San Jose is in
Santa Clara County and is the county seat. It lies southeast of
San Francisco along U.S.
Highway 101, between
Hayward and San Juan Batista.
Jose Joaquin Moraga established the pueblo of San Jose in 1777. It was the first non-military settlement in California, a farm community that grew food for the presidios (forts) in Monterey and San Francisco.
Today, San Jose is the state's third largest city. It claims to be the capital of Silicon Valley, a garland of cities whose economies are based on high-technology research and manufacturing. Founded in 1857, San Jose State University is the first of the state's public universities. Other points of interest are the San Jose Museum of Art, showing the works of photographers, sculptors and painters of the 1900s; and the Tech Museum of Innovation, displaying inventions from Silicon Valley. Alum Rock Park offers many kilometers of hiking and equestrian trails.
San Jose is part of the San Jose, California metro area.
