Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County | |
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Flag Seal | |
Interactive map of Santa Cruz County | |
Location in the state of California | |
| Coordinates: 37°02′N 122°01′W / 37.03°N 122.01°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Central Coast |
| CSA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland |
| Incorporated | February 18, 1850 |
| Named after | Mission Santa Cruz and the city of Santa Cruz, both named after the Exaltation of the Cross |
| County seat | Santa Cruz |
| Largest city | Santa Cruz |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–CAO |
| • Body | Board of Supervisors |
| • Chair | Monica Martinez |
| • Vice Chair | Manu Koenig |
| • Board of Supervisors | Supervisors
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| • County Administrative Officer | Carlos J. Palacios |
| Area | |
• Total | 607 sq mi (1,570 km2) |
| • Land | 445 sq mi (1,150 km2) |
| • Water | 162 sq mi (420 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 3,234 ft (986 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 270,861 |
• Estimate (2024) | 262,406 |
| • Density | 609/sq mi (235/km2) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $19.176 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Area code | 831 |
| FIPS code | 06-087 |
| GNIS feature ID | 277308 |
| Congressional districts | 18th, 19th |
| Website | santacruzcountyca |
Santa Cruz County (/ˌsæntə ˈkruːz/ ⓘ), officially the County of Santa Cruz, is a county on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,861. The county seat is Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz County comprises the Santa Cruz–Watsonville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. The county is on the California Central Coast, south of the San Francisco Bay Area region. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay, with Monterey County forming the southern coast.