It is also the capital town of the province of Laguna. According to the latest census, it has a population of 101,914 people in 19,627 households and with a growth rate of 1.37%). Projected population for 2009 is 104,615.

 

Santa Cruz is situated on the banks of the Santa Cruz River which course its way along the eastern part of the famous Laguna de Bay. The town is bounded by the Bay on the north, by Lumban and Pagsanjan towns in the east, Pagsanjan and Magdalena towns in the south, and Pila and Liliw towns in the west. It is approximately 87 kilometers from Manila via Calamba and 105 km via Pililla, in the province of Rizal. It is accessible by land from the nearby 28 municipalities and by water through Laguna de Bay from Manila and some Rizal towns.

 

Santa Cruz is considered as the service and commercial center on the eastern part of the province. The town is composed of five barangays in the Poblacion area and 21 classified urban barangays. Although relatively far from the immediate urbanizing influence of Metropolitan Manila, Santa Cruz continues to progress. It is now classified as first class municipality. The present administration is headed by the Honorable Mayor Ariel Magcalas. Santa Cruz is also the seat of the provincial government since 1885, giving the municipality an additional administrative function over the entire province. It also functions as the service center for transportation, commerce, health, education, and other social services for the predominantly rural northeastern municipalities of the province. Boosting the economy of the municipality are the incipient and fast growing agribusiness industries such as livestock raising, horticulture and aquaculture. The town is composed of twenty-six (26) urban barangays. All barangays are being classified as urban.

 

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