Welcome to Redwood City
Redwood City is located at the heart of the Peninsula approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco and 24 miles north of San Jose. Home to major corporations such as Oracle, Electronic Arts, Kaiser Permanente, and Dreamworks, it is also conveniently located near Highway 101 and Interstate 280, making it an ideal choice for Silicon Valley and San Francisco commuters looking for a residential community in which to settle down with their families.
Redwood City is located at the heart of the Peninsula approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco and 24 miles north of San Jose. At 24 square miles and with a population of nearly 78,000, it is also one of the largest cities in the area. It is a diverse, incorporated city that is home to many top employers such as Oracle, Electronic Arts, Kaiser Permanente, Shutterfly, Evernote, and Dreamworks Animation. Its convenient Peninsula location and easy access to Highway 101 and Interstate 280 makes it an easy choice for Silicon Valley and San Francisco commuters. Redwood City has a rich and storied history. Originally settled by the Ohlone Indians, the area was part of Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza’s colonization efforts in the late 1770s. The later part of the century saw an influx of Spanish settlers who brought with them the establishment of farming outposts and cattle ranches to the area. Many high-ranking military officers received land grants from the Spanish government, including Don Jose Dario Arguello, who erected his 69,000-acre Rancho de las Pulgas estate. Following the Mexican-American war in 1848, the area was renamed Redwood City after the area’s abundance of the native behemoth trees. The city continued its rapid expansion in the mid- 1800s as San Francisco’s only deep-water port. The arrival of the railroad in 1863 continued to drive up sales values, and popularity has only risen from there.
Like much of the San Francisco Peninsula, Redwood City enjoys a temperate climate, with warm, dry summers and cool, relatively wet winters. In fact, prior to World War I, the United States and German governments conducted a series of obscure surveys in which Redwood City tied with the Canary Islands and North Africa’s Mediterranean coast for the title of world’s best climate!
Redwood City is a heavily developed and mixed city. In 2006, city officials spearheaded a downtown resurgence, which opened a 20-screen movie theater and revitalized business opportunities. Today, downtown Redwood City is home to a wide range of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options that are attractive to local residents and visitors alike.
Home to the sprawling Edgewood Park and over 15 square miles of San Francisco Bay water, Redwood City is also a haven for the outdoor enthusiast. The area contains countless hiking and equestrian trails, and nearby Redwood Shores contains many miles waterways and paved walking trails. Water sports such as kayaking, diving, fishing, and boating are popular pastimes.