The Peninsula is the strip of land to the south of San Francisco that separates the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Both San Mateo County and Santa Clara County can be found on the Peninsula. In this section, only the northern half of Santa Clara County will be discussed.
San Mateo County
San Mateo County is one of the most affluent counties in the state of California. Its real estate value is reflected in its stunning landscape made up of beautiful beaches and lush woodlands. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located within San Mateo County. SFO is ranked among the world’s top 30 busiest airports and has a longstanding reputation of setting high industry standards. With its high quality of life, close proximity to San Francisco and abundance of colleges and universities, San Mateo County is an ideal place for young professionals looking to break out on their own.
— San Mateo
San Mateo has a population of 95,000, making it one of the larger communities in the Bay Area. The city is a favorite choice of residence for newcomers who enjoy the outdoors, as the city has a variety of geographical environments ranging from woodlands to marshes. The Santa Cruz Mountains block much of the rain from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in a moderate Mediterranean climate. The city is also public transportation friendly; San Mateo public transportation is provided by Caltrain, AC Transit and SamTrans.
High-profile companies that are either headquartered or based in San Mateo include Actuate Corporation, Bills.com, Fisher Investments, Glu Mobile, Hudson Entertainment, NexTag, Redbana, TradeBeam, Youtube and Zimbra.
Print journalism in San Mateo is represented by the San Mateo Daily Journal, the San Mateo Daily News and the San Mateo County Times. KCSM-TV is a television station that used to be an affiliate of PBS until July 2009. Its focus is adult education programs. KCSM (FM), an outlet of National Public Radio, is also located in San Mateo.
There are two school districts that service the city’s primary and secondary education needs: the San Mateo Foster City School District and San Mateo Union High School District. An adult high school is located at San Mateo High School. San Mateo High School is also the site of the San Mateo Performing Arts Center.
— Daly City
Known as the “Gateway to the Peninsula”, Daly City is the largest urban area in San Mateo County. Daly City is approximately eight miles south of downtown San Francisco and the San Francisco International Airport is just nine miles from the City. One of Daly City's greatest assets is its affordably priced and conveniently located quality housing. Many homes have spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean or the San Francisco Bay. Neighborhoods include Westlake, St. Francis, Serramonte, Top of the Hill, Hillside, Crocker, Southern Hills, and Bayshore.
There are several public school districts in Daly City. The biggest are the Jefferson Elementary School District and Jefferson Union High School District, both of which are headquartered in the city. A total of six colleges and universities are located within a 10-mile radius of the city. The young and skilled workforce that is concentrated in the area has been essential in invigorating the local economy in the retail, agricultural and business and service industry sectors. Medical services are another important aspect of the Daly City economy. Seton Medical Center is currently the city’s largest employer with more than 1,500 employees.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Daly City has one of the highest transit ridership numbers in the nation. SamTrans provides the city’s public transportation, as well as certain lines of the San Francisco Municipal Railway. BART also services Daily City through its Daly City and Colma stations.
In recent years, Daly City has emerged as a major shopping destination for San Franciscans and neighboring Californians. The Serramonte Center is a 857,494 square-foot shopping mall located on Interstate 280 four miles from San Francisco State University. Its key anchors and retailers include Macy’s, Target, A’GACI, Bath & Body Works, Crazy 8 by Gymboree, Forever XXI and Victoria’s Secret. Daly City’s second major mall is Westlake Shopping Center, a 613,006 square-foot outdoor retail complex. Its anchors include Burlington Coat Factory, Ross and T.J. Maxx.
— South San Francisco
Anyone who travels along the San Francisco Peninsula or through the nearby San Francisco International Airport will notice the key landmark of the city, Sign Hill. Sign Hill has huge letters on its mountainside which read "South San Francisco The Industrial City". Despite its name, South San Francisco is not the southernmost part of the city of San Francisco. South San Francisco is a city in its own right, and lies just north of San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The city has a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station. In addition, Caltrain offers service to both San Francisco and San Jose.
South San Francisco’s 17 neighborhoods are Avalon Park, Brentwood, Buri Buri, Cypress, Francisco Terrace, Paradise Valley, Parkhaven, Peninsula Pines, Serra Highlands, Southwood, Sunshine Gardens, Susie Way, The East Side, West Winston Manor, Westborough and Winston Manor. Primary and secondary education in South San Francisco is operated by the South San Francisco School District.
South San Francisco’s economy is largely sustained by the biotechnology industry. The city is home to an office of Amgen, as well as the headquarters of Genentech, both leaders in the biotech field. Biotechnology firms have moved to San Francisco en masse due to the emerging talent of young professionals from the University of California - San Francisco, Stanford University and the University of California – Berkeley.
— Redwood City
Redwood City is a community of just over 75,000 people, a center of high-tech industry, and the mid-point of the beautiful San Francisco Peninsula. Redwood City is an ideal location for families due to its heightened appreciation for neighborhoods and communities. Redwood City has a Mediterranean climate with a an annual rainfall of 20 inches. Caltrain provides service to the city via its downtown stop. In addition, the Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) SFO extension offers a transfer point for Caltrain at Millbrae.
Redwood City is one of a handful of California cities blessed with a seaport — one that is a vital component of the Bay Area's regional and international economy. Redwood City has the only deepwater port in the South San Francisco Bay. The top 10 largest employers in Redwood City are Oracle Corporation, Electronic Arts, San Mateo County, Kaiser Permanente, Sequoia Hospital, Redwood City School District, BroadVision, Sequoia Union School District, City of Redwood City and Informatica Corporation.
Redwood City is also the location of the San Mateo County History Museum, which provides a complete chronology of the county’s rich heritage from its beginnings to the present day.
Northern Santa Clara County
As mentioned earlier, Santa Clara County is the site of Silicon Valley, of one of the world’s largest concentration of high-tech business companies. The northern part of this county has historically been centered on agricultural industries, but this has changed significantly in recent years. Northern Santa Clara County is home to three notable cities: Mountain View, Palo Alto and Los Altos Hills.
— Mountain View
Overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains, the city of Mountain View is one of Silicon Valley’s more picturesque settings. Its downtown is a charming collection of restaurants and stores, and is also the location of City Hall, the Mountain View Public Library and the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts. Like other cities in the Bay Area, Mountain View has a Mediterranean climate that supports dry summers and wet winters.
The economy of Mountain View most similarly resembles that of Silicon Valley proper to the south. The city is home to the headquarters of many significant technology companies, including Actel, CyberSource, Fenwick & West, Google, Intuit, LinkedIn, Meebo, Plastic Logic, Symantic and VeriSign. AOL, Microsoft and Nokia also have significant offices in Mountain View.
Mountain View’s public education system has been noted for yielding some of the highest test scores in the state of California. The public school system consists of both the Mountain View-Whisman School District and the Mountain View-Los Altos School District. In addition, the German International School of Silicon Valley, the Girls’ Middle School, Mountain View Academy High School, St. Joseph Elementary School, Saint Francis High School, St. Joseph Elementary School and Yew Chung International School of Silicon Valley make up the city’s contingency of private schools.
— Palo Alto
Recently honored by CIO Magazine for its business growth and technology innovation, Palo Alto has become one of the top destinations for professionals with high ambitions in the high-tech industry. Its gorgeous landscape also makes it an appealing city to relocate to. The city’s climate is similar to that of the rest of the Bay Area; summers are typically dry and warm and winters are usually wet and cold. Due to its proximity to the Santa Cruz Mountains, the city experiences a rain shadow effect, which means it receives less than average rainfall due to being situated in the opposite direction of the wind.
Palo Alto is another key player in the Silicon Valley region. Major technology companies that are headquartered in Palo Alto include A9.com, Better Place, CNF Inc., Facebook, Hewlett-Packard, Photobucket, Socialtext, Tabulous, The Wall Street Journal and Xerox.
The Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara (KPAO) is a general aviation airport used mainly for private and commercial aircraft. Caltrain provides train service to Palo Alto via the University Avenue and California Avenue stops. Public transportation is provided by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).
Residents of Palo Alto have three different newspapers to choose from: the Palo Alto Daily Post, Palo Alto Daily News and Palo Alto Weekly. KDOW is a radio station that broadcasts business news. The Midpeninsula Media Center is a public access production center for the development of local television shows and video media.
The city’s public schools are governed by the Palo Alto Unified School District, for the exception of the Monroe neighborhood, which is serviced by the Los Alto School District and Los Altos-Union High School District. Private schools in the area include the Bowman International School, the Challenger School, Kehillah Jewish High School, Pinewood School and Stratford School.
— Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills is a small town with a population just over 9,000 and is considered on of the wealthiest places in the United States. It is a strictly residential community with no independent industry. The town shares its zip code with neighboring Los Altos, which also provides residents with mail service. The town is dedicated to building a strong sense of community through an appreciation of its history and the surrounding nature. Residents of Los Altos Hill frequently enjoying using its one-of-a-kind Pathway System, a 65-mile trail that connects the town in its entirety, which provides ample opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and meet new neighbors.
