Interesting facts

1. Saratoga was originally a frontier settlement named Toll Gate, established in the 1840s. 2. The city was renamed to Saratoga in 1865 because its local mineral springs resembled those of Saratoga Springs, New York. 3. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Saratoga was highly famous for its fruit orchards, particularly prunes and apricots. 4. Famed winemaker Paul Masson established his Mountain Winery in Saratoga in 1901. 5. The historic Villa Montalvo was built in 1912 by James Duval Phelan, a three-term mayor of San Francisco and a U.S. Senator. 6. The Hakone Estate and Gardens is one of the oldest Japanese residential gardens in the Western Hemisphere, created in 1918. 7. Saratoga did not officially incorporate as a city until 1956, doing so largely to prevent being annexed by neighboring San Jose. 8. Legendary director Steven Spielberg graduated from Saratoga High School in 1965. 9. The Mountain Winery’s summer concert series is world-renowned, hosting legendary acts in an intimate, 2,500-seat outdoor amphitheater. 10. Saratoga is ranked as one of the most expensive housing markets in the United States, with a median home price well over $3 million. 11. The city's downtown is affectionately known by locals simply as "The Village." 12. A prominent historic landmark is the memorial arch at Blaney Plaza in the center of the Village, built in 1919 to honor WWI veterans. 13. Actress Joan Fontaine, an Academy Award winner, lived in Saratoga for many years. 14. Saratoga is a "Sister City" with Muko, Japan, a relationship established in 1983. 15. The city operates without a municipal property tax for general services, relying heavily on sales tax, transient occupancy tax, and utility users' tax. 16. Sanborn County Park in Saratoga features over 3,000 acres of open space and dense redwood forests. 17. Congress Springs, the site of the original mineral water resort that gave the city its name, was completely destroyed by fire in 1903. 18. West Valley College opened in Saratoga in 1964 and now serves over 7,000 students. 19. Placer mining (for gold) was briefly attempted in the area during the 1850s, but it was logging and agriculture that ultimately sustained the early economy. 20. Saratoga is uniquely positioned entirely within the 95070 ZIP code.