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San Jose boomed following the takeover of California by the United States in 1846 and the discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada in 1848 (see California: History). Its population reached 3,000 by 1850, the year the city was incorporated. San Jose served as the state’s first capital from 1849 to 1851, a distinction it lost because the city’s accommodations were so poor. During the second half of the 19th century, San Jose developed as the center of a flourishing agricultural region. Prunes became the valley’s biggest crop, but other orchard species fared well, too, leading to the establishment of canneries and fruit-drying operations.

In the second half of the 20th century, the greater San Jose area underwent a fundamental change. It shifted from a rural and agricultural region to one that was increasingly industrial and urban. Its leading industries became aerospace and electronics. San Jose annexed nearby lands as the valley’s population grew. The city increased in area from 17 to 157 sq mi between 1950 and 1980.

The growth of the region’s industries fueled concerns about air pollution, toxic waste disposal, and competitiveness. Controlling growth became a major issue in local politics. In 1973 voters adopted a measure to limit growth and the following year a new mayor was elected on a slogan of "making San Jose better before making it bigger." Subsequent redevelopment projects revitalized the downtown area. Cutbacks in federal spending for defense and aerospace in the 1990s were a severe blow to the region’s economy. Local firms, dependent on federal contracts, sought new ways to employ their productive capacities for peacetime purposes.

Downtown San Jose experienced a renaissance in the 1980s through an investment of $1.5 billion in public and private funds. The cornerstone of this massive revitalization venture is the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, completed in 1989. Circling the downtown area is a light-rail transit system, connecting outlying areas with city-center restaurants, nightlife venues, and shopping. Sycamore trees shade the new downtown transit mall, complete with decorative fountains and antique street lights. Just to the north of the convention center is the Plaza de Cesar Chavez (formerly City Plaza Park), part of the plaza originally created when the city was founded and the site of frequent community events. Near the plaza stand the San Jose Museum of Art and historic St. Joseph Cathedral, noted for its murals and stained-glass windows. Four blocks east is San Jose State University, distinguished by its ivy-covered campus tower. Several blocks north is St. James Park and the Hensley Historic District, featuring an extensive collection of restored Victorian homes.

The largest of the many parks inside San Jose is Alum Rock Park, where many kilometers of hiking and equestrian trails wind through oak woodlands and chaparral in the mountain foothills. Multiuse trails and parkways follow Coyote Creek through San Jose. Along its banks is Kelley Park, which contains Happy Hollow, a family park focused on providing children with a creative play area. Almaden Lake Park is popular for its swimming beach on a lake that filled a former rock quarry. A section of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge covers the estuary where the Guadalupe River enters the bay. Among the beautiful public gardens in the city are the Municipal Rose Garden, with about 3,500 rose plants; the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden, which emphasizes the history of rose cultivation; and the Overfelt Gardens, noted for its Chinese Cultural Garden. County-operated parks near the city include Almaden Quicksilver County Park, which was once a quicksilver mine; Sanborn-Skyline County Park, with groves of redwood trees and sweeping views of the Santa Clara Valley; and the large Joseph D. Grant County Park, on the eastern mountain slopes.

The San Jose Arena, opened in 1993, is the home of the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks, the city’s only major league professional team. Themed amusement parks in the area include Paramount’s Great America in nearby Santa Clara. The West Coast’s only remaining seaside amusement park is located south of San Jose at Santa Cruz.

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