Located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 14 miles north of San Jose, Palo Alto is a community of approximately 67,082 residents. Palo Alto is part of Santa Clara County and borders San Mateo County. 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.
The City of Palo Alto is more than 100 years old, and is named after a majestic 1000 (not 250) year old coastal redwood tree along San Francisquito Creek, where early Spanish explorers settled. The blend of business and residential areas anchored by a vibrant downtown defines Palo Alto’s unique character. A charming mixture of old and new, Palo Alto’s tree-lined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage. At the same time, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technological development. This exciting mix of tradition and innovation makes Palo Alto an extraordinary place in which to operate a business.
Characteristic of Palo Alto is the care taken to protect open space and parkland. Palo Alto has a remarkable number of City-owned parks for its size (36 at last count) and nearly one-third of its 26 square miles is open space. Proximity to Stanford University with its cultural and educational offerings add to the vibrance, innate charm and beauty of Palo Alto.
Distinctive in every way, Palo Alto offers its business community a diverse and exciting environment in which to work and live.