Santa Clara is a family oriented and business friendly city, with an award-winning ethics program and a commitment to fostering public trust.  In the heart of Silicon Valley, the City is located in Santa Clara County at the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, about 45 miles south of San Francisco, and in a strategic regional location convenient to freeways, airports, railroads, expressways, light rail and other public transportation. "The Mission City," as Santa Clara is known, was founded in 1852. It is now a community of about 118,830 residents with employment base of about 106,750. With 19.3 square miles of tree-lined neighborhoods, thriving commercial and industrial centers, and 300 days of sunshine each year, it is an ideal location for individuals, families, and businesses.

Visitors and residents enjoy Sunnyvale’s beautiful, clean suburban setting, efficient, high-quality city services, low crime rate, quality schools and 18 prize-winning parks. Through its innovative and cost effective Public Safety Department concept, which combines traditional fire and police functions into one department, the city offers its citizens and businesses an award-winning record of safety and efficiency. Some of the nation’s most successful business and industrial leaders are located in Sunnyvale, including AMD, Network Appliance and Yahoo!. Residents can drive within an hour to many distinguished educational institutions, including Stanford University, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University and University of California. Foothill, De Anza, West Valley and Mission Community Colleges and Cogswell College are only minutes away, offering high quality community college classes and programs.

Sunnyvale’s commitment to every citizen within the community sets it apart. High quality parks, a full-service library, promotion of cultural arts activities and strong support for maintenance and repair of public facilities reflect this commitment. The City is less than an hour from the Pacific Ocean, and close to California’s famous redwood forests and beautiful Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada for summer exploring and winter skiing.In the greater Sunnyvale area, theaters, concert halls, museums, libraries and art galleries fill the most demanding cultural needs. The city offers shopping convenience and variety with more than 49 neighborhood and regional centers, including downtown shopping and dining at Murphy Avenue, a unique and historic business district.