolling hills above the river Santa Cruz, which means holy cross.

Santa Cruz is the quintessential beach town. It was here that Hawaiian royalty first introduced surfing to the mainland — and locals and visitors alike have been riding the waves ever since.

Not far from the surf break, calliope music and laughter fills the air at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the West Coast's last remaining seaside amusement park. A few blocks from the beach is Santa Cruz's newly renovated downtown.

The pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined streets are filled with vibrant shops and galleries, outdoor bistros and sidewalk musicians - all in keeping with Surf City's offbeat personality.