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San Jose, California - Quiz
Contributed by: Payne
  • 1. How long is San Jose's trail network?
A) 50 miles
B) 100 miles
C) 80 miles
D) 65 miles
  • 2. Which publication recognized San Jose's trail network as the nation's largest?
A) Outdoor Life
B) San Jose Mercury News
C) Prevention Magazine
D) National Geographic
  • 3. Which of these is a major trail in San Jose?
A) Coyote Creek Trail
B) Pacific Crest Trail
C) Mount Umunhum Trail
D) Mission Peak Trail
  • 4. What kind of salmon are known to spawn in the Guadalupe River?
A) Pink salmon
B) Sockeye salmon
C) King salmon
D) Coho salmon
  • 5. What is the scientific name for the steelhead fish found in the Guadalupe River?
A) Salmo trutta
B) Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
C) Oncorhynchus mykiss
D) Oncorhynchus nerka
  • 6. San Jose is the southernmost major U.S. city with known what?
A) Tule elk herds
B) Mammoth fossils
C) Coastal redwoods
D) Salmon spawning runs
  • 7. In what year were Chinook salmon filmed spawning under the Julian Street bridge?
A) 2011
B) 2019
C) 2005
D) 1990
  • 8. Who discovered the remains of a mammoth on the banks of the Guadalupe River?
A) Roger Castillo
B) An unnamed city official
C) John Muir
D) The Santa Clara Valley Water District
  • 9. What animal recolonized the hills of south San Jose in 2019?
A) Mountain lions
B) California condors
C) Tule elk
D) Grizzly bears
  • 10. Where is the wildlife migration corridor between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range located?
A) Guadalupe River Park
B) Silver Creek
C) Coyote Valley
D) Alum Rock Park
  • 11. What was the population of San Jose according to 2022 estimates?
A) 971,233
B) 1,100,000
C) 1,000,000
D) 950,000
  • 12. What percentage did San Jose's population decline between 2020 and 2022?
A) 6.2%
B) 4.1%
C) 1.0%
D) 2.5%
  • 13. Which city is the only other US city in history to drop back under one million residents after reaching that milestone?
A) Detroit
B) New York City
C) Los Angeles
D) Chicago
  • 14. What is one reason given for San Jose's population decline?
A) High crime rates
B) Remote working opportunities
C) Natural disasters
D) Lack of water
  • 15. According to the text, what has blocked salmon from access to breeding grounds?
A) Impassable culverts
B) Lack of water
C) Overfishing
D) Pollution
  • 16. What part of the Bay Area is San Jose located in?
A) Southern
B) Eastern
C) Western
D) Northern
  • 17. Which body of water does the northernmost part of San Jose touch?
A) San Francisco Bay
B) Pacific Ocean
C) Lake Tahoe
D) Monterey Bay
  • 18. What is the name of the area where San Jose touches the bayshore?
A) Sunnyvale
B) Mountain View
C) Santa Clara
D) Alviso
  • 19. What is the total land area of San Jose in square miles?
A) 200.2
B) 180.0
C) 125.7
D) 150.5
  • 20. Where does San Jose rank in size among California cities by land area?
A) Third
B) Second
C) First
D) Fourth
  • 21. Which city is larger in land area than San Jose?
A) Oakland
B) Sacramento
C) San Francisco
D) California City
  • 22. Which two major faults surround San Jose?
A) Hayward and San Andreas
B) San Jacinto and San Andreas
C) San Andreas and Calaveras
D) Calaveras and Hayward
  • 23. What was the source of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake?
A) San Andreas Fault
B) Mount Hamilton
C) Hayward Fault
D) Calaveras Fault
  • 24. Where do the moderate earthquakes that shake San Jose typically originate?
A) Calaveras Fault
B) San Andreas Fault
C) San Francisco Bay
D) Mount Hamilton
  • 25. What magnitude earthquake struck near Mount Hamilton on April 14, 1984?
A) 5.5
B) 6.2
C) 7.0
D) 4.8
  • 26. Which earthquake caused damage to many buildings in San Jose in the early 20th century?
A) 1957 earthquake
B) 1891 earthquake
C) 1989 earthquake
D) 1906 earthquake
  • 27. In what year did the Daly City earthquake occur?
A) 1984
B) 1989
C) 1906
D) 1957
  • 28. Which of these years did NOT experience a significant earthquake in San Jose according to the text?
A) 1839
B) 1868
C) 1995
D) 1851
  • 29. What is the name of the language family the Tamien language belongs to?
A) Ohlone
B) Spanish
C) Nahuatl
D) Mexican
  • 30. In what year were the missions secularized by the Mexican Government?
A) 1800
B) 1791
C) 1777
D) 1833
  • 31. Who claimed California for the Spanish Empire in 1542?
A) José Joaquín Moraga
B) Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
C) José de Gálvez
D) Juan Bautista de Anza
  • 32. What event prompted the Portolá Expedition in 1769?
A) A massive earthquake
B) The end of the mission system
C) Shifting power dynamics in North America
D) The discovery of gold
  • 33. Who created the Captaincy General of the Provincias Internas in 1776?
A) Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa
B) Diego de Borica
C) José de Gálvez
D) Carlos III
  • 34. On what side of the Guadalupe River was the original San Jose settlement located?
A) Northern bank
B) Western bank
C) Southern bank
D) Eastern bank
  • 35. On what date was San Jose officially founded?
A) November 29, 1776
B) January 1, 1800
C) December 29, 1777
D) November 29, 1777
  • 36. Who officially founded the Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe?
A) José Joaquín Moraga
B) Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa
C) Diego de Borica
D) Juan Bautista de Anza
  • 37. Why was the San Jose settlement moved south in 1791?
A) Severe flooding
B) Orders from the Russian government
C) Conflict with Native Nations
D) Lack of water
  • 38. Which modern-day plaza is centered on the location where San Jose was moved to in 1791?
A) Monterey Plaza
B) San Francisco Plaza
C) Guadalupe Plaza
D) Plaza de César Chávez
  • 39. In 1800, which governor split the Californias into Alta and Baja California?
A) Diego de Borica
B) José Joaquín Moraga
C) Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa
D) Juan Bautista de Anza
  • 40. What historical route connected the Monterey Presidio and the San Francisco Presidio?
A) The Mexican Border Road
B) The Santa Clara Path
C) El Camino Real
D) The Oregon Trail
  • 41. What is the estimated population of San Jose as of 2025?
A) 989,814
B) 950,500
C) 850,000
D) 1,000,000
  • 42. Who adopted the motto 'Capital of Silicon Valley' in 1988?
A) Tom McEnery
B) Ronald Reagan
C) Gavin Newsom
D) Sam Liccardo
  • 43. What is the land area of San Jose?
A) 179.97 sq mi
B) 150.25 sq mi
C) 200.50 sq mi
D) 125.40 sq mi
  • 44. Which major company is headquartered in San Jose?
A) Apple
B) Adobe
C) Google
D) Meta
  • 45. What is the primary climate of San Jose?
A) Alpine
B) Tropical
C) Desert
D) Mediterranean
  • 46. What is the ranking of San Jose's airport in Northern California by busyness?
A) Third-busiest
B) First-busiest
C) Fifth-busiest
D) Second-busiest
  • 47. Which transit hub connects San Jose to the broader region?
A) Civic Center Station
B) Central Terminal
C) Diridon Station
D) Union Station
  • 48. What percentage of San Jose's residents belong to the Hispanic community?
A) Over 50%
B) Over 30%
C) Exactly 20%
D) Under 10%
  • 49. Which historic ethnic enclave is located in San Jose?
A) French Quarter
B) Chinatown
C) Japantown
D) Little Italy
  • 50. What is the name of the museum located in San Jose that features Egyptian artifacts?
A) Winchester Mystery House
B) Tech Interactive
C) Viet Museum
D) Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
  • 51. Which major tech company is based in San Jose?
A) Cisco
B) Amazon
C) Microsoft
D) Tesla
  • 52. In what year did San Jose become part of Mexico?
A) 1777
B) 1821
C) 1848
D) 1850
  • 53. When did the U.S. Board on Geographic Names rule that the spelling should be 'San Jose'?
A) June 2, 1969
B) December 11, 1943
C) August 20, 1974
D) April 3, 1979
  • 54. Who designed the city flag adopted in 1969?
A) Catherine Linquist
B) César Chávez
C) Clyde Arbuckle
D) The Board on Geographic Names
  • 55. When did the city officially adopt the accent mark for use on the city seal and stationery?
A) June 16, 1970
B) December 11, 1943
C) August 20, 1974
D) April 3, 1979
  • 56. What is the convention regarding the accent mark in all-capital letters?
A) The accent is dropped
B) The accent is always required
C) The accent is only used in formal documents
D) The accent is used only on the city logo
  • 57. Why is the accent mark excluded from the name of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce?
A) The Chamber of Commerce is located outside the city
B) The organization uses all-capital letters only
C) The organization chose not to use the accent-marked name
D) It is a requirement of the city charter
  • 58. What population did residents want to acknowledge by returning to the 'San José' spelling?
A) The original founders of the state
B) European immigrant population
C) Mexican-American population
D) Early settlers from Guadalupe
  • 59. How many rancho land grants were issued in the Santa Clara Valley between 1833 and 1845?
A) 40
B) 38
C) 19
D) 15
  • 60. Who was the founder of Los Gatos, California, who received a rancho land grant?
A) Josiah Belden
B) James A. Forbes
C) Antonio Suñol
D) José María Alviso
  • 61. What was the population of San Jose in 1835?
A) Approximately 1,000
B) Approximately 700
C) Approximately 900
D) Approximately 400
  • 62. Who led the nineteen volunteers that captured the pueblo of San Jose in 1846?
A) Captain Thomas Fallon
B) A. P. Hamann
C) John Montgomery
D) Josiah Belden
  • 63. What was the date that the California Republic flag was raised, ending Mexican rule in Alta California?
A) September 9, 1850
B) December 15, 1849
C) March 27, 1850
D) July 14, 1846
  • 64. Which treaty formally ceded California to the United States in 1848?
A) Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
B) Treaty of Santa Clara
C) Treaty of San Jose
D) Treaty of the California Republic
  • 65. On what date did San Jose become the first capital of the state of California?
A) March 27, 1850
B) December 15, 1849
C) September 9, 1850
D) July 14, 1846
  • 66. Who was the first mayor of San Jose after it was incorporated in 1850?
A) Josiah Belden
B) A. P. Hamann
C) Norman Mineta
D) John Montgomery
  • 67. John Montgomery is remembered in San Jose for his pioneering work in what field?
A) Urban planning
B) Computer storage
C) Aviation
D) Agricultural mechanization
  • 68. What institution suffered over 100 deaths during the 1906 earthquake?
A) The California State Legislature
B) San Jose High School
C) Agnews Asylum
D) The Del Monte cannery
  • 69. In 1940, what percentage of San Jose's population was reported as white by the Census Bureau?
A) 75%
B) 80%
C) 90%
D) 98%
  • 70. Which company became a major industrial employer in San Jose, producing Landing Vehicle Tracked during World War II?
A) BAE Systems
B) IBM
C) Food Machinery Corporation
D) Del Monte
  • 71. Which invention was developed by Reynold B. Johnson and his team in San Jose?
A) Punch card reader
B) Landing Vehicle Tracked
C) The M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
D) Hard disk drive
  • 72. Who led the major growth campaign in San Jose during the 1950s and 1960s?
A) A. P. "Dutch" Hamann
B) Norman Mineta
C) Janet Gray Hayes
D) Josiah Belden
  • 73. When did San Jose surpass San Francisco as the most populous city in the Bay Area?
A) 1980
B) 1970
C) 1990
D) 2000
  • 74. By how many square miles did San Jose grow during Hamann's administration?
A) 1,389
B) 17
C) 149
D) 132
  • 75. What was the nickname given to Hamann's staff?
A) The Annexation Committee
B) Dutch's Panzer Division
C) The City Council Squad
D) The Valley Planners
  • 76. What was a chief source of revenue for San Jose during Hamann's tenure?
A) Gold extraction
B) Property taxes
C) Mercury mining
D) Sales taxes
  • 77. What were the narrow bands of land annexed along roadways called?
A) Corridors
B) Tentacles
C) Behemoths
D) Pockets
  • 78. What state body was created in 1963 to manage order regarding San Jose's growth?
A) California Land Commission
B) San Jose Planning Board
C) Local Agency Formation Commissions
D) The Urban Expansion Agency
  • 79. What resource was extracted in Almaden Valley for gold processing?
A) Gold
B) Sodium
C) Mercury
D) Quartz
  • 80. Where does Coyote Creek originate?
A) San Francisco Bay
B) Almaden Valley
C) Santa Cruz Mountains
D) Mount Sizer
  • 81. What is the lowest point in San Jose?
A) 2,125 ft above sea level
B) 13 ft below sea level
C) 0 ft above sea level
D) 13 ft above sea level
  • 82. Which reservoir's drainage has strained San Jose's water security?
A) Anderson Lake
B) Coyote Creek
C) Almaden Lake
D) Guadalupe Reservoir
  • 83. Which expressway is explicitly listed as a major thoroughfare in the text?
A) Santa Clara Expressway
B) Alviso Expressway
C) Lawrence Expressway
D) Mount Sizer Expressway
  • 84. What led to the end of Hamann's influence?
A) The depletion of mercury
B) Neighborhoods electing their own candidates
C) A city-wide vote on sales tax
D) A state ban on annexation
  • 85. What interference was added to the night sky in 2018?
A) Industrial smog
B) Reflections from the Santa Cruz Mountains
C) Blue light from LED billboards
D) Light from low pressure sodium lamps
  • 86. What was the total square mileage of San Jose in 1969?
A) 149
B) 44
C) 386
D) 17
  • 87. What is the Köppen climate classification for San Jose?
A) Csa
B) Csb
C) Cfa
D) BSk
  • 88. How many average days of sunshine does San Jose receive annually?
A) 250
B) 285
C) 320
D) 298
  • 89. What was the highest temperature ever recorded in San Jose?
A) 112 °F
B) 109 °F
C) 100 °F
D) 105 °F
  • 90. Which of these years recorded the lowest precipitation in San Jose in the last 127 years?
A) 1982–1983
B) 2020–2021
C) 1893
D) 1911
  • 91. When was the most recent snowfall that remained on the ground in San Jose?
A) September 6, 2022
B) January 30, 1968
C) August 16, 2020
D) February 5, 1976
  • 92. How many afternoons on average does the high temperature reach or exceed 90 °F in San Jose?
A) Twenty
B) Ten
C) Thirty
D) Sixteen
  • 93. What highway traffic is often snarled by snow near San Jose?
A) State Route 85
B) State Route 17
C) Interstate 280
D) U.S. Route 101
  • 94. How many City Council Districts has San Jose been divided into since 2020/2022?
A) 5
B) 8
C) 12
D) 10
  • 95. What is the oldest park in San Jose?
A) Oak Hill Memorial Park
B) Emma Prusch Farm Park
C) Kelley Park
D) Alum Rock Park
  • 96. In what year was Alum Rock Park established?
A) 1872
B) 1902
C) 1890
D) 1850
  • 97. What is the name of the park dedicated to the author of The Rape of Nanking?
A) Martial Cottle Park
B) Selma Olinder Park
C) Emma Prusch Farm Park
D) Iris Chang Park
  • 98. Which park is known as California's oldest secular cemetery?
A) Martial Cottle Park
B) Oak Hill Memorial Park
C) Alum Rock Park
D) Kelley Park
  • 99. Where can the Portuguese Historical Museum be found?
A) Emma Prusch Farm Park
B) History Park
C) Alum Rock Park
D) Rosicrucian Park
  • 100. Which neighborhood is a distinct ethnic enclave home to a community of Hispanics?
A) Japantown
B) Little Portugal
C) Washington-Guadalupe
D) Little Saigon
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