from the Pacific Ocean, and by the Diablo Range on the northeast. The valley is approximately 93 mi long by 15 mi wide. Its largest city is San Jose. Santa Clara Valley has a Mediterranean semi-arid climate.

Joseph S. Diller, a geologist, observed in 1915 that a "notable peculiarity" of the Santa Clara Valley is that "it is divided transversely by a scarcely noticeable soil-covered divide." The northern portion