San Jose, California

🌍United States

San Jose, California, United States

San Jose is California’s third largest city and the tenth largest city in the United States. Deemed a “global city,” San Jose is the Mecca of Silicon Valley: high-technology and electronics industries have brought significant tourism and attractions to the city. The city also boasts a great proximity to all of Northern California’s areas of interest due to its position in the greater Santa Clara Valley. Over 300 days of sunshine and the kingdom-like panorama of the Santa Clara Mountains make San Jose a beautiful urban retreat.

Population:

998,537

Currency:

$1 US =100 cents

Emergency Numbers:

911

Opening Hours:

Standard operating hours are between 10am and 9pm Mondays through Saturday, and 11am to 7pm on Sundays.

Newspapers:

San Jose Mercury News
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Examiner
Metro Silicon Valley
East Bay Express
SF Weekly

The City

Millennia before the first settlements, San Jose was home to the Ohlone Native Americans. The year 1770 brought with it a European presence in the form of Spanish explorers. Seven years later on November 29, 1777, California’s first white settlement was established in the form of El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe. The township would shift from Spanish to Mexican influence until 1848, when the United States gained California in the annex.

San Jose became a substantial agricultural community for close to two centuries. The Del Monte cannery was the city’s primary employer for quite some time, and the first commercial broccoli farm in the United States started in San Jose. Numerous orchards around the Santa Clara Valley even filled the air with a sweet smell of fruit—drawing the moniker “The Valley of Heart's Delight.” Both these delightful orchards and San Jose’s farming role would wither by the 1970s, however, when urban sprawl would rein in the burgeoning technology industry.

The growth campaigns began in the 1950s and 1960s under the helm of city manager Dutch Hamann, who annexed areas of the city to create suburbs. Such rapid growth was contested by locals to little avail, and San Jose soon became a hub of economic development. Countless high-technological businesses sprang up in the city in the 1990s, and San Jose became the “Capital of Silicon Valley.”

With San Jose’s emergence as a national center for business and tourism, the city’s residents and visitors give San Jose a distinct culture. A tight-knit sense of community is extended from every street and building, from San Jose itself to the surrounding Santa Clara Valley.

Do & See

Take your pick from San Jose's vast collection of natural, educational, cultural and entertainment attractions. Meditate softly at the Betsuin Buddhist Church, or cheer on the San Jose Earthquakes. There's always sights to explore and things to do in Silicon Valley.

Dining

Dining in San Jose is as much an experience as any Northern California vacation. Each venue holds that South Bay esteem and diligence, with the same pride and care going into each meal. Evenings of romance or nights of neighborly fun may be had, for San Jose offers a wide variety of restaurants.

Cafes