THE BAY AREA - YOUR NEW PLACE

The San Francisco Bay Area, referred to locally as the Bay Area, is home to more than seven million people, it is composed of the 3 major cities San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, towns, villages, military bases, airports, and associated regional, state, and national parks sprawled over nine counties and connected by a massive network of roads, highways and rails.

Silicon Valley is the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The term originally referred to the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually became a metaphor for all high tech businesses in the area.

Because the hills, mountains, and large bodies of water produce such vast geographic diversity within this region, the Bay Area offers a significant variety of microclimates. The areas near the Pacific Ocean are generally characterized by relatively small temperature variations during the year, with cool foggy summers and mild rainy winters. Inland areas, especially those separated from the ocean by hills or mountains, have hotter summers and colder overnight temperatures during the winter, with an occasional snowfall dusting the highest peaks. Silicon Valley is the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The term originally referred to the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually became a metaphor for all high tech businesses in the area.