City of Sunnyvale, California

City of Sunnyvale, CA

Sunnyvale is the seventh largest city in the San  Francisco Bay Area. In 2010 the U.S. Census reported the population as 140,081. The largest employers in the city are: Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Yahoo!, NetApp, Juniper Networks, West Valley Engineering, Maxim Integrated Products, Northrop Grumman Marine Systems, Palm, Applied Materials, and Synopsys.

Prior to 1870,  wheat farming was a major industry in Sunnyvale. Martin Murphy Jr came to the area in 1844 and in 1850 established a wheat farm. County property taxes, imports, and soil degradation lead to small orchards replacing the large wheat farms. The first fruit cannery in Santa Clara County was built in 1871. By 1886 the San Jose Board of Trade called Santa Clara County the "Garden of the World". In 1897 Walter Everett Crossman bought 200 acres and began selling land in the area as "Beautiful Murphy". The first non-agricultural industry was Joshua Hendy Iron Works which moved to the area after the 1906 fires in San Francisco destroyed their building. Sunnyvale was incorporated as a city in 1912. Fremont High School first opened in 1923, having previously been a military base. During World War II it was again used as a military base and still has a few old military buildings. In 1930 Congress chose Sunnyvale as the West Coast dirigible base which later became Moffett Naval Air Station. After World War II, fruit orchards and farms began to be replaced by homes, factories, and offices. In 1956 Lockheed moved its headquarters to Sunnyvale. By 2002 the last remaining privately owned orchards in Sunnyvale were replaced by homes and shops.

U.S. Census Facts for Sunnyvale

• Total Population: 140,081
• 56,168 housing units - 47.0% owner occupied
• Median household income: $100,043
• Bachelors degree or higher: 61.4%
• Median age: 35.2