Recognized as the “Heart of Silicon Valley,” Sunnyvale, with a population of approximately 156,317, is the fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the second largest in Santa Clara County Sunnyvale was incorporated in 1912 and has transformed from an agricultural community to a center for the defense industry and the current nexus of research, development, and manufacturing that created Silicon Valley. Sunnyvale is home to notable companies such as Amazon Lab126, Apple, Bloom Energy, Fortinet, Google, Intuitive Surgical, LinkedIn, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Mercedes Benz Research and Development, NASA Ames Research Center, NetApp, Twitter, and Walmart Labs. The draw of working in this dynamic community swells the City’s daytime workforce to 230,000.
Sunnyvale is located in the spectacular San Francisco Bay Area. The San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco international airports are easily accessible. The area is home to many museums, theaters, concert halls, and art galleries, as well as numerous professional sports teams.
In addition to its ideal location, Sunnyvale is also recognized for its park system and public recreation facilities, including eighteen prize-winning parks, two golf courses, fifty-one tennis courts, six public swimming pools, and a state of the art Community Center. The Baylands Park provides over seventy acres of developed parkland offering recreation activities, scenic pathways, and picnic areas for families. A wide variety of cultural and artistic events take place within the City, including the annual Art & Wine Festival, the Summer Wednesday Night Music Series, Jazz & Beyond Music Series, Hands on the Arts children’s art fair, a weekly year-round farmer’s market, and downtown holiday events. Additionally, the historic downtown business district is a vibrant commercial and entertainment hub.
Four school districts serve Sunnyvale, with twenty-six public and private schools. Sunnyvale includes its own community college campus: Foothill Sunnyvale. Stanford University, Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, two University of California campuses, and several community colleges are nearby.
