POPULATION: 271,233

INCORPORATION DATE: 1850

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:

• District 1 – Manu Koenig
• District 2 – Zach Friend
• District 3 – Justin Cummings
• District 4 – Felipe Hernandez
• District 5 – Bruce McPherson

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: General Law

SANTA CRUZ. County seat, Santa Cruz. Created February 18, 1850. In the original act, the county was given the name of Branciforte after the Spanish pueblo founded there in 1797. Less than two months later, the name was changed to Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Mission, established in 1791 and completed in 1794, was destroyed by earthquake in 1857, but a smaller-scale replica was erected in 1931. Santa Cruz signifies “holy cross.”