Milpitas, California
Milpitas is a city in Santa Clara County, California. It is located between San Jose to its southwest and Fremont to its north, at the eastern end of Highway 237. It is generally considered to be where the South Bay meets the East Bay. The corporate headquarters of 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.
Geography
Milpitas is located at 37°26'5" North, 121°53'42" West (37.434586, -121.895059)Template:GR.
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.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR 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.
Neighborhoods
Almost all of Milpitas' homes were built after World War II. The first post-war neighborhoods are Sunnyhills and Milford Village.
Sunnyhills is the first racially integrated neighborhood in the United States. Minority leaders Ben Gross, Al Augustine, and Oliver Jones played a major role in the development of Sunnyhills.
The Milford Village homes were designed to be affordable and sold very quickly. It is bound to the north by Calaveras Boulevard, to the east by La Crosse Avenue, to the south by Yosemite Drive, and to the east by Carnegie Drive. The western and northern sections contain a large Latino population.
Parktown, south of Yosemite Drive, was developed by Art Sassone in the 1960's. He designed it so that its residents could visit parks without crossing a busy thoroughfare. It was immediately accepted by the Milpitas City Council. Parktown's streets are named after famous national parks in the United States.
Hillcrest, south of Parktown, is a new condomonium development.
Sylvan Gardens is a 104-home tract located between modern-day Elmwood Correctional Facility and Calaveras Boulevard.
Driftwood, Calaveras Heights, and Laura Apartments on Adams Avenue provide housing for low-income families. The area is notorious for its high crime rate.
Indian Hills and Dry Creek Apartments on Dempsey Road also provide housing for low-income families.
Milpitas Apartments on Calle Oriente, with only about a 400-dollar monthly rent, provide affordable housing.
Summitpointe, built in the 1990's, is the site of multi-million homes and is located on the hillside.
Community
Milpitas is a lively community with many cultural, recreational, and educational services.
Shopping
The Great Mall of the Bay Area, a former Ford automobile assembly plant, is the largest shopping center in Milpitas and the North Valley.
Parks
Ed 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 activites
Ed 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.
Libraries
Milpitas 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.
Issues and concerns
Crime
Much of the crime occurs in low-income neighborhoods. The "XIV" Norteño gang is active in some areas.
Produced locally in the San Jose region, methamphetamine is a widely abused narcotic in Milpitas.
Pollution
Western 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 in the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge suffer from water pollution originating from street water runoff and industrial discharges.
History
Milpitas was first inhabited by the Tamyen, a triblet of the Ohlone (also spelled Tamien, Thamien, or Tamiayn) Indians. During the mission period, it was a crossroads between Mission San José de Guadalupe and Mission Santa Clara de Asis. The land in what was now Milpitas was divided between Rancho Milpitas and Rancho Tularcitos. In the 1850s, large numbers of English, German, and Irish immigrants arrived to farm the fertile land and set up businesses on the Oakland-San Jose Highway. Portuguese settlers from the Azores established ranches on the hillsides in the 1870s and 1880s. In the early 1900s, Milpitas served as a resting place for travelers on the old Oakland-San Jose Highway. Milpitas was incorporated on January 18, 1954. When San Jose tried to annex Milpitas, the "Milpitas Minutemen" were quickly organized to oppose annexation. Almost all Milpitas residents voted "No" to annexation on the 1961 election. Starting in the 1950s, massive residential and shopping develepment took place. Farmland in western Milpitas rapidly disappeared and high-tech industries sprang up. In just 30 years, the population jumped from about 6,500 in 1970 to 62,698 in 2000. The percentage of Asian-American residents increased from 12% of the population in 1980 to 35% in 1990 and 50% in 2000.
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.
External links
- City of Milpitas
- Milpitas Historical Society
- www.GoMilpitas.com
- The Milpitas Post, Milpitas' weekly newspaper
Books
These books 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.
History of Milpitas. By Madge Craig.
Historic Sites Inventory. Prepared by Judith Marvin-Cunningham