Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is a city of 61,607 people in Santa Cruz County, California, founded in September 25, 1791.
Why visit Santa Cruz
Townapedia lists 57 museums and landmarks, 88 parks and trails, 239 places to eat, 59 places to stay and 24 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz Cinema, Golden Gate Villa and Hinds House.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 77°F; December lows average 41°F.
Weather in Santa Cruz
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˌsanta ˈkɾus]; Spanish for 'Holy Cross') is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Santa Cruz County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a popular tourist destination, owing to its beaches, surf culture, and historic landmarks.
From the Wikipedia article Santa Cruz, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do24
Santa Cruz Cinema
Cinema and theater · 0.5 mi
1405 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz
Mo-Su 11:30-23:00
Five Branches University
School · 2.2 mi
Private university located in California, United States
Santa Cruz Breakwater Light
Lighthouse · 2.1 mi
Lighthouse in California, United States
University of California, Santa Cruz
School · 1.8 mi
Public University of California campus in Santa Cruz
12 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks57
Golden Gate Villa
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Santa Cruz, California, USA
924 3rd Street, Santa Cruz
Hinds House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building in Santa Cruz, California, US
529 Chestnut Street, Santa Cruz
Branciforte Adobe
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic house in Santa Cruz, California, USA
Glen Canyon Covered Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Former bridge near Santa Cruz, California, USA
Hihn Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Commercial building in Capitola, California
Hotel Metropole
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Former hotel building in Santa Cruz, California, USA
Octagon Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic building in Santa Cruz, California, USA
Rispin Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
Historic mansion in Capitola, California
Santa Cruz Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Joint heritage listing in Santa Cruz, California, USA
Venetian Court
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic district in California, United States of America
45 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds88
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
Park · 0.4 mi
144 School Street, Santa Cruz
Th-Sa,Mo 10:00-16:00; Nov Th[4] off; Dec 25 off
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Sports field and stadium · 1.2 mi
Amusement park in Santa Cruz, California
400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz
Anna Jean Cummings Park
Park · 4.4 mi
Park in United States of America
Downtown Neighborhood Historic District
Park
This is mainly comprised of "painted ladies" beautifully painted Victorian houses. The visitors center has a tour brochure with lots of...
76 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes239
Golden City
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.4 mi
1230 Mission Street, Santa Cruz
Mo-Su 11:30-15:30, Mo-Su 16:30-21:30
Ideal Bar & Grill
Restaurant · 1.0 mi
106 Beach Street, Santa Cruz
Mar-Oct: Su-Th 08:00-22:00, Mar-Oct: Fr-Sa 08:00-23:00, Nov-Feb:...
Lillian's Italian Kitchen
Restaurant · Italian · 1.4 mi
1148 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz
Tu-Th 16:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 16:00-22:00, Su 16:00-21:00
Mariposa Coffee Bar
Cafe · Cuban, Vietnamese · 0.6 mi
1010 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz
Th-Mo 09:00-16:00
Mozaic
Restaurant · Mediterranean · 0.5 mi
110 Church Street, Santa Cruz
Su-Th 11:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:00
227 more on the map.
Where to stay59
Churches and places of worship29
Mission Santa Cruz
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Iglesia de la Misión de Santa Cruz
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.4 mi
Emmett Street, Santa Cruz
Shopping49
Gas and EV charging16
Schools, colleges and libraries59
Alternative Family Education
School · 1.3 mi
840 North Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz
Healthcare11
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Westside Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
1301 Mission Street, Santa Cruz
Map of Santa Cruz
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62°F | 41°F | 6.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 64°F | 43°F | 6.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 44°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 46°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 52°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 74°F | 54°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 76°F | 55°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 53°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 50°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 67°F | 44°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 62°F | 41°F | 6.0 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Santa Cruz Hcn (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Santa Cruz County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2024-04-13: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-08-22: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Live Oak 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Soquel 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Scotts Valley 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Watsonville 15 mi east, about 24 min by car
- Los Gatos 18 mi north, about 29 min by car
- Saratoga 20 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Campbell 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Cupertino 24 mi north, about 38 min by car
- Morgan Hill 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- San Jose 25 mi northeast, about 41 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Santa Cruz, California - Boardwalk, No machine-readable author provided. Matt314 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5
- A- J- Hinds House 2012-09-03 13-21-11, jdlrobson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- USA-Santa Cruz-Golden Gate Villa-2, Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - 4652510977, Josta Photo, CC BY 2.0
- Mission Santa Cruz, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Brancifotre Adobe, Mrwrite, Public domain
- Hihn Building - Santa Cruz County, California, Mrwrite, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hotel metropole 1908, East elevation new building, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- USA-Capitola-Rispin Mansion, Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Neary-Rodriguez Adobe, LPS.1, CC BY-SA 3.0
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