CITY SPOTLIGHT:

YOUR GUIDE TO San Jose, California

fountains in San Jose

Know Before You Go: About San Jose

You'll come home from San Jose with a true Bay Area experience. Find out what you need to know before your next trip.

Dionne Warwick may have asked, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" in her classic 60s song, but nowadays, everyone knows the way to Northern California's largest city. Emerging from behind San Francisco's shadow, this revitalized metropolis appeals to all, with impressive museums for culture vultures, a soccer and hockey stadium for sports fans and a thriving downtown that college kids and thrifty travelers can appreciate. Make the most of your trip to Silicon Valley by knowing exactly what to expect in this booming city.

San Jose Adventures

Whether you're traveling with the kids or just looking to act like one, California's Great America amusement park thrills all ages. Whip around on towering coasters; cruise down the largest lazy river, Castaway Creek, or pal around with Peanuts characters at Planet Snoopy. For history buffs, visit the open-air History Park, where 32 of San Jose's historic buildings are spread out over a 14-acre campus complete with running trolleys and nostalgic charm.

Looking for nightlife? The city comes alive after sundown with a downtown flanked by the San Jose State University campus and a cluster of SoFA nightclubs. Be sure to catch a show at the California Theatre, a former Vaudeville-era movie palace and theater that hosts everything from opera to comedy to Broadway shows.

Sun Today, Sun Tomorrow

Bet on sun for your get-together since San Jose is gifted with over 250 sunny days a year and only 11 inches of rain. You won't cook or freeze in the moderate temperature range of this city, where the average July high is 84 and the average January low stays well above freezing at 42 degrees. Unlike the nearby Bay Area, the city lies inland, surrounded on three sides by mountains, which shelter it from the rain—giving it the feeling of a semiarid climate.

Tech Talk

This former agricultural backwater is currently a hotbed of startups and technology companies, including big private employers like Cisco, IBM, Adobe and PayPal. As the largest city in the valley, San Jose considers itself the capital of Silicon Valley and has successfully bounced back from the dot-com crash of the early 2000s. Thanks to the all the engineering and computer science graduates from local schools, such as San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University, education is the second largest industry and the economy benefits from these graduates.

On the Move

Avoid a lengthy commute by flying directly into Mineta San Jose International Airport, only a few miles from downtown. Once you arrive at your home-away-from-home, you can hop aboard the Valley Transportation Authority light-rail public transport to zip to almost anywhere in the city, including California's Great America theme park, popular museums and downtown central. For excursions farther away—like the hour's drive to San Francisco or Santa Cruz—a rental car comes in handy.

Ready to travel? Find hotels in San Jose.

Things to Do in San Jose

Get inspired in Silicon Valley, experience thrill rides at Great America and enjoy festivals for any season in San Jose.