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