Los Altos, California
Los Altos (/lɔːs ˈæltoʊs/ ⓘ; Spanish for "The Heights") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 31,625 according to the 2020 census.
This article is about the incorporated city. For the neighborhood of Long Beach, see Los Altos, Long Beach, California.Most of the city's growth occurred between 1950 and 1980. Originally an agricultural town with many summer cottages and apricot orchards, Los Altos is now an affluent bedroom community on the western edge of Silicon Valley, serving as a major source of commuters to other parts of Silicon Valley. Los Altos strictly limits commercial zones to the downtown area and small shopping and office parks lining Foothill Expressway and El Camino Real.
Geography[edit]
Los Altos is bordered by Los Altos Hills to the west, Palo Alto to the west and northwest, Mountain View to the northwest and northeast, Sunnyvale to the east, and Cupertino to the southeast.
Los Altos is crossed by three creeks that flow north to San Francisco Bay, Adobe Creek on its western boundary, Stevens Creek on its eastern boundary and Permanente Creek in the middle. Hale Creek is a tributary to Permanente Creek, and Permanente Creek is now largely diverted to Stevens Creek by a diversion channel. All three creeks originate on the flanks of Black Mountain.
Government[edit]
In the California State Legislature, Los Altos is in the 13th Senate District, represented by Democrat Josh Becker, and in the 23rd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Marc Berman.[25]
In the United States House of Representatives, Los Altos is in California's 16th congressional district, represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo.[26]
Education[edit]
Public[edit]
Primary and middle school students attend schools in the Los Altos School District, the Cupertino Union School District, or Bullis Charter School (K–8). The Los Altos School District has one of the highest average API scores in California and includes seven elementary schools in the Los Altos–Mountain View area.
Local residents generally attend high school in one of two public school districts: Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District or Fremont Union High School District.
All of the public schools are highly regarded,[27] and many graduates of Los Altos-area high schools continue their education at well-known universities.
Private[edit]
Los Altos is also served by highly regarded private and religious schools. St. Nicholas School, St. Simon School, Miramonte Elementary School, (JrK–8th)[28] Canterbury Christian School (K–6th),[29] the Lower and Middle Campuses (K–6th) of Pinewood School, The School for Independent Learners,[30] and the lower school campus of the Waldorf School of the Peninsula[31] are located within city limits. Others nearby include St. Francis High School (Mountain View), Mountain View Academy,[32] and The King's Academy (Sunnyvale).[33] Other schools farther away with students from Los Altos include Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, Mitty High School, Menlo School, Woodside Priory School, Castilleja School, The Harker School, and Bellarmine College Preparatory.
Public libraries[edit]
Santa Clara County Library operates the Los Altos Library and the Woodland Branch Library in Los Altos.[34]
Los Altos had four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
The program was run by the non-profit Los Altos Sister Cities, Inc., founded in 1988. That organization later decided to cease its participation and is now dissolved. Los Altos no longer participates in the sister cities program.[49]
