Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mountain View is a city located in Santa Clara County, California and in the heart of the Silicon Valley.  At just over 12 square miles with a pedestrian-friendly downtown, the City incorporated in 1902 and is home to approximately 81,438 residents (2017). Today, many of the largest technology companies in the world are headquartered in Mountain View, including Google, Mozilla Foundation, Symantec, Linkedin and Intuit.  The City is also home to NASA Ames, one of the nation’s leading research laboratories. Providing excellent public services and facilities that meet the needs of a caring and diverse community, Mountain View also boasts strong safety and public education records and is considered one of the best places to live in the Bay Area.  San Jose International Airport is located 11 miles to the south, and San Francisco International Airport is located 25 miles to the north and are easily accessible by Light Rail and CALTRAIN. One of only three cities in the State of California with a AAA credit rating which means the City has been formally recognized as having a solid and diversified tax base; a very strong financial operation; and a low debt burden.