Mountain View, California
| City of Mountain View | |||
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| — City — | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| County | Santa Clara | ||
| Incorporated | November 7, 1902 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Ronit Bryant | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 12.2 sq mi (31.7 km2) | ||
| - Land | 12.1 sq mi (31.2 km2) | ||
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 105 ft (32 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 70,708 | ||
| - Density | 5,863/sq mi (2,263.7/km2) | ||
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | ||
| ZIP code | 94035, 94039-94043 | ||
| Area code(s) | 650 | ||
| FIPS code | 06-49670 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0277611 | ||
| Website | http://mountainview.gov/ | ||
Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.[1] The city shares its borders with the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale, as well as Moffett Federal Airfield and the San Francisco Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 70,708.
Situated in Silicon Valley, Mountain View is home to many high technology companies. In 1956, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, the first company to develop silicon semiconductor devices in what came to be known as Silicon Valley, was established in the city by William Shockley. Today, many of the largest technology companies in the world are headquartered in the city, including the Fortune 1000 companies Google, Symantec, and Intuit.
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History
Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas was split between Mariano Castro and Martin Murphy. The south eventually became the city of Sunnyvale, and the north became the city of Mountain View. The town began as a stage stop on the route between San Francisco and San Jose (corresponding to El Camino Real), close to present-day Grant Road. With the coming of the railroad, the center of town eventually moved to its current location at Castro Street.
Much of Mountain View was agricultural through the 1940s, 1950s, and most of the 1960s. Row crops and orchards were common during this era, when there was still open space between Palo Alto and Mountain View. In Bittersweet: Memories of Old Mountain View, an Oral History, residents of Japanese ancestry recall their family's strawberry fields adjoining Moffett Field. Orchards lined much of Grant Road and Miramonte. In the early 1900s, grapes were a common crop in the area of present-day Continental Circle. Phylloxera ended grape production in Mountain View in the early 1900s.
In the 1950s, the most popular places for young folk were the Monte Vista drive-in movie theater on Grant Road, Johnny Mac's Scottish-themed burger drive-in (the building still stands vacant on El Camino), and the Eagles Shack dances in the Adobe Building.
During the Cold War, the drone of Navy P-3 turboprop aircraft was a constant presence, Moffett Field being the home of squadrons of them and their almost constant touch-and-go training flights. The horns of railroad locomotives were also frequently heard.
Mountain View was once the home of Arrow Development, a designer and builder of amusement park rides. During its time in Mountain View, Arrow was contracted to build many of the original rides at Disneyland.[2]
The El Camino Hospital District, a government entity called a Special District under the California Government Code, came to life in the 1960s. The hospital facility at 2500 Grant Road has been in continual operation since.
Nearly anyone using the term Silicon Valley would include Mountain View in that region. An early Silicon Valley company was Fairchild Camera and Instrument Company, located along Whisman Road. Several of Intel's founders came from Fairchild. Local watering holes for workers included Chubby's Broiler (which once stood at Ellis and Fairchild near Hwy 101, but which moved in 1999 to near Tasman and Lawrence Expressway in Sunnyvale[3]) and Walker's Wagon Wheel on Middlefield Road near Whisman (since torn down). Folklore was that semiconductor pioneers were collaborative and met at the Wagon Wheel to discuss problems they were having with production.
Geography
Mountain View is located at (37.42223, −122.08429).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.7 km² (12.2 mi²). 31.2 km² (12.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.39%) is water.
Mountain View is located on the San Francisco Peninsula, at the north end of State Route 85, where it meets U.S. Route 101. The historic route El Camino Real also runs through Mountain View. It is bounded to the northwest by Palo Alto, to the southwest by Los Altos, to the east by Sunnyvale, to the northeast by Moffett Federal Airfield, and to the north by the San Francisco Bay.
Climate
Mountain View has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa: dry-summer subtropical). Summers are warm and dry, while winters are mild and wet.
| Climate data for Mountain View, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 57 (14) |
63 (17) |
64 (18) |
70 (21) |
73 (23) |
77 (25) |
79 (26) |
79 (26) |
79 (26) |
73 (23) |
64 (18) |
57 (14) |
69.7 (20.9) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
43 (6) |
46 (8) |
46 (8) |
52 (11) |
55 (13) |
57 (14) |
57 (14) |
55 (13) |
50 (10) |
45 (7) |
39 (4) |
48.8 (9.3) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 3.24 (82.3) |
3.181 (80.8) |
2.65 (67.3) |
0.89 (22.6) |
0.35 (8.9) |
0.11 (2.8) |
0.031 (0.8) |
0.079 (2.0) |
0.189 (4.8) |
0.85 (21.6) |
1.831 (46.5) |
2.311 (58.7) |
15.713 (399.1) |
| Source: http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/94041?from=text_bottomnav_business#climograph | |||||||||||||
Environment
As of December 24, 2009, Mountain View currently has seven sites on the Environmental Protection Agency's Final National Priorities List[5], part of the larger Superfund initiative, used to identify sites across the United States with substantial amounts of contamination and hazardous wastes.
Downtown
Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Caltrain station in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south. In addition to the Caltrain station, the transit center at Centennial Plaza contains a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) station for light rail and buses.
Going south from the Caltrain station, there are approximately four blocks with a high concentration of diverse restaurants, cafes, and shops. Chez TJ, one of the few restaurants rated by the prestigious Michelin Guide in the Bay Area, is located a block from Castro Street on Villa Street. Tied House, located next door, was one of the first brewpubs to open in the Bay Area, and remains a popular stop in downtown.
The core of downtown is the plaza shared by City Hall, the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts and the award-winning Mountain View Public Library. Behind those buildings is Pioneer Park, which enjoys a quiet environment resulting from the City Hall building blocking out the noise from Castro Street. The Plaza between City Hall and the Performing Arts Center is a well-used spot for community gatherings and events, and features an impressive collection of public art. The Mountain View Police Department is located two blocks away from Castro Street on Villa Street.
Since 1971, the city has held the annual Mountain View Art & Wine Festival on Castro Street by closing down the street to traffic for two days. There is a farmer's market in the Caltrain parking lot every Sunday morning. Every summer, once a month, the city celebrates Thursday Night Live (TNL) by closing off Castro street to cars and providing live music events and car shows on Castro Street.
Notable points of interest
- Shoreline Park runs along the bay north of U.S. Route 101. It includes Shoreline Amphitheatre as well as historic Rengstorff House.
- Googleplex, the corporate headquarters complex of Google, Inc., is located in Mountain View.
- Stevens Creek runs through Mountain View from the south. A lengthy paved pedestrian and bicycle path, the Stevens Creek Trail, runs alongside the creek for nearly its entire distance in Mountain View.
- Moffett Field is a Federal Airfield near the bay. It is home to NASA Ames Research Center.
- The Historic Adobe Building, on Moffett Boulevard, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (MVCPA) is located at 500 Castro Street in Mountain View, adjacent to City Hall. Highly acclaimed local theatre companies Peninsula Youth Theatre and TheatreWorks are among the Home Companies of the MVCPA
- San Antonio Shopping Center is a popular shopping mall in Mountain View.
- The Computer History Museum is located at 1401 North Shoreline Blvd in Mountain View, just north of Highway 101.
- St. Joseph Parish was founded in 1905, and survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, only to be burned down by a pyromaniac in 1928. The current church building was rebuilt in 1929, and is in service today. However, the site at 582 Hope Street has been in continuous operation for over a hundred years.[6]
- Mountain View was home to the St. James Infirmary Bar & Grill. Opened in 1967, it was known for its kitschy decor, notably a 30-foot-statue of Wonder Woman. The Infirmary was destroyed by an arson fire in 1998.
Economy
Mountain View is one of the major cities that make up Silicon Valley, and has many notable Silicon Valley companies either headquartered there or with a large presence.
The following notable companies are headquartered in Mountain View:
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Other notable companies with significant presences in Mountain View include:
- American Century Investments
- AOL
- Avid Technology (Pinnacle Systems)
- Microsoft
- Linden Lab
- NCsoft (Paragon Studios)
- Nokia
- Opera Software[8]
- Red Hat
- Webroot Software
- Wipro Technologies
Demographics
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 70,708 people, 31,242 households, and 15,902 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,263.7/km² (5,861.4/mi²). There were 32,432 housing units at an average density of 1,038.3/km² (2,688.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.77% White, 2.53% African American, 0.39% Native American, 20.67% Asian, 0.26% Pacific Islander, 8.32% from other races, and 4.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.26% of the population.
There were 31,242 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.1% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 43.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 106.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.9 males.
According to a 2007 estimate the median income for a household in the city was $82,648, and the median income for a family was $105,079.[10] Males had a median income of $64,585 versus $44,358 for females. The per capita income for the city was $39,693. About 3.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Mountain View has a council-manager government system. An executive city manager is in charge of several departments, while the city council, supported by several boards, commissions, and committees, is the legislature responsible for the ordinances of the city code. The executive in turn enforces the code and promulgates administrative regulations to execute it. The city clerk and attorney perform supporting roles. The Community Development Department is the agency responsible for planning and zoning.
As of January, 2009, the City Manager is Kevin Duggan, the Mayor is Ronit Bryant, and Scott S. G. Vermeer is the Police Chief and also the Interim Fire Chief. Jac Siegel is the vice-mayor. Current council member John Inks is the only registered Libertarian Party candidate on the council. The other well known council member is Tom Means, a Professor of Economics at San Jose State University.
State and Federal legislators
In the state legislature Mountain View is located in the 13th Senate District, represented by Democrat Elaine Alquist, and in the 22nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Paul Fong. Federally, Mountain View is located in California's 14th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +18[11] and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo.
Education
Mountain View has twelve public schools and eight private schools. The public elementary and middle schools governed by the Mountain View-Whisman School District are Benjamin Bubb Elementary School, Castro Elementary, Crittenden Middle School, Graham Middle School, Huff Elementary, Landels Elementary, Monta Loma Elementary, PACT School, and Theuerkauf Elementary. Springer Elementary, although located within the borders of Mountain View, is governed by the Los Altos School District. The public high schools governed by the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District are Alta Vista High, Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts & Technology, Mountain View High School, and Los Altos High School. Mountain View H.S. and Los Altos High School each contain approximately 50% Los Altos students and 50% Mountain View students. Some Mountain View residents (K-6) attend Almond School and Egan School (7-8) in Los Altos. Many of Mountain View's schools boast test scores among the best in California.
Mountain View taxes a large portion of its most valuable commercial and industrial properties in the Shoreline Regional Park Community at very low relative levels, and until the creation of a joint-powers agreement (JPA) in 2006, none of those property taxes reached the local schools. After the creation of the JPA, the Shoreline Regional Park Community will be sharing less than $1 million per year with the elementary and high school districts.[12][13]
A citizen-supported parcel tax, largely aimed at reducing class size, was recently renewed with an overwhelming positive vote.[14] The current ratio of students to full-time-equivalent teachers in the Mountain View public elementary schools is 20.4 to one.[15]
Private Schools
Private schools in Mountain View include:
- Mountain View Academy High School - a Seventh-day Adventist high school
- German International School of Silicon Valley - provides bilingual education for PreK-12
- Yew Chung International School of Silicon Valley - provides bilingual Mandarin and English education for PreK - 12
- The Girls' Middle School - an all-girls middle school (6-8) with specialization in technology and entrepreneurial education
- St. Joseph Elementary School - a Catholic elementary school (K-8)
- Saint Francis High School - a Catholic high school. St Francis is regarded as one of the top private schools in California. It produces many CCS champions. Most graduates are accepted to major 4 year universities.
- St Paul's CDC-Offers Preschool to K programs. Small class size for K Programs.
Library
Mountain View has one central public library, the Mountain View Public Library, offering video, music, books, self-check out, and access to the Internet. During fiscal year 2006-7: 810,589 customers visited the Library. Circulation was more than 1.4 million, 105,870 reference and information questions were answered, 36,693 children listened to stories and participated in children's programs and 27,342 new books and media items were added to the collection which includes holdings of 300,000, including 210,000 books and 423 periodical subscriptions. The library also provides valuable outreach services through the bookmobile and S.O.S. volunteer program to those in Mountain View, who are unable to come to the main branch. The building was built in 1997. The second floor of the library has a special collection in a room devoted to the history of Mountain View, next to a portrait of Don Mariano Castro, for whom the downtown main street is named. The library hosts the innovative Mountain View Reads Together program.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Mountain View is served by the Caltrain rail system, which runs from San Francisco to Gilroy. It also served by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, including various bus lines and the Mountain View - Winchester light rail line, for which it is the northern terminus. Many large local employers (including Google, Microsoft, Apple Inc., and NASA Ames Research Center) operate employee shuttles that stop at the Caltrain/Light Rail station.
Moffett Federal Airfield is located just north of Mountain View, but its use is restricted to aeromedical, government and military users. The nearest major airports are Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The nearest general aviation airport is the Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County.
Utilities
On August 16, 2006, after over a year of test deployments, Google declared, as planned, that its implementation for free IEEE 802.11g wireless service for all of the City was fully operational.[16] Mountain View is the first city in the United States entirely covered by a free wireless Internet access network provided by Google.
Sports
Mountain View contains many outstanding sport teams. The Los Altos Mountain View Athletic Club is an outstanding swim club that practices in Eagle Park in Mountain View.
Sister cities
The Mountain View Sister City Affiliation was incorporated in 1974 as an independent non-profit governed by a Board of Directors. Mountain View is affiliated with the cities of Iwata, Japan and Hasselt, Belgium.[17]
References
- ↑ Munro-Fraser, J. P.. History of Santa Clara County, California. San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co.. pp. 262. http://books.google.com/books?id=5_Vwe-eHfqsC. Retrieved April 2008.
- ↑ http://www.mv-pa.org/properties/243Moffett/index.html mv-pa.org
- ↑ From burgers to burritos, Chubby's eatery has it all
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/query/queryhtm/nplfin.htm#CA
- ↑ "History of St. Joseph Parish". http://www.sjpmv.org/content/history/. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
- ↑ "Evernote review in the Wall Street Journal". http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704320104575015092125336842.html.
- ↑ "Opera Offices". http://www.opera.com/company/jobs/offices/.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_S1901&-ds_name=ACS_2007_1YR_G00_&-CONTEXT=st&-tree_id=307&-redoLog=false&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=16000US0649670&-format=&-_lang=en Factfinder.census.gov
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Flush times at high school district," Mountain View Voice, June 30, 2006
- ↑ "Mountain View Shoreline Regional Park Community Act," uncodified Act of the California Legislature, 1969, Chapter 1109.
- ↑ Mountain View Voice : Measure C passes by a landslide
- ↑ District Detail for Mountain View-Whisman Elementary
- ↑ Google Says It Has No Plans for National Wi-Fi Service
- ↑ http://www.mountainview.gov/services/learn_about_our_city/sister_cities/default.asp. Retrieved march 4, 2010
External links
- City of Mountain View
- Mountain View Voice newspaper
- City Library
- City Police Department
- Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
- Historic Homes of Mountain View
- A Guide to Restaurants in Downtown Mountain View
- Mountain View (California) travel guide from Wikitravel
Other points of interest
- Monta Loma Neighborhood Neighborhood Web Site
- Old Mountain View Neighborhood Neighborhood Web Site
- Shoreline West Neighborhood Neighborhood Web Site
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