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CALIFORNIA 15 : Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties

With the Pacific Ocean on one side and Silicon Valley on the other, the 15th is home to a diverse landscape and a growing number of high-tech companies. Located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay area, the district encompasses the mountains of northern Santa Cruz County and the suburban communities around the west side of San Jose.

The northernmost point of the district includes the city of Santa Clara and part of Sunnyvale. South of Santa Clara and west of San Jose are some affluent suburbs, including Campbell, Saratoga and Los Gatos. The bulk of the district's land is in Santa Cruz County, a drive south on state Highway 17 from San Jose. But less than 10 percent of district residents reside in this area.

A Spanish mission in the late 1770s, Santa Clara is the largest city contained wholly in the district. Located at the southern end of Silicon Valley, it is home to several large high-tech companies.

Although Democrats hold a slight edge in voter registration, the 15th's residents are willing to elect moderate candidates of either party whom they think will address quality-of-life issues, such as traffic and housing. Generally, rural Santa Cruz County has been more liberal than the more affluent Santa Clara County.

Major Industry
Computers, biotechnology

Population
572,360 (1990)

Cities
San Jose (pt.), 307,791 (1990); Santa Clara, 98,726 (1998); Campbell, 36,048 (1990)

People
96% urban; 10% age 65+ (ranks 35 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally); 57% married couples, 25% married couples with children; 35% college educated (ranks sixth of 52 in state; top third nationally); 73% white collar (ranks sixth of 52 in state; top third nationally), 18% blue collar (ranks 40 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Race
82% white, 2% black, 11% Asian; 10% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$50,823 (ranks third of 52 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Santa Clara U., founded in 1851, California's first institution of higher learning; Winchester Mystery House in San Jose - a 160-room Victorian mansion famous for staircases that lead nowhere, designed by rifle fortune heiress Sarah L. Winchester, who began the project in 1884 and worked carpenters around the clock for 38 years until her death in 1922.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company