Atherton, California
Atherton (/ˈæθərtən/ ATH-ər-tən) is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 7,188 as of 2020. The town's zoning regulations permit only one single-family home per acre, and prohibit sidewalks.[9]
Atherton, California
United States
September 12, 1923[2]
- Mayor Rick DeGolia
- Vice Mayor Bill Widmer
- Elizabeth Lewis
- Robert Polito
- Diana Hawkins Manuelian
Josh Becker (D) (13th)[3]
Anna Eshoo (D) (16th)[4]
5.05 sq mi (13.07 km2)
5.02 sq mi (12.99 km2)
0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) 0.63%
59 ft (18 m)
7,188
1,433.01/sq mi (553.28/km2)
UTC−7 (PDT)
Atherton is known for its wealth; in 1990 and 2019,[10] Atherton was ranked as having the highest per capita income among U.S. places that have a population between 2,500 and 9,999,[11] and the area covered by its ZIP Code is regularly ranked as having the highest cost of living in the United States.[12][13][14] [15] In 2023, the Atherton ZIP Code had the highest median home prices in the United States, at $7,950,000.[16]
Geography[edit]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km2), of which 5.0 square miles (13 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.078 km2), comprising 0.63%, is water.
Atherton lies two miles (3.2 km) southeast of Redwood City, and 18 miles (29 km) northwest of San Jose. The town is considered to be part of the San Francisco metropolitan area.
Arts and culture[edit]
There are a number of active community organizations: the Atherton Heritage Association, the Atherton Arts Committee, the Atherton Tree Committee, the Friends of the Atherton Community Library, the Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation, the Atherton Dames, the Police Task Force, and the Atherton Civic Interest League. There are also home owners' associations in various neighborhoods. The Menlo Circus Club is a private club with tennis, swimming, stables and a riding ring located within the town.
There are also several tracts of contemporary Eichler homes, most notably in the Lindenwood neighborhood in the northeast part of the town.[51]
The Holbrook-Palmer Estate, was once an active rural estate and gentleman's farm.[52] The Holbrook-Palmer Estate was donated to the city of Atherton in 1958 and now serves as a 22-acre public park (8.9 ha) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for the architecture.[52]
The city is served by the Atherton Public Library of the San Mateo County Libraries, a member of the Peninsula Library System.
Education[edit]
Among Atherton's public schools, Encinal, Las Lomitas, and Laurel are elementary schools, while Selby Lane is both an elementary and a middle school. Menlo-Atherton is a high school. Atherton does not have its own public school system. Selby Lane is part of the Redwood City School District, Menlo-Atherton is part of the Sequoia Union High School District, Las Lomitas Elementary School is part of the Las Lomitas Elementary School District, and both Encinal and Laurel are part of the Menlo Park City School District.
Among the town's private schools, Sacred Heart is an elementary, middle and high school, and Menlo School is a middle and high school.
Menlo College is a private four-year college.
