Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County, California | |
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| County of Santa Cruz | |
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Images, from top down, left to right: The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in 2005, a walkway through redwood groves in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad in 2008, Downtown Watsonville in 2010, Davenport Beach in 2006 | |
Interactive map of Santa Cruz County | |
Location in the state of California | |
| Coordinates: 37°02′N 122°01′W / 37.03°N 122.01°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Central Coast |
| CSA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland |
| Incorporated | February 18, 1850 |
| Named after | Mission Santa Cruz and the city of Santa Cruz, both named after the Exaltation of the Cross |
| County seat | Santa Cruz |
| Largest city | Santa Cruz |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–CAO |
| • Body | Board of Supervisors |
| • Chair | Felipe Hernandez |
| • Vice Chair | Monica Martinez |
| • Board of Supervisors | Supervisors
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| • County Administrative Officer | Carlos J. Palacios |
| Area | |
• Total | 607 sq mi (1,570 km2) |
| • Land | 445 sq mi (1,150 km2) |
| • Water | 162 sq mi (420 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 3,234 ft (986 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 270,861 |
| • Density | 609/sq mi (235/km2) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $19.176 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Area code | 831 |
| FIPS code | 06-087 |
| GNIS feature ID | 277308 |
| Congressional districts | 18th, 19th |
| Website | santacruzcountyca |
Santa Cruz County (/ˌsæntə ˈkruːz/ ⓘ), officially the County of Santa Cruz, is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,861. The county seat is Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz County comprises the Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. The county is on the California Central Coast, south of the San Francisco Bay Area region. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay, with Monterey County forming the southern coast.