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Santa Cruz County, California
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Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of 2006 its population is 249,705. The county seat is Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz County is a member of the regional governmental agency, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.
HistorySanta 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, 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.
GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 607 square miles (1,573 km˛), of which, 445 square miles (1,153 km˛) of it is land and 162 square miles (419 km˛) of it (26.67%) is water. Of California's counties, only San Francisco is physically smaller.
The county is a strip about ten miles 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. 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 Incorporated Cities:
Unincorporated Towns:
Adjacent counties
- Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge
Transportation Infrastructure Major Highways
Public TransportationSanta 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
DemographicsAccording to the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP), the population of Santa Cruz County on on July 1, 2006 was 249,705. This is a 2.3% drop from the recorded number of people on April 1, 2000; the PEP builds this estimate from such year-by-year information as births, deaths, domestic and international immigration. For more information, see the Census Bureau's QuickFacts sheet at http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06087.html.
As of the census 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/km˛). There were 98,873 housing units at an average density of 222 per square mile (86/km˛). The racial makeup of the county was 75.09% White, 0.97% Black or African American, 0.96% Native American, 3.44% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 15.02% from other races, and 4.37% from two or more races. 26.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 10.0% were of German, 8.9% English, 8.2% Irish and 6.3% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 72.5% spoke English and 22.3%Spanish as their first language. 2.3% (approximately 6,000) register as Jewish, placing Santa Cruz County as the 91st highest percentage of Jews in the United States (see American Jews).
There were 91,139 households out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.00% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.30% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.20% 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 23.80% under the age of 18, 11.90% from 18 to 24, 30.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.80 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 6.70% of families and 11.90% 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%.
Environmental featuresSanta Cruz County is home to the following endangered species:
Colleges and UniversitiesFour-year universities:
Two-year colleges:
Politics Presidential election results | Year | DEM | GOP | Others |
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| 2004 | 73.0% 89,102 | 24.9% 30,354 | 2.2% 2,628 | | 2000 | 61.5% 66,618 | 27.3% 29,627 | 11.2% 12,105 | | 1996 | 56.5% 58,250 | 26.9% 27,766 | 16.5% 17,046 | | 1992 | 58.1% 66,183 | 21.9% 24,916 | 20.1% 22,893 | | 1988 | 61.5% 63,133 | 36.8% 37,728 | 1.7% 1,750 | | 1984 | 53.3% 49,091 | 45.2% 41,652 | 1.5% 1,404 | | 1980 | 37.7% 32,346 | 43.5% 37,347 | 18.8% 16,111 | | 1976 | 51.1% 37,772 | 43.1% 31,872 | 5.9% 4,325 | | 1972 | 46.4% 32,336 | 49.9% 34,799 | 3.8% 2,624 | | 1968 | 41.0% 20,492 | 50.8% 25,365 | 8.2% 4,087 | | 1964 | 58.5% 26,714 | 41.3% 18,836 | 0.2% 94 | | 1960 | 40.0% 16,659 | 59.6% 24,858 | 0.5% 187 | |
Santa Cruz is a strongly Democratic county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was Richard Nixon in 1968. In 2004, residents of Santa Cruz County voted nearly three to one for Democrat John Kerry over Republican George W. Bush in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. All of the cities, towns, and unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County have more registered Democrats than Republicans.
Santa Cruz is part of California's 14th and 17th congressional districts, which are held by Democrats Anna Eshoo and Sam Farr, respectively. In the State Assembly Santa Cruz is in the 27th and 28th Assembly districts, which are held by Democrats John Laird and Anna Caballero, respectively. In the State Senate, Santa Cruz is part of the 11th and 15th districts, which are held by Democrat Joe Simitian and Republican Abel Maldonado, respectively.
See also
Santa Cruz County winemaking and wineriesWinemaking -- 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.
Sources- Taber, George M. Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the historic 1976 Paris Tasting that Revolutionized Wine. NY: Scribner, 2005.
External links- -- from Santa Cruz Public Library
- - grassroots network for sharing information!
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