 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
Milpitas, CaliforniaMilpitas is a city in Santa Clara County, California. It is located between San Jose to its south and Fremont to its north, at the eastern end of Highway 237 and near the southern ends of Interstates 680 and 880. It is generally considered to be where the South Bay meets the East Bay. The corporate headquarters of Maxtor, PalmOne, LSI Logic , Solectron and Adaptec are located there. The city's name, Milpitas, is a Nahuatl-derived dimunitive Spanish word for "little cornfields," reflecting the farming background of the area. The name was orginally given to a rancho, but the name was later applied to the entire area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 62,698. [1]
History
Recently, a Milpitas Lightrail transit system station was added, making it the northeastern-most lightrail destination in the region. Former real estate agent Debbie Giordano was elected City Council member, and Mayor Jose "Joe" Esteves was re-elected. Pipe realignment of the South Bay Aqueduct and sidewalk improvements on Piedmont Road were completed in the fall of 2004. A welcome plaque will also be constructed at the intersections of Landess and Piedmont this summer. GeographyMilpitas is located at 37°26'5" North, 121°53'42" West (37.434586, -121.895059).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.3 km² (13.6 mi²). 35.1 km² (13.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.44% water. Physical GeographyMilpitas lies in the northeastern corner of the Santa Clara Valley [2] [3]]. Creeks in Milpitas include :
The median elevation of Milpitas is 19 feet. At Piedmont Road, Evans Road, and North Park Victoria Avenue, the elevation is generally about 100 feet, while the western area is almost at sea level. The highest point in Milpitas is a 1,289-foot peak in the southeastern foothills. To the east of Milpitas lie the foothills, rolling hills, and mountains of the Diablo Range . Although not within Milpitas' city limits, Monument Peak, Calaveras Reservoir, Arroyo Hondo, Laguna Valley , and the surrounding region are culturally and historically considered part of Milpitas. (Loomis, Patrica - Milpitas: A Century of Little Cornfields) Many Portuguese sharecroppers from the Azores have settled there, including the Coelho, Covo, Mattos, Serpa, and Silva families. They are often nicknamed by long-time Milpitans as the "hill people". DemographicsAs of the census2 of 2000, there are 62,698 people, 17,132 households, and 13,996 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,785.2/km² (4,622.9/mi²). There are 17,364 housing units at an average density of 494.4/km² (1,280.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 30.87% White, 3.66% African American, 0.62% Native American, 51.81% Asian, 0.63% Pacific Islander, 7.48% from other races, and 4.94% from two or more races. 16.61% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 17,132 households out of which 43.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% are married couples living together, 10.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 18.3% are non-families. 11.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 2.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.47 and the average family size is 3.72. In the city the population is spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 38.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 111.4 males. The median income for a household in the city is $84,429, and the median income for a family is $84,827. Males have a median income of $51,316 versus $36,681 for females. The per capita income for the city is $27,823. 5.0% of the population and 3.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.5% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. [4]
NeighborhoodsAlmost all of Milpitas' homes were built after World War II. The first post-war neighborhoods are Sunnyhills and Milford Village.
Apartments
CommunityMilpitas is a lively community with many cultural, recreational, and educational services. ShoppingThe Great Mall of the Bay Area, a former Ford automobile assembly plant, is the largest shopping center in Milpitas and the North Valley. Shopping centers and plazas include:
ParksEd R. Levin County Park is the largest park in Milpitas. It is run by the County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department. Milpitas also has many small urban parks. Recreational activitesEd R. Levin County Park provides facilities for hang gliding and includes a newly built dog park. Two golf courses, Spring Valley Golf Course and Summitpointe Golf Course , are located in Milpitas. LibrariesMilpitas has only one library, the Santa Clara County Library . The library is scheduled to be moved to the former Senior Center building on Main Street, Mipitas, next year. Schools
Milpitas' public schools are run by the Milpitas Unified School District. The area schools are among the most ethnically diverse in the United States. [6] Elementary
Secondary
Police departmentThe Milpitas Police Department is headed by Chief Charles Lawson , an African American. EconomyThe computer industry, which includes computer equipment manufacturing and software progamming, is the largest source of employment in Milpitas. In Milpitas, more 50% of all Asians are employed in the computer industry. [7] Law and governmentThe city is headed by one mayor, one vice mayor , and three councilmembers. [8] MayorVice Mayor
Councilmembers
Issues and concernsCrimeMuch of the crime occurs in low-income neighborhoods, though Milpitas overall a relatively safe city that is mainly middle-class. The "XIV" Norteño gang is active in some areas. Produced locally in the San Jose region, methamphetamine is the most widely abused narcotic in Milpitas and the South Bay. PollutionWestern Milpitas often experiences odorous air emanating from the Newby Island landfill and the Zanker sewage treatment plant. The City of Milpitas is currently attempting to remedy this air quality problem. Local creeks and the nearby San Francisco Bay suffer from water pollution originating from street water runoff and industrial wastes. See alsoNearby cities
Physical features
EducationExternal linksGeneral
EducationTravelMapsBooks/ReferencesThese books on or related to Milpitas' history are available at the Santa Clara County Library (Milpitas branch) at the intersection of Milpitas Boulevard and Calaveras Boulevard: Milpitas: A Century of Little Cornfields. By Patricia Loomis. ISBN 0935089071 Available from the Milpitas Historical Society. Milpitas: Five Dynamic Decades. By Mort Levine, et al. Available at the Milpitas city hall or call the City of Milpitas. Note: Much of the information in this article is derived from this reference. History of Milpitas. By Madge Craig. Historic Sites Inventory. Prepared by Judith Marvin-Cunningham The contents of this article are licensed from Wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License.
How to see transparent copy 01-04-2007 01:21:04 |
|
