Cupertino

Cupertino is a quiet suburb of about 60,000 people at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains, roughly 10 to 12 miles south of Palo Alto. It is famous for one reason. Apple has been based here for decades and its ring-shaped headquarters, Apple Park, opened on the east side of the city in 2017.

Many visitors drive down expecting a tour and find that only a visitor center is open. That is still worth a stop if you are curious. The city also has a restored ranch, a creekside farm park, foothill preserves and one of the Bay Area's larger spring festivals. This guide explains what is open, how to get there and how to make a half day of it.

Where Cupertino is and how far

Cupertino lies in western Santa Clara County. It borders Los Altos and Sunnyvale to the north, Santa Clara and San Jose to the east and Saratoga to the south. To the west the land rises into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where county parks and open space preserves begin.

The city's center is the crossroads of Stevens Creek Boulevard and De Anza Boulevard. Interstate 280 crosses the city, which makes it a straight run from Palo Alto: about 10 to 12 miles, or 15 to 20 minutes outside rush hour.

Getting there from Palo Alto

• Car: Take Interstate 280 south from Page Mill Road or Arastradero Road. The De Anza Boulevard exit is best for the civic center and Memorial Park. Wolfe Road is the exit for the Apple Park area. Foothill Expressway is a slower but pleasant alternative through Los Altos.
• Caltrain plus VTA: Cupertino has no rail station. Ride Caltrain to Sunnyvale or Mountain View, then take a VTA bus south. Use VTA's trip planner for the current route and see our VTA guide for fares.
• Bike: Experienced riders use Foothill Expressway or the roads through Los Altos. Parts of the Stevens Creek Trail run through Cupertino, but they do not yet form a continuous route to the Mountain View section.

If you plan to combine Cupertino with the hill preserves or Saratoga, a car makes the day much simpler. Transit to the trailheads is limited, so visitors without a car can compare rental cars for the day.

What Cupertino is known for

A creek and a saint

The name traces back to the Anza expedition of 1776. A mapmaker named the stream now called Stevens Creek the Arroyo San José de Cupertino, after Saint Joseph of Cupertino. The name drifted to the farming district that grew up around the crossroads. Orchards and vineyards covered the valley floor and by the late 1800s wineries were operating on Montebello Ridge above town.

Incorporation and growth

Residents voted to incorporate in September 1955 and the city became official on October 10, 1955. Suburban tracts replaced most of the orchards over the next two decades. De Anza College opened in 1967 on a 112-acre site that had held a winery.

Apple

Apple has been based in Cupertino for decades, with its earlier headquarters at Infinite Loop. It later bought the former HP campus on the east side of the city and Steve Jobs presented the design for a new circular headquarters to the city council on June 7, 2011. Employees began moving into Apple Park in April 2017. Wikipedia puts the main building's capacity at about 13,000 people. For context on the region's tech story, see our Silicon Valley history.

The Apple Park Visitor Center

The Apple Park Visitor Center at 10600 North Tantau Avenue opened on November 17, 2017. It is the only part of Apple Park that the public can enter. Here is what Apple's store page describes:

• An Apple Store with drop-in shopping, product demos and order pickup.
• A cafe at the southern end of the building, serving light refreshments.
• A rooftop terrace with shaded seating and a view of the main ring building through the trees.

For the week of October 30, 2026, Apple listed hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Hours change, so check before you go.

One caution. MacTech reported in July 2026 that an update was under way at the center and that its exhibition space was temporarily closed. In September 2026 the same site reported that the center no longer had its 3D model of the campus. Apple's page did not mention an exhibit in late October 2026, so do not plan your visit around one.

The Steve Jobs Theater, a 1,000-seat auditorium used for product launches, is inside the secure campus and is not open to visitors. Apple runs no public campus tours.

The main areas

• Stevens Creek Boulevard and De Anza Boulevard: The commercial spine, lined with shopping centers and restaurants. Much of the city's well-known Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese food is along these roads.
• Main Street Cupertino: An open-air district of shops, restaurants, offices and apartments run by Sand Hill Property Company at 19419 Stevens Creek Boulevard. Its website keeps the current directory.
• The former Vallco site: The old Vallco Fashion Park mall across the boulevard was torn down and is slated for a mixed-use neighborhood. Expect construction.
• Civic Center: City Hall, the Community Hall and the Cupertino Library sit together. The library is part of the Santa Clara County Library District.
• The foothills: West of Interstate 280, the Monta Vista area gives way to ranches, quarries and open space.

Parks, ranches and trails

McClellan Ranch Preserve

The city's 18-acre McClellan Ranch Preserve at 22221 McClellan Road is a former horse ranch from the 1930s and 1940s. Its old milk and livestock barns still stand. The original ranch house is headquarters for the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance. A recreated blacksmith shop holds free demonstrations on the last Saturday of each month. The preserve is open sunrise to sunset and its Environmental Education Center with live animal ambassadors opens Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A short dirt nature trail follows the creek. Dogs and bikes are not allowed.

Blackberry Farm

Blackberry Farm at 21979 San Fernando Avenue is a creekside city park with two pools, picnic sites and a golf course nearby. In fall 2026 the city listed weekend recreation swim from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with weekday swimming closed until 2027. Pets are not allowed in the picnic sites, though leashed dogs may use the Stevens Creek Trail through the park.

Memorial Park

Memorial Park at 21121 Stevens Creek Boulevard is the city's main civic park and the home of the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Foothill preserves

Some of the best hiking near Palo Alto starts at Cupertino's edge. Rancho San Antonio borders the city's Oak Valley neighborhood. Up Stevens Canyon are Stevens Creek County Park, Fremont Older Preserve and Picchetti Ranch Preserve, a historic winery site with oak trails.

Events

• Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival: Held each spring in Memorial Park. The 42nd festival ran April 25 and 26, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free entertainment, food and kids' activities. The city sponsors it and an outside group organizes it. The 2027 dates had not been posted in October 2026.
• International Kung Fu and Taijiquan Day: A free city festival on October 31, 2026, with youth kung fu lessons, senior taijiquan lessons and a showcase.
• McClellan Ranch: The Environmental Education Center listed an open house on October 31, 2026 and the blacksmith shop demonstrates every month.

The city's events directory has the full list.

Why a Palo Alto visitor might go

• Apple fans: The visitor center is the closest you can get to Apple Park and the rooftop view is free.
• Families: McClellan Ranch's barns, blacksmith and animal ambassadors make an easy morning with kids.
• Hikers: Cupertino is the gateway to Stevens Canyon and the southern foothill preserves.
• Food: The Stevens Creek and De Anza corridors are among the best areas in the South Bay for Chinese and Taiwanese food.
• Spring: The Cherry Blossom Festival is a full weekend outing in late April.

Frequently asked questions