Palo Alto
The Birthplace of Silicon Valley

Innovation is plentiful in Palo Alto, the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley,” and home to Stanford University, Hewlett-Packard, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, and Sun Microsystems, among others. Named after an ancient redwood tree that was a living landmark for Spanish explorers, Palo Alto today is a diverse community, a mixture of high-tech and locally owned companies and nearly 60,000 residents. During weekdays the population swells to nearly 140,000 with the daily flow and ebb of commuters.

But the city, which is located between Skyline Ridge and the San Francisco Bay, also offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, with over 30 parks, two nature centers, and a zoo—as well as more than eight square miles of open space. San Francisco to the north, San Jose to the south, Berkeley to the east, and the Pacific ocean to the west, all within approximately 30 minutes by car, placing Palo Alto residents in an ideal spot for reaching major destinations in a short time.

Over time, the demographics of Palo Alto have changed significantly. What once was a homogeneous, mostly blue-collar community, with an enclave of Stanford University professors, is now a diverse, mostly well-to-do, well-educated population. Despite enjoying one of the nations highest median household incomes many are challenged to keep up with the ever-climbing home prices - the median price rose 10.5% from July 2006. But people continue to flock to Palo Alto, for its outstanding public schools, its environmental consciousness, first-rate medical facilities, city-owned utilities, support of social services, and appealing central location.The city is a mixture of old and new, with both historic buildings and state-of-the art construction such as the Stanford Shopping Center. Several of the city's elegant houses date back to the 1890s, but most were built in the early 1900s. Newer homes include Joseph Eichler designs constructed after World War II. Residents are eager to keep up their homes and remodel and update their residences with pride throughout town.

Clearly, schooling is important in Palo Alto at all levels. The top-ranking Palo Alto Unified School District provides public education for the city. An excellent student-faculty ratio (17:1) and an astounding 95 percent of graduates attending college make it one of the best school districts in the nation. View district boundaries using this detailed "zoomable" Boundary Map. For additional information about public and private schools in Santa Clara County see AgentBohl.com.

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