Milpitas, California

Introduction to Milpitas, California

The California city of Milpitas is located at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay in Santa Clara County, only 7 miles north of San Jose and about 46 miles southeast of San Francisco. Other neighboring cities include Sunnyvale (to the west) and Fremont (to the north). Seated just west of the foothills of the Diablo Range, Milpitas is serviced by California State Highway 237 with close access to Interstates I-680 and I-880. The city is only minutes away from San Jose International Airport and less than an hour from Oakland and San Francisco International Airports.

Milpitas, whose name in Spanish means "little cornfields", was until the mid-20th century primarily a farming and livestock community. Incorporated in 1954, Milpitas experienced a period of massive residential and shopping development lasting through the ensuing two decades. Between 1970 and the turn of the 21st century, the city's population increased ten-fold, largely due to the onset of high-tech computer industries populating the surrounding "Silicon Valley" area. Today the city is home to several of these high-tech corporations, including Solectron Corporation, Seagate Technology, Lifescan, Inc., and many others.

Milpitas Attractions

Milpitas is home to the Great Mall of the Bay Area. The largest enclosed outlet mall in Northern California, this complex offers more than 180 outlet stores, several full-service restaurants, a food court, and entertainment facilities. Outdoor recreation in the city can be found at more than 20 parks, the largest of which is Ed R. Levin County Park. One of the county’s most unique regional park and recreation areas, this popular venue offers traditional park activities such as picnicking and fishing, and also includes a complex trail system more typical of large regional wilderness parks. The Milpitas Arts and Wine Festival is an annual event held every August, at which many different types of visual and performing arts can be enjoyed along with samplings of both Californian and non-regional wines. There are also plenty of attractions to enjoy in the neighboring city of San Jose, including the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, the Tech Museum of Science & Innovation, and the San Jose Historical Museum, among many others.

Nearby Cities and Towns

High Points

Milpitas strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in California):

Category	Trophy
Racial Diversity (vs. Peers)	Top 7%
Median Family Income (vs. Peers)	Top 8%
Low Rate of Poverty (vs. State)	Top 16%