Saratoga, California

Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in the United States. It lies in Silicon Valley in the southern Bay Area and had 31,051 residents at the 2020 census. The Ohlone people lived here first, and European settlers built a sawmill in 1847 near what became the town. The settlement carried several names in its early years, including McCarthysville, Toll Gate and Bank Mills, before it took the name Saratoga in 1865 after the resort city in New York, a name tied to mineral springs and the Congress Hall resort hotel that drew tourists until it burned down in 1903. The place became agricultural, with orchards and vineyards, then urbanized after World War II, and residents incorporated the city in 1956 largely to avoid annexation by San Jose. Today it is known for its wineries, restaurants and landmarks such as Villa Montalvo, Mountain Winery and Hakone Gardens.