7 Facts About San Jose, California

San Jose is one of the major cities in the state of California, and today has become very well-known as the political, financial and cultural center of Silicon Valley. Behind only Los Angeles and San Diego, San Jose is the third most populous city in California, with more than one million residents.

Here are Seven Fascinating San Jose, California Facts

1. 1. From 1849 to 1852, San Jose was the state capital of California. (source) Not only was San Jose the first city in California, but it was also the state capital at one point. At the time, the Capitol was a small, two-story hotel which housed the Senate on the lower floor and the Assembly on the upper floor. Since 1854, Sacramento had been the capital of California.

2. 2. San Jose is the fourth-largest city in California by land area. (source) Covering 467 square kilometers, San Jose is bigger than every city in California (by land area) outside of San Diego, Los Angeles and California City.

3. 3. San Jose, California is home to many of the tech giants of the United States. (source) San Jose is a tech center of America, with industry giants like IBM, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, eBay, Cisco, BEA Systems and Adobe Systems being headquartered there.

4. 4. San Jose has the highest average salary for project managers in the United States. (source) In San Jose, California, the average salary for a Project Management Specialist is $133,950, which is the highest among metropolitan areas in the United States. In fact, it’s one of just two metropolitan areas in the country where this average annual salary for project managers exceeds $130,000, along with Birmingham, Alabama ($130,250).

5. 5. San Jose is one of the most expensive cities to live in across the United States. (source) In San Jose, the average home cost is around $750,000, while the average rent is around $1,750, all making it one of the most expensive cities in the country to reside in.

6. 6. Popular at sporting events and concerts today, “the Wave” was created in San Jose. (source) On October 15, 1981 at a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics, San Jose State cheerleader George Henderson used “the Wave” in a routine.

7. 7. There are more than 50 wineries in San Jose. (source) As a rich agricultural region, San Jose produces a lot of seasonal fruits and grapes, and has become a big distribution and food-processing center in the United States. Because of this, San Jose is very rich with wineries today.

San Jose, California has quite the rich history! What other fun facts can you share?