Santa Cruz (California)

Santa Cruz (California), city in western California, seat of Santa Cruz County, on Monterey Bay. It is a tourist center and manufacturing city situated in a productive agricultural area; manufactures include electronic equipment and processed food. The University of California-Santa Cruz (1965) is here. The city's name is derived from Mission La Exaltación de la Santa Cruz, founded here by the Spanish in 1791 and destroyed by fire in 1856. A replica of the mission is a local attraction, as is a seaside commercial and amusement area. Begonia gardens and stands of redwoods are located near the city. Santa Cruz was incorporated as a city in 1866. Santa Cruz was near the epicenter of the 1989 earthquake that struck the region; as a result the city sustained extensive damage. Population 41,483 (1980); 49,040 (1990); 54,593 (2000); 54,760 (2005 estimate).