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| == Transportation== | == Transportation== | ||
| The San Jose area has a well-developed freeway system, including three ]s. San Jose's boom in the ] has caused |
The San Jose area has a well-developed freeway system, including three ]s. San Jose's boom in the ] has caused a lot of traffic in the area. Rail service to San Jose is provided by ], ] (commuter rail service to San Francisco), and a local light-rail system connecting downtown to ], ], and ]. San Jose is served by ], 2 miles northwest of downtown, as well as ], 35 miles northwest. | ||
| == Attractions == | == Attractions == | ||
Revision as of 19:51, 29 October 2003
San Jose is a major California city and the county seat of Santa Clara County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 894,943. It is located at the south side of the San Francisco Bay, and is the largest city of the Silicon Valley.
San Jose was founded in 1777 and was the first incorporated city in the state. It also served as the first state capital with the first and second sessions of the California Legislature being held there in 1850 and 1851.
With a population of nearly a million people, San Jose is the third most populous city in the state. Originally a farming community, San Jose produced a significant amount of fruits and vegetables until the 1960s, and a local school team name at the time was "the prunes".
The Guadalupe River runs from the Santa Cruz mountains (which separate the South Bay from the Pacific Coast) flowing north through San Jose, ending in the San Francisco Bay at Alviso. Along the southern part of the river is the suburb of Almaden, originally named for the mercury mines which produced mercury fulminate blasting caps and detonators for the U.S. military from 1870 to 1945.
San Jose is the home of the San Jose Sharks National Hockey League team, San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League and the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.
Geography
San Jose is located at 37°18'15" North, 121°52'22" West (37.304051, -121.872734).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 461.5 km² (178.2 mi²). 452.9 km² (174.9 mi²) of it is land and 8.6 km² (3.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.86% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 894,943 people, 276,598 households, and 203,576 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,976.1/km² (5,117.9/mi²). There are 281,841 housing units at an average density of 622.3/km² (1,611.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 47.49% White, 3.50% African American, 0.77% Native American, 26.86% Asian American, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 15.94% from other races, and 5.04% from two or more races. 30.17% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 276,598 households out of which 38.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% are married couples living together, 11.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% are non-families. 18.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.20 and the average family size is 3.62.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $70,243, and the median income for a family is $74,813. Males have a median income of $49,347 versus $36,936 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,697. 8.8% of the population and 6.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 10.3% are under the age of 18 and 7.4% are 65 or older.
Transportation
The San Jose area has a well-developed freeway system, including three Interstate highways. San Jose's boom in the tech bubble has caused a lot of traffic in the area. Rail service to San Jose is provided by Amtrak, CalTrain (commuter rail service to San Francisco), and a local light-rail system connecting downtown to Mountain View, Milpitas, and Almaden. San Jose is served by San Jose International Airport, 2 miles northwest of downtown, as well as San Francisco International Airport, 35 miles northwest.
Attractions
- Alum Rock Park, 740 acres in East San Jose, the oldest municipal park in California.
- Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, the oldest parish in California.
- Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
- Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, home of the largest Beethoven collection outside Europe.
- Lick Observatory, home of the one time largest telescope in the world.
- Peralta Adobe, a restored adobe home showing the lifestyle of Spanish and Mexican California.
- Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, home of the largest collection of Egyptian relics in the western United States.
- Winchester Mystery House, a sprawling, 160 room Victorian mansion built by Sarah Winchester.