Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is a commonly used nickname for the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California, USA, originally referring to the concentration of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually becoming a metaphor for the entire concentration of high tech businesses. It encompasses the northern part of Santa Clara Valley and adjacent communities in the southern parts of the San Francisco Peninsula and East Bay. It reaches approximately from Menlo Park (on the Peninsula) and the Fremont/Newark area in the East Bay down through San Jose, centered roughly on Sunnyvale. In north Santa Clara County, an industrial "Big Dipper" can be seen from aerial photographs because the buildings and streets are laid out in a fashion that is easily distinguishable from the residential areas. (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.304051,-121.872734&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k—zoom out for a wider view.)

Origin of the term

The term Silicon Valley was coined by journalist Don Hoefler in 1971. Silicon refers to the high concentration of semiconductor and computer-related industries in the area; Valley refers to the Santa Clara Valley.

Related Topics:
Don Hoefler - 1971 - Silicon - Semiconductor - Computer

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The term may also be applied to surrounding areas on both sides of San Francisco Bay into which many of these industries have expanded rapidly.

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For many years in the 1970s and 1980s it was also incorrectly called Silicone Valley, mostly by journalists, before the name became commonplace in American culture. Unfamiliar with silicon, writers assumed that it was a misspelling of silicone, a material used in caulking, breast implants, and other products that had recently been introduced to the public.

Related Topics:
1970s - 1980s - Silicone - Caulking - Breast implants

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