San Jose, California, San Jose, California, is the largest city in Northern California and the heart of Silicon Valley, known for its high-tech industry (home to Adobe, Cisco, Google, Apple offices), diverse population, and as the state's first civilian settlement (1777). It's California's third-largest city and the 12th-largest in the U.S., located in the Santa Clara Valley, offering a blend of innovation, cultural festivals, parks, and high cost of living. Santa Clara County. Capitol park and