Our office will be closed on April 1, 2024 and May 27, 2024 in observance of Cesar Chavez Day and Memorial Day which are County observed holidays.

COVID-19 Update: Currently, the County Archives is open by appointment only. We feel it is in the best interest of our staff and the public we serve to limit the number of visitors to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To make an appointment, please e-mail us at [email protected]. All visitors are strongly recommended to wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status. Thank you for your cooperation.

The mission of the Santa Clara County Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available the historical records of Santa Clara County government.

The Archives’ goals are to be a center for research and information about Santa Clara County and to foster an appreciation and understanding of the county’s history and development.

History of the Archives

The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors established an Archive Policy by Policy Resolution 04-14, dated September 14, 2004. In that resolution, the Board of Supervisors recognized "the need for a formal archive policy to ensure the preservation and availability for historical and evidentiary purposes of the official papers and artifacts of the County of Santa Clara." The resolution stated that it is "County policy to establish and maintain a Countywide Records Management program, utilizing the cooperation and support of County agencies and departments, and to identify it as a priority to enable the County to systematically control the creation, maintenance, and disposition of all County records, as well as provide a County archive facility for use by the public, the County organization, and any individual or organization in need of historical and evidentiary information about the County of Santa Clara." Space for an Archives was secured in 2004 and is leased through 2014. An archivist was hired in 2006, and in April 2006, the Santa Clara County Archives began operation.​​