County
Sponsor
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The Cities and communities of Santa Cruz County, California *
Amesti, Aptos, Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley
Capitola (city), Corralitos
Live Oak
Santa Cruz (city and County Seat), Scotts Valley (city), Soquel
Watsonville (city)
*This list of cities may not be complete
If you have information about any of these unlinked communities or have a community not listed at all, please send it to us and we will add a page for that community.
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Information &
Facts about Santa Cruz County, California
Government
Santa Cruz County official Website
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz County Government employs 2,669 people in 20 agencies
and departments
The annual budget is approximately $317 million. (2000)
The county has four incorporated cities, from largest to smallest - Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley and Capitola
The county seat is Santa Cruz.
The county is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville PMSA (Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area) and the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CMSA (Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area)
Population:
2000
255,602 people
91,139 Households
57,144 Families
Other Facts & Figures:
Per capita income: $26,396
Median income: $53,998
Median value home value: $377,500
Location:
The county is on the California coast extending from the northern end of Monterey Bay. It is 65 miles south of San Francisco, 35 miles noth of Monterey and 35 miles southwest of the Silicon Valley area. Scotts Valley, in the northern end of the county, is considered the southern end of the famous "Silicon Valley."
This map page
has many options for maps
Climate:
The county has an ideal climate with low humidity and 300 days
of sunshine each year. The climate is considered to be Mediterranean,
which is a mild-type climate. Summer averages are in the mid 70's
with winter averages in the mid 50s.
Average Rainfall: 31 inches per year - mostly between November
and April
Some fog is expected year-round
Average temperature chart
and average rainfall chart
Meteorology & Climate in the area - Microclimates
in the forested areas
Economy:
The local economy is mainly anchored by high technology, tourism and agriculture. Education is also strong with UC Santa Cruz and CSU Santa Cruz.
History:
Mission Santa Cruz was founded in 1792 as one of the famed California missions. The mission was erected on what would become the city of Santa Cruz. The county was one of the original California Counties in 1850 when California joined the Union. The first name was Branciforte. Over the first few years, the boundaries changed, but have remained more constant since that time.
This history page
has good information and historical pictures
Geography:
Total area: 607 square miles
Land area: 445 square miles
Water area: 162 square miles
The county is 26.67% water
Flora, Fauna and Habitats
in Santa Cruz County
Genealogy:
US GenWeb for
Santa Cruz County
Cemeteries of
Santa Cruz County
Genealogical Society of
Santa Cruz County
Libraries:
County Law Library
701 Ocean Street, Room 070 (downstairs)
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
1543 Pacific Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831-420-5600
Schools:
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
809-H Bay Avenue
Capitola, CA
Phone: 831-476-7140
Cabrillo College
6500 Soquel Drive
Aptos, CA 95003
Phone: 831-479-6100
CSU Monterey Bay
100 Campus Center
Seaside, CA 93955
Phone: 831-582-3000
University of California at Santa Cruz
Organizations & Groups:
Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
(AMBAG)
445 Reservation Rd.
Marina, CA 93933
Phone: 831-883-3750
Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce
General Information: 831-457-3713
Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors Council
1211 Ocean St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831-425-1234
Toll-free: 800-833-3494
Attractions & Other Information:
The county is known as the Gateway to the Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary
There are 29 miles of beaches!! With six state parks and six state
beaches.
Recreational activities abound with sailing, fishing, tennis, golf, hiking and much, much more. State parks have 42,334 acres in the county with 850 acres of parks maintained by the county. City parks are numerous.
Cultural opportunities include: Santa Cruz County Symphony, Cabrillo Music Festival, McPherson Museum of Art and History, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, UC Performing Arts Center and more
Birds in Santa Cruz County
Mission Santa Cruz
Mission Plaza
High Street at Emmet St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831-426-5686
Fax: 831-423-1043
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This page was last updated on 26 August 2006 at 4:31 pm
This page was created on 15 October 2003