About 2500 people call Ben Lomond "home." Within about 15 minutes to either Scotts Valley or Santa Cruz, residents live amongst the relaxed atmosphere of a scenic mountain village with all the benefits of two easily accessible cities. The downtown area features several restaurants, a gourmand grocery, post office, feed and farm supply, art center including gifts and gallery, clothing and antique stores, hardware store, fire department, and a widely known local bar with music venue.

The topography of Ben Lomond is a delightful mix of hills covered in redwood forests and gently rolling oak savannahs, interspersed with ponderosa pine, bay, and madrone trees. Parts of the unincorporated town feature a rare habitat known as the Zayante Sand hills: a former seabed forced to the surface eons ago, generating flora and fauna both endangered and unique in the world.

The history of the town's name dates back to a Scottsman who named his mountain "Ben Lomond;" similarly the nearby reservoir is named "Loch Lomond," providing a place to canoe, paddle boat, fish and relax. The county Highland Park has a sports field, Senior Center, tennis courts, and skateboarding facilities. It's nestled between Highway 9 which winds through the San Lorenzo Valley, and the San Lorenzo River: there is river access and picnic areas, plus a park where children can play. The annual Celtic festival is held here in the fall. The other major county park is Quail Hollow, originally the ranch of the owners of the Sunset magazine, which popularized California outdoor lifestyle. Now the ranch house is available for rental for events, while the center also offers interpretive programs and the park itself is intertwined with stunning hiking trails.

Housing in Ben Lomond ranges from small cabins in the redwoods all the way up to mini estates on acreage, priced in the seven figure range.