Santa Clara (/ˌsæntəˈklærə/; Spanish for "Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 as of the 2020 United States Census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the city was founded by the Spanish in 1777 with the establishment of Mission Santa Clara de Asís under the leadership of Junípero Serra.