About the District

Local Cities

The Fifteenth Congressional District encompasses much of the central, northeastern and southwestern area of Santa Clara County. This includes the cities of Cupertino, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Campbell, Los Gatos, the west and some southern parts of San Jose, and Gilroy. Formed in 1850, Santa Clara was one of the first counties in California. It is named after Mission Santa Clara, established in 1777, and still an active parish connected with Santa Clara University.

A blend of natural beauty and high technology

A quiet area set between rolling golden hills, dominated by verdant fields, lush orchards, a mild Mediterranean climate and rich, fertile soil, Santa Clara County’s beauty earned it the name “Valley of Heart’s Delight.” Although the southern half of the valley still retains much of its rural character, the fields and orchards in the north have disappeared under the pressure of population growth and the development of the manufacturing and high tech industries that followed World War II. This wildly successful change in industry resulted in a new name for the region: “Silicon Valley”.

The densely developed northern half of the county is home to many prominent and successful high tech corporations, among them: Apple Computer (Cupertino), Applied Materials (Santa Clara), Intel Corp (Santa Clara), Solectron Corporation (Milpitas), and eBay (San Jose). The majority of the 15th district’s 639,088 residents live in this part of the county, their cities densely connected by freeways, expressways, and surface streets.

The southern half of the district below the city limit of San Jose is sparsely populated in comparison, consisting largely of unincorporated open space, family farms, corporate owned farms, and several golf courses. Surrounded by fields and home to ConAgra’s Gilroy Foods processing plants, Gilroy is one of the last remaining cities in the county with significant ties to Santa Clara’s agricultural past.

Preservation of Open Spaces

In an effort to preserve important habitats, watersheds, and physical beauty of the County, the Board of Supervisors closely regulates the zoning and development of land under its jurisdiction. In conjunction with the efforts of the board a special district, the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority, has sole authority to purchase, permanently protect, and restore lands in order to form a regional greenbelt. During his time as a County Supervisor, Congressman Honda worked at the grassroots level to support the creation of the Open Space Authority and its non-profit arm, the Land Trust.

The 15th District shares in the abundant cultural and recreational amenities available to residents and visitors of Santa Clara County. The Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department was founded in 1956 and since its inception has grown from four parks to a 50,000-acre system including 27 parks and encompassing a variety of urban and rural recreational amenities. These include equestrian and mountain biking routes in addition to pedestrian trails.

The City of San Jose is home to the San Jose Sharks, the only professional hockey team in Northern California, as well as the San Jose Sabercats (arena football), the San Jose Giants (minor league baseball), and the San Jose Stealth (lacrosse).

Demographics

As a population, the district’s residents are significantly better educated, on average, than the country as a whole. 41% of residents hold a BA degree or higher, almost double the national average of 24.4%. The district is surrounded by a network of educational institutions, both community colleges and four year institutions. The district itself is home to five community colleges, West Valley, Gavilan, DeAnza, Mission, San Jose City College, and Evergreen Valley College, and one four year institution, Santa Clara University. More broadly, residents are also served by San Jose State University and Stanford University.

In addition to the wealth of educational opportunities, the district is rich in ethnic diversity. Latino, Indian, Ethiopian Native American, Caucasian, Chinese, Japanese, Hmong, Vietnamese, Russian, Greek, Eritrean, Pakistani, African-American, Korean, and others work together to help keep the District, and by extension our country, successful. It is especially interesting to note that in the 15th district 4.6% of residents identify themselves as bi- or multi-racial, a percentage almost double that of the national average.

Many of the cities in the 15th District hold seasonal and ethnic celebrations like Cupertino’s Cherry Blossom Festival or San Jose’s Cinco de Mayo parade. There are numerous art galleries and local museums. The Tech Museum of Innovation is a fun way to explore the legacy of Santa Clara County’s contribution to American ingenuity. Abundant performing arts venues and a host of local theater and symphonic companies provide a varied and talented fine arts experience.

Its diverse community, wealth of physical beauty, and indomitable spirit are all reasons why I and many others are proud to call the 15th District home.