Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto, California

Introduction to Palo Alto, California

Incorporated in 1894, Palo Alto derived its name from a majestic coastal redwood tree (called "El Palo Alto") found along San Francisquito Creek, a settlement spot of early Spanish explorers. Known as the "Birthplace of the Silicon Valley", Palo Alto is home to the garage that housed the launch of the Hewlett Packard Corporation. Today Palo Alto boasts more than 6,000 businesses including several innovative technological firms residing in the Stanford Research Park. However, Palo Alto is perhaps best known as the home of Stanford University, although technically the school is not located within the city limits.

Palo Alto is located 15 miles north west of San Jose and 35 miles south east of San Francisco. It is bordered by Menlo Park to the west, East Palo Alto to the north, Mountain View to the east and Stanford (site of Stanford University) to the south. The city is served by two major freeways, U.S. Highway 101 and Interstate 280, and is also traversed by California State Highways 82 (El Camino Real) and 84.

Palo Alto Events and Attractions

Palo Alto is home to a number of annual events, including: the May Fete Parade, an 80+ year old event and Northern California's oldest children's parade; the Annual Summer Festival, held around the 4th of July holiday and featuring a Chili Cook-Off; and the Palo Alto Black and White Ball, offering live bands, theatrical performances, and food from top Bay Area restaurants.

Museums in Palo Alto include the Museum of American Heritage, the Palo Alto Art Center, and the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo. Art galleries located within the city limits include ART21, ArtsIndia West, the Bryant Street Gallery, and the Chelsea Art Gallery. Nearby cultural attractions include:

• Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University (Stanford)
• Computer History Museum (Mountain View)
• Coyote Point Museum (San Mateo)
• Hiller Aviation Museum (San Carlos)
• Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace (Stanford)
• Los Altos History Museum (Los Altos)
• San Mateo County History Museum (Redwood City)
• Tech Museum of Innovation (San Jose)

Located only about a half-hour away is the city of San Francisco, home to many popular attractions including Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Nob Hill, the Museum of Modern Art, the Embarcadero Center, Alcatraz, the Wells Fargo History Museum, Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Zoo, and the Cable Car Museum

Professional sports teams residing in San Francisco include: MLB's San Francisco Giants, the NFL's San Francisco 49'ers, pro basketball's Golden State Warriors, and the San Francisco Dragons of Major League Lacrosse.

San Jose is even closer, only about a 15-minute drive away. Pro sports teams there include: the San Jose Giants (Minor League baseball affiliate of the San Francisco Giants), hockey's San Jose Sharks (NHL), and the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League.

High Points

Palo Alto strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in California):

Category	Trophy
Well-Paid Single Men (vs. Peers)	Top 1%
College Educated Adults (vs. Peers)	Top 1%
Median Family Income (vs. Peers)	Top 1%
Well-Paid Single Women (vs. Peers)	Top 1%
Walking and Biking to Work (vs. Peers)	Top 4%
People in Middle Class or Better (vs. Peers)	Top 13%
Low Rate of Poverty (vs. State)	Top 14%
Low Violent Crime (vs. Peers)	Top 18%

Comparative Profile of Palo Alto, CA

Comparing Palo Alto to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Well-Paid Single Men
Well-Paid Single Women
Age of the Population
Senior Citizens
Male Share of the Population
Racial Diversity
Female Share of the Population
Children Under 5 Years Old

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Portion of People Married
Average Household Size

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income
People in Middle Class or Better
People Above Poverty

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Working at Home
Walking and Biking to Work
Public Transportation Use
Short Commute Times

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
People Living Alone
Housing Recently Built
Affordability of Property Taxes
Affordability of Rents

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Violent Crime
Low Property Crime

Palo Alto Almanac

Palo Alto Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Palo Alto Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Political Contributions (2004)

Money donated by Palo Alto residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.

by Political Party

by Presidential Candidate

Nearby Cities and Towns

Palo Alto Public Libraries

More Information for Librarians

Starbucks in Palo Alto

Palo Alto High Schools (2004)

GUNN (HENRY M.) HIGH
780 ARASTRADERO ROAD
650-354-8200
Serves 1,718 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 19.2

PALO ALTO HIGH
50 EMBARCADERO ROAD
650-329-3701
Serves 1,662 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 18.2

PACKARD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL/STANFORD
725 WELCH ROAD
650-497-8230
A Non-traditional School
Serves 47 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Palo Alto Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Institute of Transpersonal Psychology

Pacific Graduate School of Psychology

(List of All California Colleges)

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