Can one little chip change an entire valley? It can when that little chip is called a semiconductor chip. Developed during the 1950s, the chip and its electronic aftermath changed the Santa Clara Valley forever.
The valley is located in Santa Clara County, which lies at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Its county seat is San Jose. Because of the booming electronics industry in Santa Clara Valley, also known as Silicon Valley, Santa Clara is the most populous county in the Bay Area region, and one of the most affluent counties in the entire nation.
Santa Clara County was one of the original counties of California, named after the state’s eighth mission. Mission Santa Clara was established in 1777; today the mission and its gardens are located on the grounds of Santa Clara University, the oldest institution of higher learning in California.
Santa Clara was once entirely agricultural, producing abundant crops of seeds and fruit. C. C. Morse and Company seed farms were once the largest seed producer in the world, employing 500 people at harvest time. Pratt-Low Preserving Company, established in 1905, sent canned apricots, pears, peaches, cherries and plums to all parts of the United States, England and the Orient, and employed up to 400 people to harvest, process and ship the fruit.
Today, the land that land that nurtured fertile orchards is home to the headquarters of Intel, Applied Materials, Sun Microsystems, NVIDIA, Agilent Technologies, and many other high-tech companies.
Historic sites in Santa Clara County include Berryessa Adobe, the city’s oldest adobe structure displaying documents, objects, and other artifacts from the era before California’s statehood in 1850. Harris-Lass House Museum is the county’s last preserved farm site; it features a large, fully-furnished Italianate-style home, barn, summer kitchen, and a tankhouse.
Data provided by GreatSchools.org 2025 © 2025. All rights reserved.
Submitting Request
Apartment Finder utilizes the industry's largest and most complete database of real-time rents and availabilities to help you find an amazing deal on your next rental.
Apartment communities change their rental rates often - sometimes multiple times a day. We track the changes and keep you up to date when a rental rate decreases.
"Best value" units are located in buildings rated three stars or higher. We label apartment rentals that are priced significantly less than similar high-quality units nearby.
Apartment communities regularly advertise deals for new residents. Whether it's a move-in special or a free tv, we locate the rentals that offer a little something extra when you sign your lease.
Note: Based on community-supplied data and independent market research. Subject to change without notice.