Los Gatos, town, Santa Clara County, western California, on Los Gatos Creek, near the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is a residential, tourist, and manufacturing center; products include electronic equipment, plastic goods, tools, wine, and processed food. The community, settled in 1853, was developed at the end of the 19th century as a summer colony for wealthy San Franciscans, writers, and artists. Its name, Spanish for “cats,” refers to wildcats that once abounded here. Population 26,906 (1980); 27,357 (1990); 28,592 (2000).
