Santa Cruz County is located on California's Central Coast, 65 miles south of San Francisco and 35 miles north of Monterey. Situated on the northern side of Monterey Bay and hugged by redwood forested mountains, Santa Cruz County has 29 miles of beaches and includes 6 state parks and 6 state beaches. The nearest airport is in San Jose, 30 miles northeast of Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is home to the University of California, Santa Cruz.