Silicon Valley Historical Association

Where is Silicon Valley located?

Silicon Valley is an ever-expanding economic region located in Northern California (United States).

Over 50 years ago, Silicon Valley was a nickname for Santa Clara Valley. The Valley was the hub of the silicon chip industry with Fairchild Semiconductor in Mountain View as its center and hundreds of spin-offs from Fairchild, related service companies, and competitors. As the industry and economy grew with the price of real estate, the economic region of Silicon Valley began to expand. 

In 2026, one could argue that Silicon Valley companies stretch from Monterey to Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz to Grass Valley. Many high-tech companies within these expanding physical perimeters view themselves, their industries, and their locations as all part of the greater Silicon Valley region.

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