City of Palo Alto

About Us

Located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 14 miles north of San Jose, Palo Alto is a community of approximately 66,955 residents. Part of the San Francisco Metropolitan Bay Area and the Silicon Valley, Palo Alto is located within Santa Clara County and borders San Mateo County. The City‘s boundaries extend from San Francisco Bay on the east to the Skyline Ridge of the coastal mountains on the west, with Menlo Park to the north and Mountain View to the south. The City encompasses an area of approximately 26 square miles, of which one-third is open space. Palo Alto is strategically located and easily accessible to major surface routes, including Interstate 280, Highway 101, Highway 84 - the Dumbarton Bridge and Highway 92 - the Hayward-San Mateo Bridge. Air transportation is easily accessible by bus, automobile or shuttle service to San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland international airports. Within the City, commuter rail transportation is conveniently located and the Palo Alto stop is one of the most used in the CalTrain system. Alternative transportation options include numerous bike paths throughout the City and an internal shuttle service is also available.