Saratoga, California

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For the former mining town also called Saratoga in Amador County, see Yeomet, California.
City of Saratoga
—  City  —
Location in Santa Clara County and the state of California
Coordinates: 37°16′21″N 122°1′10″W / 37.2725°N 122.01944°W / 37.2725; -122.01944Coordinates: 37°16′21″N 122°1′10″W / 37.2725°N 122.01944°W / 37.2725; -122.01944
Country United States
State California
County Santa Clara
Incorporated 1956
Government
 - Mayor Kathleen King
 - Vice Mayor Jill Hunter
 - Councilmember Susie V. Nagpal
 - Councilmember Howard Miller
 - Councilmember Chuck Page
Area
 - Total 12.11 sq mi (31.4 km2)
 - Land 12.11 sq mi (31.4 km2)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation[1] 410 ft (125 m)
Population (2000)[2]
 - Total 30,318
 - Density 2,465.3/sq mi (951.9/km2)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 - Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 95070-95071
Area code(s) 408
FIPS code 06-70280
GNIS feature ID 1656315
Website http://www.saratoga.ca.us/

Saratoga (pronounced /ˌsærəˈtoʊɡə/[3]) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 30,318 at the 2007 census.

Located on the western edge of the Silicon Valley, Saratoga is locally known for its suburban small-town feel, wineries, and high-end boutiques. In 2008, CNN/Money ranked Saratoga number 4 in its listing of top-earning towns.[4] Saratoga was also ranked by Forbes in 2009 as one of America's top 20 most educated small towns.[5] Major attractions include Villa Montalvo, Hakone Gardens, and the Mountain Winery.

Contents

[edit] History

The European settlement of what is now Saratoga occurred in 1848, when William Campbell (father of Benjamin Campbell, the founder of nearby Campbell, California) constructed a sawmill about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of the present downtown area. An early map noted the area as Campbell's Gap. In 1851, Martin McCarthy, who had leased the mill, built a toll road down to the Santa Clara Valley. The toll gate was located at the present day intersection of Big Basin Way and 3rd St., giving the town its first widely used name: Toll Gate. In 1855 the town received a post office under the name of McCarthysville.

Industry soon sprang up: at its height the town had a furniture factory, grist mill, tannery, and a paper factory. To commemorate this newfound productivity, the town was renamed yet again in 1863, this time as Bank Mills. Shortly after this, however, a spring was discovered which had a mineral content similar to the springs at Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1865, the town received its final name, Saratoga. At the same time, a resort hotel was constructed at the springs, and it attracted tourists to the area until it burned down in 1903.

Downtown Saratoga, facing southwest at the intersection of Saratoga-Los Gatos Blvd. (to the southeast) and Saratoga Ave (the road on which this picture is taken from) and Big Basin Way/State Route 9 (ahead), and Saratoga-Sunnyvale road (to the north)

Saratoga then became quietly agricultural, along with much of the rest of the valley. A few vineyards and orchards from this period remain today. After World War II, the town quickly became urbanized, and it incorporated in 1956, mostly to avoid being annexed to San Jose. A slogan during the campaign to incorporate the city of Saratoga was "Keep it rural," according to historian Willys I. Peck. Today the city serves as a bedroom community for upper-middle class Silicon Valley tech workers.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local

Saratoga is a general law city under California law, meaning that the organization and powers of the city are established by state law. It has a council-manager form of government.

The city council is made up of five members elected by the public. The council appoints a mayor and vice-mayor from its membership, with the vice-mayor serving in the absence of the mayor. The mayor has no veto power, but acts as chairman for council meetings, and serves as a visible head of government. Council members serve four-year terms, with the election of two and three members staggered every two years.

The city manager is the administrative head of the government, and also serves as city treasurer. The manager's duties include preparing financial reports, submitting an annual budget, managing city employees, seeing that city ordinances are enforced, supervising city property, and investigating complaints against the city. The manager also appoints the city clerk.

In addition to the council and manager, the city has a number of commissions that serve to advise the council on various issues. Commission members are appointed by the council, and serve a maximum of two four year terms. Currently, the city has commissions for finance, heritage preservation, the library, parks and recreation, planning, and traffic safety. Also, the city has a Youth Commission, which consists of middle and high school students who represent Saratoga youth in government and serve one or two year terms.

[edit] State and Federal

In the state legislature Saratoga is located in the 15th Senate District, represented by Republican Abel Maldonado, and in the 24th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Jim Beall. Federally, Saratoga is located in California's 14th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +18[6] and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo.

[edit] Geography

Saratoga is located at 37°16′21″N 122°01′10″W / 37.272443°N 122.019538°W / 37.272443; -122.019538.[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.4 km²), all of it land. Within its borders, Saratoga includes lush redwood forests, foothills suitable for wine grapes and sunny valley floor once covered with prune and apricot orchards, now with suburban homes, schools and churches.

Neighborhoods in Saratoga include Brookview and Pride's Crossing in the north part of the city, Blue Hills and Greenbrier in the northwest area, and Congress Springs in the southwestern corner of Saratoga. The Golden Triangle, a name invented by real estate agents, is an area bounded by Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Cox Avenue. The Golden Triangle consists mostly of affordable (1 to 2.9 million dollars) four-bedroom ranch homes on quarter acre lots gradually being replaced by Mediterranean custom designs. Northeast of the Golden Triangle is a neighborhood known as Saratoga Woods, a small community located behind Prospect High School north of Cox. Bellgrove Circle is a popular neighborhood located next to highway 85. The land of Bellgrove Circle, once used as a vineyard, was previously owned by Paul Masson Winery and is east of Saratoga Avenue and north of Rt 85. Kentfield is south of Rt 85 and also east of Saratoga Avenue. Parker Ranch is a very affluent neighborhood with 1 acre minimum lots, west of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and up into the hills. The downtown area along Big Basin Way is known as the Village.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 29,843 people, 10,450 households, and 8,600 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,465.3 people per square mile (951.5/km²). There were 10,649 housing units at an average density of 879.7/sq mi (339.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.39% White, 0.39% African American, 0.15% Native American, 29.08% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.14% of the population.

There were 10,450 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.0% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.13. The population age distribution is as follows: 26.0% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $137,270, and the median income for a family was $159,765.[8] Males had a median income of $75,000 versus $66,240 for females. The per capita income for the city was $65,400. About 1.8% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 2.6% over 64.

[edit] Transportation

Saratoga has several major roads, including Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, Saratoga-Los Gatos Road (Highway 9), Cox Avenue, Saratoga Avenue, Pierce Road, Quito Road and Congress Springs Road . The West Valley Freeway (Highway 85) was completed in 1994 and passes through northeast Saratoga, and a railroad, now rarely in use, travels parallel to the highway. The railway, which from 1908 to 1964 delivered commuters to San Francisco in as little as 90 minutes, now only sees an occasional freight train. Highway 85 has one onramp/offramp within the city, at Saratoga Avenue; while the original plans for the freeway also included exits at Quito Road and Prospect Avenue, objections by residents kept those interchanges from being constructed. Street signs are brown in color.

Saratoga has no train or light rail service and very minimal bus service.

Saratoga also has a zoning code aimed at preserving a semi-rural appearance. Saratoga emphasizes its semi-rural appearance by foregoing street lights and sidewalks on most residential streets. This, in addition to the excellent schools, causes Saratoga to have high housing costs.

The Blue Hills neighborhood of Saratoga has many hiking trails for use by residents that are owned by the City of Saratoga.

[edit] Sister cities

[edit] Notable natives

[edit] Attractions

[edit] Education

[edit] Primary and secondary schools

[edit] Public schools

Various school districts serve Saratoga.

Elementary school districts that serve Saratoga include:

High school districts that serve Saratoga include:

[edit] Saratoga Union School District
[edit] Campbell Union School District
[edit] Cupertino Union School District
[edit] Moreland School District
[edit] Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District
[edit] Fremont Union High School District
[edit] Campbell Union High School District

[edit] Private schools

[edit] Colleges and Universities

[edit] Public libraries

Santa Clara County Library operates the Saratoga Library.[10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System:
  2. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ OED
  4. ^ "Top-earning towns". http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0807/gallery.bplive_topearners.moneymag/4.html. 
  5. ^ "Forbes- America's Most Educated Small Towns". http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/02/educated-small-towns-forbeslife-cx_jd_0105realestate_slide_6.html?thisSpeed=15000. 
  6. ^ "Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?". Campaign Legal Center Blog. http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html. Retrieved 2008-02-10. 
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US0668378&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US06%7C16000US0668378&_street=&_county=saratoga&_cityTown=saratoga&_state=04000US06&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
  9. ^ http://www.posthoc.com/beth.htm | retrieved 18 November 2009
  10. ^ "Welcome to the Saratoga Library." Santa Clara County Library. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.

[edit] External links

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