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City guide

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Located in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, it was founded by the Spanish in 1777 with the establishment of Mission Santa Clara de Asís under the leadership of Junípero Serra.

Type CityPopulation 127,647

Why go

  • City in California, United States.

History

Santa Clara is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Located in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, it was founded by the Spanish in 1777 with the establishment of Mission Santa Clara de Asís under the leadership of Junípero Serra. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Santa Clara's population at 133,446 as of July 1, 2025.

Airports

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) 2.4 mi to the centre
San Jose, CA, US — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 15 airlines (Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, AirTran Airways…) · direct flights to 29 destinations incl. Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Denver, Kahului, Phoenix… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves San Francisco (39 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 15 airlines, 29 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Moffett Federal Airfield (NUQ) 6.6 mi to the centre
Mountain View, CA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Palo Alto Airport (PAO) 11 mi to the centre
Palo Alto, CA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
San Carlos Airport (SQL) 19 mi to the centre
San Carlos, CA, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Reid-Hillview Airport of Santa Clara County (RHV) 8 mi to the centre
San Jose, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Hayward Executive Airport (HWD) 23 mi to the centre
Hayward, CA, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. We do not yet hold airport or rail details for Santa Clara, California — check the official tourism sources below for the best routes in.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Santa Clara, California. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Bus · Schedules & route data (GTFS) · San Jose, California
Bus · San Francisco, California · Schedules & GTFS data
Bus · Modesto, California · Schedules & GTFS data

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Jet card, management · Managed fleet across US bases · Locally based jet card and aircraft management with private terminals in ~20 US cities.
Helicopter, by-the-seat · Helicopters, seaplanes, jets via partners · By-the-seat helicopters Manhattan–JFK/Newark and the Hamptons; jet charter through partners.
Membership charter · King Air 350i, Citation, Hawker, Global · US membership and on-demand charter; Delta Air Lines is a major shareholder.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Charter, management, FBO · Managed fleet, light to ultra-long-range · Charter, management and FBOs at Van Nuys and Orange County; the original Hollywood jet operator.