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Welcome to San Jose, CA

The city of San Jose is located in Northern California, approximately 50 miles south of San Francisco, and 390 miles north of Los Angeles. San Jose, named after Saint Joseph, patron saint of pioneers and travelers, was officially founded in 1777 with the establishment of El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe by Captain Juan Bautista de Anza. The settlement was the first in the Spanish colony of Nueva California. With the prosperous industry of mercury mining that Andres Castillero started in the area in 1845, San Jose grew in importance as the Gold Rush miners demanded increasing amounts of mercury to create the amalgam necessary to mine gold. The New Almaden mines of south San Jose became the largest in North America, giving up over 75,000,000 pounds of elemental mercury. When California became a state in 1850, San Jose was its first incorporated city, the first state capital, and was home to the state’s first public institution of higher education—the San Jose State University.

Today San Jose is home to approximately 930,000 residents, and is the 10th largest city in the United States. Industry growth that took place in the later decades of the 20th century brought San Jose to the forefront of the technology sector, earning the city the nickname Capital of Silicon Valley. The San Jose area is home to more than 6,600 technology companies, including engineering, computer, and microprocessor companies. Aiding the city in its status as a technology hub is the presence of its three major universities—San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, and Stanford University—which help support the economy in business and research. San Jose has repeatedly been included in lists of “most livable” cities not only for its lucrative career opportunities and high-ranking education programs, but also for its relatively low crime rate, beautiful climate, recreational possibilities, and cultural attractions. The city boasts world-class shopping and dining at premier locations such as the district Santana Row, as well as galleries and significant museums, such as the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum.

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