Almaden Valley
The Almaden Valley is a picturesque area located in the southern region of San Jose, CA. The area is named after the New Almaden Quicksilver Mines that produced an ore called cinnabar, which was in operation until the early 1900’s. The cinnabar was used for body painting and wall writings by the local Ohlone Indians, but it also contained mercury. Mercury was heavily used in the 1800’s to assist with the processing of silver and gold during the gold rush era, and this mine was one of the most valuable mines in the state. The mine is no longer, and was converted to the Almaden Quicksilver County Park by the County of Santa Clara, and is still operated to this day.
The Almaden Valley is recognized by local residents as an upper-middle class neighborhood with larger homes on larger lots, and some of the best public schools in the San Jose Unified School District. This community is a driving style community with very little in the way of walkable retail or a central downtown core. Amenities such as grocery stores and retail are primarily located along Almaden Expressway and near Blossom Hill Road and Highway 85 to the north of the Valley.
For those that love outdoor recreation, the southern part of the valley offers convenient access to boating on Calero Reservoir, hiking and biking trails, and a 27-hole championship golf course named Cinnabar Hills. For those that desire a little more urban recreational environment, Almaden Lake Park and Lake Almaden offers a 32 acre lake that is available for fishing and paddle boating. It also offers a tremendous amount of walking trails and picnic areas. For those desiring private golf and country clubs, the Almaden Golf and Country Club and The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge are both excellent local options.
The Almaden Valley has both single family homes, condos, and townhomes that are available for purchase, but the majority of homes in the region are single family homes. The primary zip code for the region is 95120, and the majority of the developed lots in the region are located within the City of San Jose. Below is the historical home sale data for the Almaden Valley.