Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946. It is located on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay, about 72 mi (115 km) south of San Francisco.

The present-day site of Santa Cruz was the location of an American Indian settlement since ancient times.
It was also one of the earliest settlements of the Spanish during the exploration of Alta California in the later part of the 18th century, including a California Mission, Mission Santa Cruz. During the late 19th century, after California became part of the United States, Santa Cruz became widely popular for its idyllic beaches and coastal redwood forests, establishing itself as a resort community.

Santa Cruz is now known for its moderate climate, natural beauty, educational institutions, alternative community lifestyles, and socially liberal leanings.

It is also home to University of California, Santa Cruz, a premier research institution and educational hub, as well as the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an oceanfront amusement park.

State Routes 1 and 17 are the main roads in and out of Santa Cruz.

Geographically constrained between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Monterey Bay, the narrow transportation corridor served by SR 1 suffers mild congestion.

The ramp from SR 1 northbound to SR 17 southbound, onto Ocean Street, is commonly known as the "fish hook" due to its tightening curve. A project to widen the highway and this interchange was begun in 2006 and completed in the fall of 2008.

The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District provides bus service throughout Santa Cruz County.

Metro also operates bus service between Santa Cruz (city) and San Jose by way of a partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and Amtrak California.
Hotels in San Diego

Connections are possible in San Jose.
Greyhound Lines bus service is another option for visiting Santa Cruz. The nearest airports served by major commercial airlines are San Jose International Airport, Monterey Peninsula Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Oakland International Airport.

The nearest public airport of any kind is Watsonville Municipal Airport, about eight miles to the southeast, which serves general aviation users. Santa Cruz has an extensive network of bike lanes and bike paths.

Most major roads have bike lanes, and wide, luxurious bike lanes were recently installed on Beach Street, near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Additionally, there are levee bike paths along the San Lorenzo River. A Rail Trail – a bicycle and pedestrian path beside an existing coastal train track—is under consideration.

The Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway operates diesel-electric tourist trains between the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Roaring Camp in Felton, through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, with its famous Redwood Grove walking trail.
Check out great live events in the Santa Cruz area, like Cirque Du Soleil Totem shows, Il Divo concert in San Jose, the legendary Neil Diamond in San Jose or the brilliant Il Divo opera concert. Sports events include San Jose Sharks hockey games, US Figure Skating Championships tickets, and more!