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County of Santa Cruz | ||
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 Location in the state of California | ||
 California's location in the United States | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | California | |
| Region | Central California, San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area | |
| Incorporated | February 18, 1850[1] | |
| County seat | Santa Cruz | |
| Area | ||
• Total |
607.16 sq mi (1,572.5 km2) | |
| • Land | 445.24 sq mi (1,153.2 km2) | |
| • Water | 161.92 sq mi (419.4 km2) | |
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. (Monterey County forms the southern coast). As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 270,861. The county seat is Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz County is a member of the regional governmental agency Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and is one of 11 counties in the U.S. Census Bureau's definition of the San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area.
History[]
Santa Cruz County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. In the original act, the county was given the name of "Branciforte" after the Spanish pueblo founded there in 1797; a major watercourse in the county, Branciforte Creek, bears this name. Less than two months later on April 5, 1850,[2] the name was changed to "Santa Cruz" ("Holy Cross").
Mission Santa Cruz, established in 1791 and completed in 1794, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1857, but a smaller-scale replica was erected in 1931.
Geography[]
According to the 2011 census, the county has a total area of 445.17 miles.[3] Of California's counties, only San Francisco is physically smaller.
The county is a strip about ten miles (16 km) wide between the coast and the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains at the northern end of the Monterey Bay. It can be divided roughly into four regions: the rugged "north coast"; the urban City of Santa Cruz, Soquel, Capitola, and Aptos; mountainous Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo River Valley; and fertile "south county", including Watsonville and Corralitos. Agriculture is concentrated in the coastal lowlands of the county's northern and southern ends. Most of the coastline is flanked by cliffs.
Cities and towns[]
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Incorporated Cities:
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Non-incorporated Towns and Communities:
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Adjacent counties[]
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Transportation infrastructure[]
Major highways[]
State Route 1- State Route 9
- State Route 17
- State Route 35
- State Route 129
- State Route 152
- State Route 236
County routes[]
- County Route G12
Public transportation[]
Santa Cruz County is served by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District bus system. A "Highway 17 Express" bus between Santa Cruz and San Jose is jointly operated by the SCMTD and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Greyhound Lines bus service also serves Santa Cruz County.
Airports[]
Watsonville Municipal Airport is a public general aviation airport. There are two air carriers based at the airport offering on-demand air charter:
There is a notable private airport, Monterey Bay Academy Airport, which is a former military base.
The nearest airports for scheduled commercial travel include San Jose International Airport, Monterey Regional Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Oakland International Airport.
Demographics[]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 643 | ||
| 1860 | 4,944 | 668.9% | |
| 1870 | 8,743 | 76.8% | |
| 1880 | 12,802 | 46.4% | |
| 1890 | 19,270 | 50.5% | |
| 1900 | 21,512 | 11.6% | |
| 1910 | 26,140 | 21.5% | |
| 1920 | 26,269 | 0.5% | |
| 1930 | 37,433 | 42.5% | |
| 1940 | 45,057 | 20.4% | |
| 1950 | 66,534 | 47.7% | |
| 1960 | 84,219 | 26.6% | |
| 1970 | 123,790 | 47.0% | |
| 1980 | 188,141 | 52.0% | |
| 1990 | 229,734 | 22.1% | |
| 2000 | 255,602 | 11.3% | |
| 2010 | 262,382 | 2.7% | |
2010[]
The 2010 United States Census reported that Santa Cruz County had a population of 262,382. The racial makeup of Santa Cruz County was 190,208 (72.5%) White, 2,766 (1.1%) African American, 2,253 (0.9%) Native American, 11,112 (4.2%) Asian, 349 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 43,376 (16.5%) from other races, and 12,318 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 84,092 persons (32.0%).[6]
| Population reported at 2010 United States Census | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population |
American |
American |
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) | |||
| Santa Cruz County | 262,382 | 190,208 | 2,766 | 2,253 | 11,112 | 349 | 43,376 | 12,318 | 84,092 |
cities and towns |
Population |
American |
American |
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) | ||
| Capitola | 9,918 | 7,963 | 123 | 59 | 424 | 10 | 869 | 470 | 1,957 |
| Santa Cruz | 59,946 | 44,661 | 1,071 | 440 | 4,591 | 108 | 5,673 | 3,402 | 11,624 |
| Scotts Valley | 11,580 | 9,958 | 101 | 57 | 590 | 18 | 292 | 564 | 1,158 |
| Watsonville | 51,199 | 22,399 | 358 | 629 | 1,664 | 40 | 23,844 | 2,265 | 41,656 |
places |
Population |
American |
American |
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) | ||
| Amesti | 3,478 | 1,889 | 12 | 41 | 89 | 1 | 1,309 | 137 | 2,273 |
| Aptos | 6,220 | 5,420 | 58 | 43 | 247 | 8 | 175 | 269 | 611 |
| Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley | 2,381 | 1,936 | 12 | 5 | 55 | 1 | 295 | 77 | 541 |
| Ben Lomond | 6,234 | 5,692 | 32 | 51 | 70 | 11 | 98 | 280 | 515 |
| Bonny Doon | 2,678 | 2,474 | 9 | 15 | 51 | 5 | 48 | 76 | 168 |
| Boulder Creek | 4,923 | 4,429 | 54 | 31 | 81 | 5 | 119 | 204 | 366 |
| Brookdale | 1,991 | 1,790 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 8 | 66 | 87 | 202 |
| Corralitos | 2,326 | 1,980 | 16 | 12 | 48 | 1 | 190 | 79 | 532 |
| Davenport | 408 | 272 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 82 | 31 | 172 |
| Day Valley | 3,409 | 2,898 | 20 | 23 | 85 | 4 | 208 | 171 | 470 |
| Felton | 4,057 | 3,691 | 25 | 29 | 69 | 11 | 60 | 172 | 283 |
| Freedom | 3,070 | 1,452 | 44 | 31 | 100 | 0 | 1,285 | 158 | 2,170 |
| Interlaken | 7,321 | 3,856 | 58 | 128 | 302 | 2 | 2,573 | 402 | 5,261 |
| La Selva Beach | 2,843 | 2,399 | 27 | 23 | 116 | 3 | 146 | 129 | 372 |
| Live Oak | 17,158 | 12,636 | 240 | 171 | 773 | 41 | 2,444 | 853 | 4,796 |
| Lompico | 1,137 | 1,005 | 6 | 12 | 21 | 4 | 25 | 64 | 115 |
| Mount Hermon | 1,037 | 964 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 31 | 83 |
| Pajaro Dunes | 144 | 92 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 54 |
| Paradise Park | 389 | 371 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 |
| Pasatiempo | 1,041 | 925 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 1 | 22 | 48 | 85 |
| Pleasure Point | 5,846 | 4,847 | 63 | 45 | 144 | 5 | 506 | 236 | 1,140 |
| Rio del Mar | 9,216 | 8,310 | 61 | 50 | 313 | 7 | 188 | 287 | 899 |
| Seacliff | 3,267 | 2,758 | 28 | 40 | 100 | 4 | 189 | 148 | 482 |
| Soquel | 9,644 | 7,898 | 85 | 71 | 356 | 21 | 693 | 520 | 1,606 |
| Twin Lakes | 4,917 | 3,900 | 70 | 61 | 126 | 8 | 534 | 218 | 1,109 |
| Zayante | 705 | 647 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 20 | 57 |
communities |
Population |
American |
American |
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) | ||
| All others not CDPs (combined) | 23,899 | 20,696 | 155 | 151 | 605 | 21 | 1,358 | 913 | 3,320 |
2000[]
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 255,602 people, 91,139 households, and 57,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 574 people per square mile (222/km²). There were 98,873 housing units at an average density of 222 per square mile (86/km²).
There were 91,139 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,998, and the median income for a family was $61,941. Males had a median income of $46,291 versus $33,514 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,396. About 6.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Santa Cruz county residents tend to be well-educated. 38.3% of residents age 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree at least, significantly higher than the national average of 27.2% and the state average of 29.5%.[8][9]
Environmental features[]
Santa Cruz County is home to the following endangered species:[10]
- Brown Pelican
- California Clapper Rail
- California Red-legged Frog
- California Tiger Salamander
- Coho Salmon
- Marbled Murrelet
- Mount Hermon June Beetle
- Ohlone Tiger Beetle
- San Francisco garter snake
- Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander
- Santa Cruz Tarweed
- Smith's Blue Butterfly
- Southern Sea Otter
- Steelhead Trout
- Tidewater Goby
- Western Snowy Plover
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Zayante band-winged grasshopper
Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area, Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area and Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve are marine protected areas off the coast of Santa Cruz County. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.
Colleges and universities[]
Four-year universities:
- University of California, Santa Cruz (public) in Santa Cruz, California
- Bethany University (private, now defunct)[11] in Scotts Valley, California
Two-year colleges:
- Cabrillo College (public) in Aptos, California
Politics[]
Politics[]
Santa Cruz County was a Republican stronghold for most of the 19th and 20th centuries; from 1860 through 1980 the only Democrats to carry Santa Cruz were Woodrow Wilson in 1916, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and Jimmy Carter in 1976.[12] However, the opening of UCSC in 1965 caused the county's political landscape to dramatically change.
Today, it is a strongly Democratic county in presidential and congressional elections. The last Republican to carry the county was Ronald Reagan in 1980, and the last Republican to win a majority in the county was Richard Nixon in 1968.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 26,937 | 18.49% | 114,246 | 78.44% | 4,466 | 3.07% |
| 2016 | 22,438 | 17.26% | 95,249 | 73.26% | 12,325 | 9.48% |
| 2012 | 24,047 | 19.98% | 90,805 | 75.43% | 5,533 | 4.60% |
| 2008 | 25,244 | 19.76% | 98,745 | 77.30% | 3,747 | 2.93% |
| 2004 | 30,354 | 24.86% | 89,102 | 72.98% | 2,628 | 2.15% |
| 2000 | 29,627 | 27.34% | 66,618 | 61.48% | 12,105 | 11.17% |
| 1996 | 27,766 | 26.94% | 58,250 | 56.52% | 17,046 | 16.54% |
| 1992 | 24,916 | 21.86% | 66,183 | 58.06% | 22,893 | 20.08% |
| 1988 | 37,728 | 36.77% | 63,133 | 61.53% | 1,750 | 1.71% |
| 1984 | 41,652 | 45.20% | 49,091 | 53.27% | 1,404 | 1.52% |
| 1980 | 37,347 | 43.53% | 32,346 | 37.70% | 16,111 | 18.78% |
| 1976 | 31,872 | 43.09% | 37,772 | 51.06% | 4,325 | 5.85% |
| 1972 | 34,799 | 49.88% | 32,336 | 46.35% | 2,624 | 3.76% |
| 1968 | 25,365 | 50.79% | 20,492 | 41.03% | 4,087 | 8.18% |
| 1964 | 18,836 | 41.27% | 26,714 | 58.53% | 94 | 0.21% |
| 1960 | 24,858 | 59.61% | 16,659 | 39.95% | 187 | 0.45% |
| 1956 | 22,109 | 63.58% | 12,574 | 36.16% | 93 | 0.27% |
| 1952 | 24,353 | 67.13% | 11,536 | 31.80% | 391 | 1.08% |
| 1948 | 15,395 | 57.68% | 9,862 | 36.95% | 1,433 | 5.37% |
| 1944 | 11,102 | 53.80% | 9,357 | 45.34% | 178 | 0.86% |
| 1940 | 11,453 | 50.93% | 10,683 | 47.51% | 350 | 1.56% |
| 1936 | 8,260 | 46.12% | 9,326 | 52.08% | 322 | 1.80% |
| 1932 | 6,005 | 40.06% | 8,246 | 55.01% | 739 | 4.93% |
| 1928 | 8,275 | 68.53% | 3,688 | 30.54% | 112 | 0.93% |
| 1924 | 5,402 | 60.84% | 801 | 9.02% | 2,676 | 30.14% |
| 1920 | 5,285 | 66.28% | 1,957 | 24.54% | 732 | 9.18% |
| 1916 | 4,228 | 44.76% | 4,511 | 47.76% | 707 | 7.48% |
| 1912 | 3 | 0.04% | 2,875 | 40.20% | 4,274 | 59.76% |
| 1908 | 2,886 | 54.71% | 1,643 | 31.15% | 746 | 14.14% |
| 1904 | 2,626 | 60.66% | 1,105 | 25.53% | 598 | 13.81% |
| 1900 | 2,173 | 53.19% | 1,635 | 40.02% | 277 | 6.78% |
| 1896 | 1,969 | 48.24% | 1,960 | 48.02% | 153 | 3.75% |
| 1892 | 1,843 | 44.82% | 1,512 | 36.77% | 757 | 18.41% |
| 1888 | 1,996 | 50.66% | 1,750 | 44.42% | 194 | 4.92% |
| 1884 | 1,667 | 53.69% | 1,365 | 43.96% | 73 | 2.35% |
| 1880 | 1,236 | 50.43% | 1,102 | 44.96% | 113 | 4.61% |
Economy[]
Top employers[]
According to the County's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[14] the top employers in the county are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California, Santa Cruz | 1,000-4,999 |
| 2 | Pajaro Valley Unified School District | 1,000-4,999 |
| 3 | County of Santa Cruz | 1,000-4,999 |
| 4 | Dominican Hospital | 1,000-4,999 |
| 5 | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | 1,000-4,999 |
| 6 | Cabrillo College | 500-999 |
| 7 | Santa Cruz City School District | 500-999 |
| 8 | City of Santa Cruz | 500-999 |
| 9 | Seagate Technology | 500-999 |
| 10 | Watsonville Community Hospital | 500-999 |
| 11 | West Marine | 500-999 |
| 12 | Plantronics | 500-999 |
Winemaking and wineries[]
Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Winemaking—both the growing of the grapes and their vinting—is an important part of the economic and cultural life of Santa Cruz County. The wines of the David Bruce Winery and Ridge Vineyards were selected for tasting in the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 (Tabor, p.167-169).
See also[]
- Hiking trails in Santa Cruz County
- List of museums in the California Central Coast
- List of school districts in Santa Cruz County, California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Cruz County, California
Sources[]
- Taber, George M. Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine. NY: Scribner, 2005.
References[]
- ^ "Chronology". California Counties. California State Association of Counties. http://www.counties.org/default.asp?id=54. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
- ^ "California: Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries". The Newberry Library. 2003. http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/CA_Consolidated_Chronology.htm. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
- ^ "Santa Cruz County QuickFacts". United States Census. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06087.html. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
- ^ flyairmonterey.com
- ^ specializedheli.com
- ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau. http://www2.census.gov/census_2010/01-Redistricting_File--PL_94-171/California/.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Bookwalter, Genevieve (August 15, 2006). "Santa Cruz residents more educated than most". Santa Cruz Sentinel. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?sid=40953. Retrieved 2008-02-06
- ^ "Santa Cruz County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". January 2, 2008. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06087.html. Retrieved 2008-04-22
- ^ santacruzpl.org
- ^ McCord, Shanna (June 14, 2011). "Bethany University will close: Private funding didn't materialize". Santa Cruz Sentinel. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_18268515. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868–2004, pp. 152–155 ISBN 0786422173
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/.
- ^ County of Santa Cruz CAFR
External links[]
- Santa Cruz County travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Santa Cruz Wiki - The People's Guide to Santa Cruz, California
- Santa Cruz County official website
- Historical resources for Santa Cruz County—from Santa Cruz Public Library
- Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors Council - Visitor Information
- List of movies shot in Santa Cruz County
- Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District
- QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
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San Mateo County | Santa Clara County |
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   Santa Cruz County, California | ||||
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| Monterey County | San Benito County |
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