Cupertino lies directly west of San Jose; its eastern part is flat valley land and its western part climbs into the foothills. The 2020 census counted 60,381 people in about 11.3 square miles.
It is named for Arroyo San José de Cupertino, the old name of Stevens Creek. For most of the 19th century the settlement was called West Side; the name Cupertino came into use from John T. Doyle’s Cupertino Wine Co. and was given to the Crossroads and the post office in 1904. The city incorporated on October 10, 1955, as Santa Clara County’s 13th city.