County · code 06087
Santa Cruz CountyCalifornia
Santa Cruz County is a county in California with its seat in Santa Cruz. It was created on February 18, 1850, from non-county area and named after Santa Cruz.
- Founded1850
- County seatSanta Cruz
- Named forSanta Cruz, California
- Land area445 sq mi + 162 sq mi water
- Population270,861 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped97,180 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Santa Cruz on the map of California
California has 58 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1850 from San Francisco County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Branciforte County was created on February 18, 1850, from non-county area with a disputed northern boundary with San Francisco County. On April 5, 1850, Branciforte County was renamed Santa Cruz County with redefined boundaries. The county has exchanged small areas with neighboring counties over time, most recently losing area to Santa Clara County in 1998.
- 1850Santa Cruz County created Branciforte (now Santa Cruz) created from non-county area; northern boundary with San Francisco was in dispute when the counties disagreed over the interpretation of the boundary description. · Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 15, sec. 7/p. 59; Stanger, 88
- 1850Renamed Branciforte renamed Santa Cruz; boundaries redefined (no change).formerly Branciforte· Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 61, sec. 1/pp. 155-156
- 1856Santa Cruz County created San Mateo created from San Francisco; San Mateo boundary with Santa Cruz was in dispute. · Calif. Stats. 1856, 7th sess., ch. 125/pp. 145-146, 176-178
- 1868Lost territory Santa Cruz lost to San Mateo. · Calif. Stats. 1867, 17th sess., ch. 195/p. 174
- 1971Exchanged territory Santa Cruz exchanged small areas with Santa Clara as the boundary was clarified along its entire length. · Coy, 343-345
Show all 9 changes
- 1850Santa Cruz County created Branciforte (now Santa Cruz) created from non-county area; northern boundary with San Francisco was in dispute when the counties disagreed over the interpretation of the boundary description. · Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 15, sec. 7/p. 59; Stanger, 88
- 1850Renamed Branciforte renamed Santa Cruz; boundaries redefined (no change).formerly Branciforte· Calif. Stats. 1849, 1st sess., ch. 61, sec. 1/pp. 155-156
- 1851Boundary clarified Santa Cruz boundaries redefined (no change).no change· Calif. Stats. 1851, 2d sess., ch. 14, sec. 7/p. 173
- 1856Santa Cruz County created San Mateo created from San Francisco; San Mateo boundary with Santa Cruz was in dispute. · Calif. Stats. 1856, 7th sess., ch. 125/pp. 145-146, 176-178
- 1857Boundary clarified San Mateo boundaries clarified, ending dispute with Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz lost control of area disputed with San Mateo.with San Mateono change· Calif. Stats. 1857, 8th sess., ch. 192/pp. 222-223; Stanger, 88
- 1868Lost territory Santa Cruz lost to San Mateo. · Calif. Stats. 1867, 17th sess., ch. 195/p. 174
- 1971Exchanged territory Santa Cruz exchanged small areas with Santa Clara as the boundary was clarified along its entire length. · Coy, 343-345
- 1976Boundary clarified Santa Cruz boundaries clarified (no change).no change· Calif. Stats. 1976, reg. sess., ch. 102, sec. 2/pp. 162-165
- 1998Lost territory Santa Cruz lost small area to Santa Clara. · Correspondence, California State Board of Equalization, 25 July 2002
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Santa Cruz
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 97,180 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 4 September 2026 · checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Santa Cruz County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Santa Cruz by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
Permits
County government
- County government
The official website of Santa Cruz County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Santa Cruz County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Santa Cruz County
- When was Santa Cruz County founded?
- Santa Cruz County was founded in 1850, formed from San Francisco County, and named after Santa Cruz, California.
- What is the county seat of Santa Cruz County?
- The county seat of Santa Cruz County is Santa Cruz.
- Is there an online parcel map for Santa Cruz County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 97,180 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Santa Cruz County's boundary or name changed?
- Santa Cruz County was created in 1850 from San Francisco County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and San Francisco County. It was formerly called Branciforte.
- Who issues building permits in Santa Cruz County?
- The county's page on building permits: Apply for a Building Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Santa Cruz County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby