Almaden Valley is a neighborhood of about 37,000 in the southwestern portion of San Jose. Almaden is also south east of the town of Los Gatos and west of the Santa Teresa neighborhood of San Jose, near the southern end of the Blossom Hill neighborhood. It was named after the New Almaden Quicksilver Mines, which were named after the mercury mine in Almadén, Spain, and produced mercury that was used to process ore during the Gold Rush.
Like its Spanish namesake, California's Almaden had a number of quicksilver mines. The mercury was used during gold extraction in the California Gold Rush, but the mines were closed in 1975 and have been converted into Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Despite the closure of the mines, there still remains a high mercury content in the nearby soil, creeks and rivers, and signs are posted alongside them warning people not to eat the fish. Even still, many of the names in Almaden still retain their mercury mine themes.
Almaden Schools
High Schools
• Leland High School
• Pioneer High School
Middle Schools
• Almaden Country School
• Bret Harte Middle School
• Castillero Middle School
• Challenger School
Elementary Schools
• Almaden Country School
• Challenger School
• Graystone Elementary School
• Guadalupe Elementary School
• Holy Spirit School
• Los Alamitos Elementary School
• Simonds Elementary School
• Williams Elementary School
Recreation
• Lake Almaden
• Almaden Quicksilver County Park
• Calero Dam and Reservoir
Heath & Fitness
• Almaden Valley Athletic Club
• Almaden Valley Swim and Racquet