Scotts Valley, California
Scotts Valley is a city of 12,044 people in Santa Cruz County, California, founded in August 2, 1966.
Why visit Scotts Valley
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 22 parks and trails, 57 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 10 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bethany University, Santa's Village (Scotts Valley), Felton Covered Bridge and Glen Canyon Covered Bridge.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Scotts Valley
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Scotts Valley
Scotts Valley is a small city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, about thirty miles (48 km) south of downtown San Jose and six miles (9.7 km) north of the city of Santa Cruz, in the upland slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 12,224. Principal access to the city is supplied by State Route 17 that connects San Jose and Santa Cruz. The city was incorporated in 1966.
From the Wikipedia article Scotts Valley, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do10
Bethany University
School · 1.7 mi
Four-year private coeducational Christian university located in Scotts Valley, California
Santa's Village (Scotts Valley)
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
Former American amusement park
City of Scotts Valley Cultural Arts Center
Cinema and theater · 1.0 mi
251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley
Museums and landmarks8
Felton Covered Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic bridge in California, USA
Glen Canyon Covered Bridge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Former bridge near Santa Cruz, California, USA
Hiram D. Scott House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
House in Scotts Valley, California
California Powder Works Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
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Bigfoot Discovery Museum
Museum · 3.5 mi
Museum in Felton, California, USA
Mini Bikes Activity Area
Monument and historic site · 1.4 mi
Frontier Ranch Mini Bikes track
Parks, trails and playgrounds22
Hanson Felton Quarry Preserve — West Perimeter Set-Aside Area
Hiking and trails · 2.2 mi
10 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes57
Adorable French Bakery
Bakery · French · 0.7 mi
4402 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley
Mo-Su 07:00-19:00
Kao Sook Thai Cuisine
Restaurant · Thai · 1.2 mi
245 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley
Mo-Fr 11:00-15:00,17:00-21:00; Sa-Su 11:00-21:00
Mountain Mike's
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.4 mi
6006 La Madrona Drive
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-20:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
Rumble Fish
Restaurant · Japanese, Sushi · 0.4 mi
4727 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley
Mo,We-Su 11:30-02:30,05:00-08:30
The Pizza Series
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.0 mi
226 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley
Tu,Su 12:00-19:00; We-Sa 12:00-20:00
The Point
Restaurant · Brunch, Burger, Mexican, Breakfast, Pancake, Falafel · 1.2 mi
245 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley
Mo-Su 06:00-21:00
45 more on the map.
History
Approximately ten thousand years ago there was a lake in the lowest elevation of Scotts Valley. Archeological excavations of site CA-SCR-177 (Scotts Valley Site) in 1983 and 1987 support dates for human settlement of this area as between 9,000 and 12,000 years before present (YBP). The lake drained during the Mid-Holocene warming period (4,000-5,000
YBP) forming what is now known as Carbonera Creek. When the lake drained, the people moved downslope following the lake water's transformation as in became the creek. Around 2000 BC, Ohlone people occupied areas along the remaining creeks, spring and seep areas, along with permanent and seasonal drainages, and on flat ridges and terraces. Permanent villages were usually placed on elevations above seasonal flood levels. Surrounding areas were used for hunting and seed, acorn, and grass gathering. Therefore, areas along watercourses are considered likely locations for prehistoric cultural resources. Several watercourses, including portions of Carbonera Creek, Bean Creek, and MacKenzie Creek, are within the city.
Scotts Valley was named after Hiram Daniel Scott, who purchased Rancho San Agustin, including the valley, in 1850 from Joseph Ladd Majors.
From the History section of Scotts Valley, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Best Western Plus Inn Scotts Valley
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
6020 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley
Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley
Motel and hotel · 1.5 mi
6001 La Madrona Drive, Scotts Valley
Churches and places of worship7
Felton Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries43
Scotts Valley Public Library
Library · 1.0 mi
251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley
Alternative Family Education
School · 5.2 mi
840 North Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz
California Connections Academy Monterey Bay
School · 1.3 mi
108 Whispering Pines Dr. Ste. 115, Scotts Valley
Costanoa Continuation High
School · 5.1 mi
840 North Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz
Healthcare5
Kaiser Permanente Scotts Valley Medical Offices
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
5615 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley
Map of Scotts Valley
175 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 67°F | 39°F | 9.7 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 40°F | 7.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 42°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 46°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 49°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 51°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 49°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 83°F | 44°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 71°F | 40°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 64°F | 37°F | 10.4 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ben Lomond #4 (4 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, 15 miles away.
- Felton 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Ben Lomond 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Live Oak 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Soquel 5 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Santa Cruz 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Capitola 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Brookdale 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Twin Lakes 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Pleasure Point 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Bonny Doon 7 mi west, about 11 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
- Scotts Valley CA city hall, Photo by John Pilge., Public domain
- 2009-04-06 Scotts Valley Chase 02, Dan Dawson, CC BY 2.0
- 2009-04-06 Scotts Valley Chase 07, Dan Dawson, CC BY 2.0
- Forme rchurch in Felton, Mrwrite, Public domain
- Felton, California covered bridge, W Nowicki, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MASONIC PARK COVERED BRIDGE, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bigfoot discovery museum in Felton! D (27292772073), Elizabeth K. Joseph from San Francisco, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Bethany Globe1, Mrwrite ( talk ) ( Uploads ), Public domain
- Datsun Z, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- Ford Truck, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- El Gordo, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- BMW E26, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- 914, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- Gt3, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- Datsun Z, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- The Tourings, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- Grey Focus Rs, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- 2002s, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- Dino, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- Lancia Beta, Zane Schmidlen, CC BY 3.0
- Tubeless tire plug kit from Slime - 02, Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cavallaro Transit Center, October 2022, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Punctularia atropurpurascens 62491710, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physarum viride 62490631, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Punctularia atropurpurascens 62491711, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physarum viride 62490640, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Punctularia atropurpurascens 62491714, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physarum viride 62490646, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physarum viride 62490638, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physarum viride 62490635, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Punctularia atropurpurascens 62491709, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physarum viride 62490643, debk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The cage (515134887), Mike Fernwood from Santa Cruz, California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Riding inside the cage (515137801), Mike Fernwood from Santa Cruz, California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cortinarius lilacinocolossus M.M. Moser 696801, This image was created by user Ron Pastorino (Ronpast) at Mushroom Observer , a source for mycological images. You can contact this user here ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oplerslonghorn, Dan Antonaccio, CC0
- Banana slug @Scott Valley, CA, Sogod3, CC BY-SA 3.0
- View of California from Flight 2438 LAX-SFO 2016 13, Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Steller's Jay, Santa Cruz, California, Kai Schreiber from Jersey City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.