SEATTLE - The Bay Area will once again host the oldest international soccer tournament in the world when Copa América 2024 kicks off this week. Eight years after hosting four Copa América Centenario games, Levi's Stadium will have the honor of housing two matches for this year's tournament.
Located in the city of Santa Clara, Levi's Stadium has been the home to the NFL's San Francisco 49ers since 2014. Less than an hour drive away from the city of San Francisco, Santa Clara became the headquarters of the 49ers after negotiations to build a new stadium failed with the city of San Francisco.
Santa Clara suffered a huge change during the 1950's and 1960's when the area became home to a number of high-tech companies such as Intel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard, thus paving the way for a region known for its technological progress and advancement. It earned the nickname of Silicon Valley and, to this day, it continues to be home to some of the world's largest high-tech corporations, including the headquarters of more than 30 businesses in the Fortune 1000 list.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Santa Clara city had a population of over 120,000 people making it the eight-most populous city in the Bay Area.
Since being founded by the Spanish in 1777, Santa Clara has been a culturally diverse place but Latinos and Hispanics have always made up a huge chunk of the population. Today, Santa Clara County is a diverse community of over 1.9 million people. The county has a large Hispanic population, making up over a quarter of local residents.
Just like in 2016, Levi's Stadium will be in charge of hosting a few Copa América matches. The stadium has a capacity for 68,500 people and it will also host six matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Levi's Stadium Quick Facts
- The stadium is located on a sustainable site with accessible public transportation and bike path to lower greenhouse gases.
- Over 400 miles of data cable connects the stadium, including 70 miles of cable to support WiFi.
- The stadium has about 1,700 high-tech beacons that can be used to give people directions to their seats and send them alerts about specials and promotions from concession stands.
- It has hosted a Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff and artists such as Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran. In 2026, it will host five group stage matches and a Round of 32 game during the FIFA World Cup.
Demographics
Santa Clara county is home to more than 1.8 million inhabitants and the city of Santa Clara houses around 130,000 of them. Despite California being one of the states with the biggest Latino population in the United States, the Bay Area remains as a very diverse land.
According to estimates from the U.S. Census, Asians are the largest minority group in Santa Clara County, comprising of 41% of the population. Latinos are the second-biggest group with a representation of almost 25%, but only have a 15% representation in Santa Clara city.
The biggest increase in population in the history of the county was during the 1960's, when Santa Clara saw a 403% increase compared to the 1950's. It went from housing just over 11,000 people during the 50's to being home to more than 58,000 people 10 years later.
Other attractions
With just a short drive up north, people that travel to Santa Clara for Copa América 2024 can enjoy what the city of San Francisco has to offer. From the legendary Golden Gate Bridge to its iconic Alcatraz Island, tourism is the biggest industry in San Francisco. In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic more than 26 million visitors traveled to the Bay Area.
With so many options to explore, here's some helpful links that can help you plan your itineraries when you're not too busy making your way to Levi's Stadium for a Copa América game.
- 10 Iconic San Francisco Eats & Drinks That Every Visitor Must Try
- Top 20 Attractions in San Francisco
- Iconic San Francisco Landmarks
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