Once an agricultural town covered in apricot orchards, Los Altos has evolved into an affluent community, centrally located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This Silicon Valley city sits 40 miles south of San Francisco, next to Palo Alto and a short drive from Sand Hill Road, the home base of venture capital. Quiet and primarily residential, Los Altos serves as an ideal home base for high tech workers and is a welcoming community to raise a family.
This charming town owes its roots to the railway. In 1906, the Altos Land Company purchased 140 acres of land and planned a town that would serve the new Southern Pacific Railroad line. After WWII, the community experienced a population spike and in 1952 it officially became the eleventh city in Santa Clara County.
Commercial businesses are reserved for the 7 shopping districts spread across the city. At its heart is tree-lined Downtown Los Altos. Designed to evoke a quaint, small-town feel, this six-block triangle hosts more than 150 shops that include boutiques, salons, dentists, grocers and dining establishments that range from cozy cafes to fine dining restaurants.
From May ...to September, residents flock to downtown on Thursday nights for the Farmers’ Market. The rest of the year they enjoy a full calendar of community events that includes a Wine Stroll, Arts & Wine Festival and Easter Egg Hunt.
Mature trees line neighborhood streets and the city has strived to maintain some of its rural feel with limited sidewalks and larger lot sizes. The city is home to an abundance of parks, outdoor spaces and recreational facilities. Redwood Grove Nature Preserve is a highlight with 6.12 acres that include picnic tables, observation deck, rose garden and a boardwalk along Adobe Creek.
Los Altos is part of Santa Clara County and has a population of 30,042, according to a 2020 U.S. Census estimate. It’s home to a top-rated public school district and several highly regarded private schools.