64-1040: West Valley may refer to: West Valley (California) , a geographical area of Santa Clara County West Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area) , a geographical area of the Phoenix metropolitan area West Valley, New York West Valley, Pennsylvania , an unincorporated community West Valley, Washington , a census-designated place in Yakima County West Valley City, Utah , in Salt Lake County West Valley Central , Utah Transit Authority Intermodal Transit Hub West Valley College , in Saratoga, California West Valley Demonstration Project , in New York West Valley Township, Minnesota ,
128-807: A National Historic Landmark . The climate of the Santa Clara Valley in California is a Mediterranean climate with warm, very dry summers and mild, fairly rainy winters. Today, the Valley attracts many people from the East Coast with its warm and sunny climate. The Santa Clara Valley receives on average 330 sunny days per year . The northern areas of the valley (such as Palo Alto or Mountain View ) have greater marine influences with temperatures rarely rising above 85 °F (29 °C) while in
192-667: A city nestled in the mountains. The highest peak on the Santa Cruz Mountain Range side of the valley is Loma Prieta at 3,790 feet. The highest peak in the Diablo Range side of the valley is Mount Hamilton , specifically Copernicus Peak at 4,370 feet elevation. It is the highest peak in Santa Clara County . The valley is a graben between the San Andreas and Hayward faults. During
256-594: A large wine-making region. It was one of the first commercial wine-producing regions in California (and possibly the United States), utilizing high-quality French varietal vines imported from France. The northern end of the Santa Clara Valley is at San Francisco , and the southern end is south of Hollister . The valley is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains on the southwest, which separate
320-607: A major crop, with the valley was producing the majority of prunes in California by 1900 and shipped internationally. Water was supplied from an artesian aquifer and when the water table dropped, wells were pumped. Many orchards were small with housing and fruit growing in a dispersed pattern. By the 1920s and 1930s, the agricultural and horticultural industries were doing well in the valley and included 18 canneries, 13 dried-fruit packing houses, and 12 fresh-fruit and vegetable shipping firms, and they were shipping internationally. Del Monte and Sunsweet are two brands which originated in
384-825: A regular column in the San Francisco-based The Daily People's World for the workers. San Francisco had a strong labor union tradition which thrived in Santa Clara County. During the " March Inland " organizing drive the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) backed the Cannery and Agricultural Workers' Industrial Union (CAWIU), a Communist -controlled union headquartered in San Jose, which had considerable success organizing farm and cannery workers in
448-459: A scarcely noticeable soil-covered divide ." The northern portion is drained northward by various rivers and creeks into San Francisco Bay. The southern portion of the valley is drained southward by Llagas Creek into the Pajaro River , which in turn flows westward to Monterey Bay . As one travels across the valley floor, "the alluvial plain is continuous across the divide." The summit of
512-798: A township in Marshall County The western section of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt West Valley Fault, part of the Marikina Valley Fault System See also [ edit ] State Route 85 (California) , also known as "West Valley Freeway" Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title West Valley . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
576-587: A union which genuinely represented cannery workers. The fruit industry gradually recovered, and by the early 1940s, prosperity returned to the valley. Wartime production associated with World War II brought industry to the valley such as building of marine engines for Liberty ships by the Joshua Hendy Iron Works , now Northrop Grumman Marine Systems in Sunnyvale ; landing craft were built by Food Machinery Corporation , which later built
640-536: A vast tract of land stretching from Palo Alto to Gilroy, was founded by Franciscans in 1777. San Jose was California's first town and was also founded in 1777 by Spain as an agricultural pueblo. There were 66 original settlers. In Spanish and Mexican times the land was devoted to cattle, as was most of California. Following the Mexican–American War San Jose was briefly the capital of California. The influx of Americans resulted in relocation of many of
704-853: A whole, as it straddles the major political fault lines of the state. Before 1904, however, it was a solidly Democratic county whilst the state leaned Republican, voting Democratic in every election from its creation in 1876 up to and including 1900, although California only voted Democratic in 1880 and 1892 . As of May 2010, the California Secretary of State reports that San Benito County has 34,562 eligible voters. Of those 24,736 (71.57%) are registered voters. Of those, 11,959 (48.35%) are registered Democratic, 7,477 (30.23%) are registered Republican, 565 (2.28%)are registered American Independent, and 116 (0.47%) are Green Party. The two incorporated municipalities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista have Democratic majorities on their voter rolls, whereas
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#1732766050224768-470: Is a geologic trough in Northern California that extends 90 miles (140 km) south–southeast from San Francisco to Hollister . The longitudinal valley is bordered on the west by the Santa Cruz Mountains and on the east by the Diablo Range ; the two coastal ranges meet south of Hollister. The San Francisco Bay borders the valley to the north, and fills much of the northern third of
832-536: Is a valley that has undergone the wearing away of the Earth's surface by natural agents. The underlying geology of the Santa Cruz Mountains was also formed by the sediment of the ancient seas, where marine shale points to Miocene origin. Today, evidence of this is still found in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where shark 's teeth and the remains of maritime life are still found as high as Scotts Valley ,
896-402: Is also considered a bellwether county for California in presidential elections; since 1904 the only candidates to carry the state without winning this county have been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 and Harry S. Truman in 1948 . The county's bellwether status goes beyond presidential politics to ballot initiatives and statewide candidates, as its election results mirror those of the state as
960-812: Is high enough and the average annual temperature is cool enough to support mixed conifer forest. At San Benito Mountain, the high elevation climate and extreme geology of the New Idria serpentine , supports a unique mixed-conifer forest that includes foothill pine , Coulter pine , Jeffrey pine , and incense cedar . The extreme conditions of the serpentine soils of the New Idria serpentine mass support many rare local endemic plant species including San Benito evening primrose ( Camissonia benitensis ), rayless layia ( Layia discoidea ), Guirado's goldenrod ( Solidago guiradonis ), and San Benito fritillary ( Fritillaria viridea ). The plant species Benitoa occidentalis
1024-457: Is the 16th elected Sheriff-Coroner-Marshal of San Benito County. He was appointed on June 25, 2021, and was elected in June 2022. His term began on January 2, 2023. The San Benito County Sheriff provides law enforcement services, search and rescue, court security, marshal services, correctional facility operations and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol and detective services for
1088-572: The Great Depression . Bankrupt farmers from the Dust Bowl , the Okies , made the trek to California . Desperate to feed their families, they joined a workforce that was itself impacted by unemployment. The growers, with record low prices and surplus supply, could pay little. Labor organizers and goon squads battled in the labor camps. Woody Guthrie 's songs were on the radio and he wrote
1152-785: The M113 armored personnel carrier, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle , and the XR311 at its facility in Santa Clara ; and an IBM factory began manufacturing punch cards in San Jose in 1943. About 1,000 Japanese were interned , losing substantial property. Wartime production drew workers, including women , from the orchards and canneries; they were replaced by Mexican Americans from Texas and California and by Mexican braceros . Neighborhoods in East San Jose, such as
1216-651: The Meadowfair district, became barrios . The Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile was built during the Cold War by Lockheed Missiles & Space Division in Sunnyvale for the United States Navy , while Northrop Grumman Marine Systems built the launch tubes and propulsion systems. For the most part, the defense industry and traditional electronics manufacturers, with the exception of IBM, in
1280-837: The Monterey Bay Area through governmental organizations such as the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments as well as the Pajaro River , which flows from northern San Benito County into the Monterey Bay . The United States Census Bureau includes the county in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA and the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland CSA , which the Census uses as a statistical definition of
1344-477: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,390 square miles (3,600 km ), of which 1,388 square miles (3,595 km ) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km ) is water (0.1%). Sharing a border with Santa Clara County , San Benito County lies adjacent to the San Francisco Bay Area and is sometimes considered a part of that region. Frequently, the county is associated with
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#17327660502241408-543: The census of 2000, there were 53,234 people, 15,885 households, and 12,898 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15 people/km ). There were 16,499 housing units at an average density of 12 units per square mile (4.6 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county in 2010 was 38.3% non-Hispanic White , 0.6% non-Hispanic Black or African American , 0.4% Native American , 2.3% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.1% from other races , and 1.7% from two or more races. 56.4% of
1472-592: The 1960s transformed the area from farmland to densely populated cities, and it became referred to as the Silicon Valley . Once primarily agricultural because of its highly fertile soil, Santa Clara Valley is now largely urbanized, although its far southern reaches south of Gilroy remain agrarian. Few traces of its agricultural past can still be found, but the Santa Clara Valley American Viticultural Area remains
1536-531: The 19th century, 37,388 metric tons of mercury were extracted from the New Almaden mine south of San Jose and northeast of Santa Cruz . The area, closed for many years, resulted in pollution of the Guadalupe River and South San Francisco Bay. After intermittent mining operations finally ceased in the 20th century, the area was purchased by Santa Clara County to be used as a park and was designated
1600-414: The California legislature formed San Benito County from a section of Monterey County while naming Hollister as the new county seat. Sections of Merced and Fresno Counties were also later reassigned to San Benito County in 1887 as a result of the growth of the New Idria community. Other towns in the county which were founded early in the county's history include Tres Pinos and Paicines . According to
1664-635: The San Francisco Bay Area. The county also borders Merced County and Fresno County on the east, which extend into California's San Joaquin Valley . It borders Santa Cruz County on the west and Monterey County on the southwest border. The county is also the location of the Mount Harlan and San Benito American Viticultural Areas . The latter contains the Cienega Valley , Lime Kiln Valley , and Paicines AVAs. Due to
1728-682: The Santa Clara Valley and elsewhere in California until it was suppressed and its leaders jailed in 1934 by the State of California following sustained attacks by business and political forces which, in San Jose, resulted in an atmosphere of terror (the low point of which was a public lynching tacitly supported by James Rolph , the Governor of California). The canneries, with a segregated seasonal work force of white women, were eventually organized, at first by an AFL-affiliated company union, but one which gradually evolved, thanks to rank and file efforts, into
1792-486: The Santa Clara Valley is often supplemented by grants from private foundations set up for that purpose and funded by local residents. Schools in less favorable demographics must depend on state funding. Cities and towns in the Santa Clara Valley include (in alphabetical order): Because technology companies have spread out from Silicon Valley, Fremont and Newark , even though they are not in Santa Clara County, are often included in discussions about Silicon Valley, or, in
1856-619: The Santa Clara Valley was recorded in Los Gatos on June 9, 2000, with a temperature of 114 °F (46 °C) and the record low was recorded in Gilroy on December 23, 1990, with a temperature of 16 °F (−9 °C). Temperatures drop below 40 °F (4 °C) on average of 17 days per year, below freezing on average of 4 days per year and below 30 °F (−1 °C) on average of 0 days per year (none). More recently, extensive droughts in California , further complicated by drainage of
1920-574: The Santa Clara Valley were unionized, mainly by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers , International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , and Teamsters. The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America , a communist dominated union, but friendly to minority and women workers, gradually lost its place during the McCarthy era. In the 1950s, the first transistor industries were established in
1984-468: The Santa Clara Valley. The need for workers greatly exceeded the local population and in the nineteenth century, Chinese and Japanese immigrants met that need. Toward the end of the nineteenth century many Italians and other immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe came to the valley and worked in the orchards and canneries. During the 20th century there were Filipino immigrants and increasing numbers of immigrants from Mexico who during World War II became
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2048-407: The age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 3.64. In the county 32.2% of the population was under
2112-456: The age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 57,469, and the median income for a family was $ 60,665. Males had a median income of $ 44,158 versus $ 29,524 for females. The per capita income for
2176-453: The area. Led by Stanford University , the lower San Francisco Peninsula became a global high-tech hub known as Silicon Valley . The name refers to silicon , the most common semiconductor used to produce microchips and other electronic devices. The borders of Silicon Valley have been variously defined. Most observers include the entirety of Santa Clara County and the southern portions of San Mateo and Alameda counties, while others extend
2240-663: The arrival of the first European settlers, the San Benito County area was inhabited by the Mutsun sub-group of the Ohlone Native Americans . In 1772 Father Juan Crespí conducted a brief expedition into the area and named a small river which he found in honor of San Benito de Nursia ( Saint Benedict ), the patron saint of monasticism. The county was later named after the San Benito Valley ,
2304-626: The case of Fremont, referred to as the "Gateway to the Silicon Valley" (a title also claimed occasionally by San Jose, Union City , and several other locations). Similarly, Palo Alto , while in Santa Clara County and considered part of Silicon Valley , is on the San Francisco Peninsula . There are a number of well-known structures and sites of interest in the South Bay: Santa Clara Valley
2368-533: The central portion of the Santa Clara Valley is often considered by itself, contained entirely within Santa Clara County. The valley, named after the Spanish Mission Santa Clara , was for a time known as the Valley of Heart's Delight for its high concentration of orchards, flowering trees, and plants. Until the 1960s it was the largest fruit-producing and packing region in the world, with 39 canneries . The growing high-tech industry in
2432-623: The county had a population of 64,209, as of the 2020 census . The county seat is the city of Hollister . San Benito County is included in the San Jose - Sunnyvale - Santa Clara , CA Metropolitan Statistical Area , which is also included in the San Jose- San Francisco - Oakland , CA Combined Statistical Area . El Camino Real passes through the county and includes one mission in San Juan Bautista . Before
2496-410: The county was $ 20,932. About 6.7% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. County government is overseen by a five-member elected Board of Supervisors, who serve four-year terms of office. Other elected county leaders include: San Benito County had the last elected Marshal in California until 2010 when
2560-426: The dominant agricultural workforce. The town of San Jose was dominated by its business community, which was in part composed of Irish Catholics, who had a self-contained social life which did not include immigrant labor. There was marked prejudice against Asians, particularly Chinese, who gradually left the valley. Deflation and overproduction severely hurt the orchards and packers of the Santa Clara Valley during
2624-639: The economy and agriculture in general, the county voters approved a measure in 2014 that bans well stimulation techniques such as fracking , acidizing and steam injection, along with conventional drilling in some areas. In the 1950s, the oil drilling industry had many wells and the county is over the Monterey Shale formation but there is very little activity now. According to the San Benito County Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County,
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2688-437: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Valley&oldid=962800317 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages West Valley (California) The Santa Clara Valley ( Spanish : Valle de Santa Clara )
2752-608: The local Anderson reservoir for seismic repairs, have strained the Valley's water security . . San Benito County, California San Benito County ( / ˌ s æ n b ə ˈ n iː t oʊ / ; San Benito , Spanish for " St. Benedict "), officially the County of San Benito , is a county located in the Central Coast region of California . Situated in the California Coast Ranges ,
2816-448: The native Mexican and Indian people of San Jose to the mission at Santa Clara, which had been under control of Jesuits from 1850; they founded Santa Clara University there in 1851. In 1860, as an American town, the population of San Jose was 4,579, with cattle ranching still the main agricultural activity. For a time wheat became the main crop, but in the 1870s fruit gradually became the main crop and processing of fruit by drying or canning
2880-640: The office closed. Shasta and Trinity Counties still have appointed Marshals. In the United States House of Representatives , San Benito County is part of California's 18th congressional district , represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren . In the California State Legislature , San Benito County is in the 17th Senate District , represented by Democrat John Laird , and in the 29th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Robert Rivas . Eric S. Taylor
2944-440: The only use we will ever find for the hydrogen bomb will be to erase this great mistake from the face of the earth." Housing for each additional 1000 people took 257 acres of land. In more recent years, San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley have suffered from extensive droughts in California to the extent that some residents may run out of household water by the summer of 2022. Funding for public schools in upscale communities in
3008-411: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 7.6% were of German , 6.3% Irish and 5.4% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000 . 62.8% spoke only English at home, while 35.3% spoke Spanish . As of the 2010 census , San Benito County was the only county in the greater San Francisco Bay Area with a Hispanic majority. There were 15,885 households, out of which 46.3% had children under
3072-588: The predominant industry. The railroad reached San Jose in 1860. The valley with its scenic beauty, mild climate, and thousands of acres of blooming fruit trees was known as "The Valley of Heart's Delight". Various fruit cooperatives were formed in the area to deal with economic issues, including the California Fruit Union (founded in 1883) and the Santa Clara County Fruit Exchange (founded in 1892). Prunes were
3136-541: The recently recognized San Joaquin Desert biome. The flora there includes saltbush scrub, San Joaquin Desert scrub, and California juniper woodland. Panoche Hills navarretia ( Navarretia panochensis ) is nearly endemic to this small portion of the San Joaquin Desert in San Benito County. At the highest elevations of San Benito County at Fremont Peak and San Benito Mountain , the average annual precipitation
3200-505: The region northwest to San Francisco or northeast to San Ramon . In 1950, Dutch Hamann was appointed city manager of San Jose. Hamann's boosterism was supported by Joe Ridder , publisher of the San Jose Mercury . In power until 1969, Hamann created a master plan for San Jose and embarked on a program of annexation that increased the area of San Jose from 17 square miles to 136.7 square miles. The main bargaining chip
3264-490: The southern areas and near the mountains (such as Los Gatos , Morgan Hill , or Gilroy ) the temperature frequently exceeds 95 °F (35 °C) in the summer months. Winter is the rainy season, but still quite sunny. Winter highs range from 57 to 66 °F (14 to 19 °C) while lows range from 40 to 48 °F (4 to 9 °C). Summer highs range from 82 to 95 °F (28 to 35 °C) and summer lows range from 53 to 58 °F (12 to 14 °C). The record high for
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#17327660502243328-667: The top employers in the county are: San Benito County receives media in Monterey County , including the major Monterey County TV and radio stations. The county also has several media outlets that serve the local community: CMAP TV - Community Media Access Partnership, based in Gilroy, operates Channels 17, 18, 19 & 20 on Charter/Spectrum Cable as well as streaming online, offering public access and educational programming to Gilroy and San Benito County as well as offering live civic meetings, including county government. San Benito County Express provides fixed route service in
3392-497: The transverse divide is about two miles from the former town of Madrone at an elevation of 345 feet (105 meters), but the alluvial plain is so continuous that most travelers are unaware they are crossing between two drainage basins . The earliest known inhabitants on the Santa Clara Valley are the Ohlone people , who had eight distinct languages and tribes in the coastal region. Mission Santa Clara de Asís , which had control over
3456-527: The unincorporated areas of San Benito County have a small Republican plurality in voter registration. The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. The economy is statistically included in metro San Jose, though the dominant activity is agriculture. Agritourism is growing as the county has destination wineries, organic farms and quaint inns with views of cattle grazing. With concerns about how oil and gas operations could impact this sector of
3520-523: The unincorporated areas of the county. Hollister (the County Seat) has a municipal police department. The Sheriff is contracted to provide law enforcement service to the incorporated City of San Juan Bautista. San Benito is a Democratic -leaning county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was George H. W. Bush in 1988 . San Benito
3584-463: The valley from the Pacific Ocean, and by the Diablo Range on the northeast. The valley is approximately 93 miles (150 km) long by 15 miles (20 km) wide. Its largest city is San Jose . Santa Clara Valley has a Mediterranean semi-arid climate. Joseph S. Diller, a geologist, observed in 1915 that a "notable peculiarity" of the Santa Clara Valley is that "it is divided transversely by
3648-557: The valley surrounding this river. Thus it was from the Spanish version of the saint's name that the county eventually took its name. In 1797 Spanish missionaries founded the first European settlement in the county as the San Juan Bautista mission . In 1848 the United States government gained control over what would soon become the state of California , which included the area now known as San Benito county. The town of New Idria
3712-472: The valley. The valley floor is an alluvial plain that formed in the graben (tectonic depression) between the San Andreas Fault to the west and the Hayward and Calaveras faults to the east. Within the valley and surrounding the bay on three sides are the urban communities of San Mateo County , Santa Clara County , and Alameda County , while the narrow southern reaches of the valley extend into rural San Benito County to Hollister. In practical terms,
3776-411: The varied topography, diverse geology, and varied climate from near-coastal to inland, San Benito County contains a high diversity of vegetation types. Common vegetation types include annual grasslands, coastal scrub , chaparral , and oak woodland . In the extreme southeastern portion of San Benito County at Panoche Valley, Panoche Hills , Tumey Hills , and Vallecitos, the climate is arid and part of
3840-438: Was created by the sudden growth of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range during the later Cenozoic era. This was a period of intense mountain building in California when the folding and thrusting of the Earth's crust , combined with active volcanism , gave shape to the present state of California. Hence, Santa Clara Valley is a structural valley, created by mountain building, as opposed to an erosional valley, which
3904-661: Was discovered in the county in 1926. A California condor was found shot to death in the county on July 22, 2022, leading to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service posting a $ 5,000 reward for information on the killer. The 2010 United States Census reported that San Benito County had a population of 55,269. The racial makeup of San Benito County was 35,181 (63.7%) White , 483 (0.9%) African American , 895 (1.6%) Native American , 1,443 (2.6%) Asian , 94 (0.2%) Pacific Islander , 14,471 (26.2%) from other races , and 2,702 (4.9%) from two or more races. There were 31,186 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (56.4%). As of
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#17327660502243968-432: Was named for San Benito County. Camissonia benitensis , Monardella antonina subsp. benitensis , and Arctostaphylos benitoensis were named in recognition of their being endemic or near-endemic to San Benito County. The species Hollisteria lanata was named after William Welles Hollister , namesake of the city of Hollister. Illacme plenipes , a millipede having more legs than any other millipede species ,
4032-432: Was the next town to develop in the area and was founded ca. 1857. New Idria was centered around the New Idria Mercury Mine . When the mine played out fairly recently in 1972, New Idria was abandoned, and the town is now one of California's many ghost-towns. The town of Hollister was next founded on November 19, 1868, by William Welles Hollister on the grounds of the former Mexican land-grant Rancho San Justo . In 1874
4096-656: Was the superior sewage system built to handle cannery waste. To overcome resistance by school districts, who otherwise would have lost their tax base, annexed areas were allowed to maintain independent school districts. This resulted in some parts of the city, such as East San Jose , having low-quality segregated school systems with a low tax base while school systems in other parts of San Jose had an ample tax base and high-quality schools. The population of San Jose increased from 95 thousand in 1950 to 446 thousand in 1970. There were critics: Santa Clara County Planning Director Karl Belser, who opposed urban sprawl , commented, "Perhaps
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