The First Biz Directory

About Santa Clara

Santa Clara (; Spanish for "Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 as of the 2020 United States Census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the city was founded by the Spanish in 1777 with the establishment of Mission Santa Clara de Asís under the leadership of Saint Junípero Serra. Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley and is home to the headquarters of companies such as Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, and Nvidia. It is also home to Santa Clara University, the oldest university in California, and Levi's Stadium, the home of the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers. Santa Clara is bordered by San Jose on all sides, except for Sunnyvale and Cupertino to the west. == History == The Tamien tribe of the Ohlone nation of Indigenous Californians have inhabited the area for thousands of years. === Spanish period === The first European to visit the valley was José Francisco Ortega in 1769. The Spanish began to colonize California with 21 missions and the Mission Santa Clara de Asis was founded in 1777. === Mexican period === The Battle of Santa Clara, one of the last battles of the Conquest of California, was fought between a contingent of Californios, led by Francisco Sánchez, against the invading American forces.