text:
San Luis Obispo, California

 * ; ; Chumash: tiłhini) is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway between the San Francisco Bay Area in the north and Greater Los Angeles in the south. The population was 47,063 at the 2020 census.

San Luis Obispo was founded by the Spanish in 1772, when Saint Junípero Serra established Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. The town grew steadily through the Mexican period before a rapid expansion of San Luis Obispo following the American Conquest of California. San Luis Obispo is a popular tourist destination, known for its historic architecture, vineyards, and hospitality, as well as for being home to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

History
The earliest human inhabitants of the local area were the Chumash people. One of the earliest villages lies south of San Luis Obispo and reflects the landscape of the early Holocene when estuaries came farther inland. The Chumash people used marine resources of the inlets and bays along the Central Coast and inhabited a network of villages, including sites at Los Osos and Morro Creek. The tribal site on present-day San Luis Obispo was named.

Spanish period
During the Spanish Empire expansion throughout the world, specifically in 1769, Franciscan Junípero Serra received orders from Spain to bring the Catholic faith to the natives of Alta California; the idea was to unify the empire under the same religion and language. Mission San Diego was the first Spanish mission founded in Alta California that same year.

On September 7, 1769, an expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá entered the San Luis Obispo area from coastal areas around today's Pismo Beach. One of the expedition's three diarists, padre Juan Crespí, recorded the name given to this area by the soldiers as Cañada de Los Osos ("cañada" translates as "valley" or "canyon," and Osos translates to "bears"). The party traveled north along San Luis Obispo Creek, turned west through Los Osos Valley, and reached Morro Bay on September 9.

In 1770, Portola established the Presidio of Monterey and Junípero Serra founded the second mission, San Carlos Borromeo, in Monterey. The mission was moved to Carmel the following year.

In 1772, as the people of Presidio of Monterey and San Carlos Borromeo faced starvation, owing to a lack of supplies, Commander Pedro Fages (a member of the Portolà expedition) led a hunting expedition to the Cañada de Los Osos to bring back food. Over twenty-five mule loads of dried bear meat and seed were sent north to relieve the missionaries, soldiers, and neophytes (baptized natives). It was after this that Junípero Serra decided that La Cañada de Los Osos would be an ideal place for the fifth mission.

The area had abundant supplies of food and water, the climate was also very mild, and the local Chumash were very friendly. With soldiers, muleteers, and pack animals carrying mission supplies, Junípero Serra set out from Carmel to reach the Valley of the Bears. On September 1, 1772, Junípero Serra celebrated the first Mass with a cross erected near San Luis Creek. The very next day, he departed for San Diego leaving Fr. José Cavaller, with the difficult task of building the mission. Fr. José Cavaller, five soldiers and two neophytes began building the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa which would later become the town of San Luis Obispo. Both the mission and the town were named after San Luis, obispo de Tolosa (St. Louis, bishop of Toulouse, France).

Mexican period
When the Mexican War of Independence from Spain broke out in 1810, all California missions had to become virtually self-sufficient, receiving few funds or supplies from Spanish sources. Beginning soon after Mexico won her independence from Spain in 1821, anti-Spanish feelings led to calls for expulsion of the Spanish Franciscans and secularization of the missions. Because the fledgling Mexican government had many more important problems to deal with than far-off California, actual secularization did not happen until the mid-1830s.

After 1834, the mission became an ordinary parish, and most of its huge land holdings were broken up into land grants called ranchos. The ranchos were given by Mexican land grant from 1837 to 1846, with the mission itself being granted in the final year. The central community, however, remained in the same location and formed the nucleus of today's city of San Luis Obispo.

American period
Following the American Conquest of California, San Luis Obispo was the first town incorporated in the newly formed San Luis Obispo County. It remains the center of the county to the present. Early in the American period, the region was well known for lawlessness. It gained a reputation as "Barrio del Tigre" (or Tiger-Town) because of the endemic problem. Robberies and murders that left no witnesses were carried out on along the El Camino Real and elsewhere around San Luis Obispo for several years. Finally a gang of eight men committed a robbery with three murders and a kidnapping at the Rancho San Juan Capistrano del Camote in May 1858, that uncharacteristically left two witnesses alive. This brought about the formation of a vigilance committee in the County that killed one, the suspected leader of the gang Pio Linares, and lynched six others, a total of seven men suspected of such misdeeds (the most lethal in California history). Members of the committee remained influential members of the community for decades.

The ranchos remained focused on cattle after the conquest of California. With the discovery of gold, the county experienced a major economic surge with the rising price of beef, with the highest prices coming in 1851. The county remained focused on cattle until 1863, when a drought left most ranchos devastated. Residents quickly turned to other venues, leading to the breaking up of many of the ranchos and a major change in the economic climate of the town, which focused less on cattle ranching and more on dairies, agriculture, and mined goods from then onward.

San Luis Obispo once had a burgeoning Chinatown in the vicinity of Palm Street and Chorro Street. Laborers were brought from China by Ah Louis in order to construct the Pacific Coast Railway, roads connecting San Luis Obispo over the Cuesta Pass to Paso Robles and from Paso Robles to Cambria, and also the 1884 to 1894 tunneling through Cuesta Ridge for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The town's Chinatown revolved around Ah Louis Store and other Palm Street businesses owned and run by Chinese business people. Today, Mee Heng Low chop suey shop is all that remains of the culture, although a slightly Chinatown-themed commercial development has been planned. A display of some of the unearthed relics from this period can be seen on the first floor of the Palm Street parking garage, which was built over the location where Chinatown once stood. The San Luis Obispo Historical Society (adjacent to the Mission) also contains rotating historical exhibits.

San Luis Obispo was also a popular stop en route to Los Angeles. U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 were constructed with the rise of car culture. Due to its popularity as a stop, it was the location of the first motel in the world, the Milestone Mo-Tel.

Geography

San Luis Obispo is located on U.S. Route 101, about 31 mi north of Santa Maria.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.25 sqmi, of which, 13.1 sqmi is land and 0.15 sqmi (1.13%) is water.

San Luis Obispo is on the West Coast of the United States and in the Central Coast of California. The Pacific Ocean is about 11 mi west of San Luis Obispo. The Santa Lucia Mountains lie just east of San Luis Obispo. These mountains are the headwaters for San Luis Obispo Creek, whose watershed encompasses 84 sqmi surrounding the city and flows to the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach.

San Luis Obispo is a seismically active area; there are a number of nearby faults including the San Andreas Fault. The Nine Sisters are a string of hills that partially run through San Luis Obispo. They are geologically noteworthy for being volcanic plugs. Six of the nine peaks are open to the public for recreation.

Climate
San Luis Obispo experiences a warm Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb). On average it has 50 days with measurable rain per year, mostly during winter months. Summers are generally warm and sunny, often with morning fog from the Pacific coast. Winters are generally mild, though below freezing lows occur 2.6 nights per year on average. Measurable snowfall in San Luis Obispo has not officially been recorded since records began in 1870, although photos show about 0.3 in fell in 1922 and snow flurries were reported in both 1988 and 2006. Temperatures do, however, vary widely at any time of the year, with 80 °F readings in January and February not uncommon.

Although heat extremes above 110 F have been recorded, the maritime moderation is generally strong due to the proximity to the cool ocean waters. The hottest temperature on record is officially at 113 F on September 6, 2020, although a 120 reading was reported in the local news. Nights remain cool year round due to cold-current ocean air in summer and being in a valley subject to inversion, although seldom cold. The warmest night recorded was 75 F on September 22, 1939, and the coldest day at 40 F on December 11, 1932.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that San Luis Obispo had a population of 45,119. The population density was 3,489.4 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of San Luis Obispo was 38,117 (84.5%) White, 523 (1.2%) African American, 275 (0.6%) Native American, 2,350 (5.2%) Asian, 65 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,973 (4.4%) from other races, and 1,816 (4.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6,626 persons (14.7%).

The Census reported that 43,937 people (97.4% of the population) lived in households, 967 (2.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 215 (0.5%) were institutionalized.

There were 19,193 households, out of which 3,178 (16.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,690 (29.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,336 (7.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 586 (3.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,104 (5.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 124 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,213 households (32.4%) were made up of individuals, and 1,957 (10.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29. There were 7,612 families (39.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.81.

The population was spread out, with 5,522 people (12.2%) under the age of 18, 15,670 people (34.7%) aged 18 to 24, 9,630 people (21.3%) aged 25 to 44, 8,866 people (19.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,431 people (12.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.2 males.

There were 20,553 housing units at an average density of 1,589.5 /sqmi, of which 7,547 (39.3%) were owner-occupied, and 11,646 (60.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 17,225 people (38.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 26,712 people (59.2%) lived in rental housing units.

The city has a desired maximum population of 57,200 within the urban reserve, however with the extremely rapid growth of the area it is unknown whether this population cap will remain.

2000
As of the 2000 census, there were 27,819 people, 18,639 households, and 7,697 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,144.5 PD/sqmi. There were 19,306 housing units at an average density of 1,811.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 84.1% White, 5.3% Asian, 1.5% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. 11.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 18,639 households, out of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 31.3% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.7% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 14.2% under the age of 18, 33.6% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $98,977 and the median income for a family was $112,740. The median household income in San Luis Obispo County was $60,534, and the median family income was $72,327. Males had a median income of $41,915 versus $27,407 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,386. 26.6% of the population and 7.1% of families were below the poverty line, a similar number to Cleveland, Ohio. Out of the total population, 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 4.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Economy
Downtown San Luis Obispo has many eclectic shops and boutiques. Takken's Shoes is headquartered in San Luis Obispo. Ernie Ball's Music Man factory is located in San Luis Obispo. Mindbody and iFixit have been headquartered in San Luis Obispo since their inceptions. In 2019, SLO experienced a boom in home construction along with continued building of commercial structures. As housing had not kept up with job growth, many people who cannot afford to live where they work, commute to their jobs in SLO.

Pacific Gas and Electric is the largest non-governmental employer in the city. In 2016, they announced the closure of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in 2025, which will cost the local economy 1,500 jobs with an average salary of $157,000, as well as nearly $1 billion annually in economic activity. Congressman Salud Carbajal introduced H.R. 5441 to the House of Representatives in order to create Energy Opportunity Zones, which is designed to specifically target areas that have had a nuclear power plant shut down within 10 years (including San Luis Obispo) for federal tax credits for renewable energy generation, including solar, wind, and wave energy.

Top employers
According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Government

San Luis Obispo is incorporated as a charter city. It is also the county seat of San Luis Obispo County. The city charter provides for a "Council-Mayor-City Manager" form of municipal government. The city council has five members: a mayor who is elected to two-year terms, with each mayor limited to serving no more than four consecutive terms, and four city council members who are elected to four-year terms, with each council member limited to serving no more than two consecutive terms.

The fire department of San Luis Obispo was first organized in 1872 and now has 45 full-time firefighters and four fire stations. The SLO City Fire Stations are staffed with three-man ALS engine companies and a four-man ALS Truck company. Each apparatus has at least one paramedic on duty each day. The department responds to over 4,500 calls each year. The San Luis Obispo City Fire Department also maintains a bike medic program which is used at the Farmers' Market and other special events throughout the city. Four members of the Fire Department are also on the San Luis Obispo SWAT Team as SWAT Medics and respond using Squad 1 (an ALS equipped ambulance which also carries some light rescue gear and other specialty tools) The front-line members of the department are represented by the San Luis Obispo City Firefighters' IAFF Local 3523.

The City of San Luis Obispo Utilities Department can trace its lineage back to 1872 when plans were made to provide the city with safe drinking water. Currently the Utilities Department operates a water treatment plant designed to treat 16 million gallons a day, the Whale Rock Reservoir located in Cayucos, CA, a water distribution system including 15 pressure zones and 150 miles of water mains. The Water Resource Recovery Facility treats 4.5 million gallons per day and is currently undergoing a plant upgrade expected to be completed in 2021.

Notable ordinances
In June 1990 City Councilman Jerry Reiss proposed a city ordinance to ban smoking in all indoor public areas. Following a failed effort by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company to defeat the ordinance, the City Council voted 4–1 in favor on June 19, 1990, with only Mayor Ron Dunin dissenting. As a result, on August 2, 1990, San Luis Obispo became the first municipality in the world to ban smoking in all public buildings, including bars and restaurants. This statute has been a catalyst worldwide in anti-smoking legislation. In April 2010, San Luis Obispo strengthened its anti-smoking legislation, making smoking in public, excepting for certain conditions, a citable offense beginning on June 20, 2010.

In 1982, following public hearings, the city council approved an ordinance forbidding the construction of "drive-through" businesses. In-N-Out Burger opened a restaurant in the nearby town of Atascadero because of the ban. In 2008 the City Council voted 3–2 to keep the ban.

In April 2010, an "unruly gathering" ordinance passed with a vote of 4–1. This ordinance poses a fine of $700 for the hosts of gatherings with more than 20 people on private property that create a substantial disturbance in a significant amount of the neighborhood. Unlawful conduct includes excessive noise; public drunkenness; serving alcohol to minors; fighting; urinating in public; crowds overflowing into yards, sidewalks, or streets; or similar unlawful behaviors.

State and federal representation
In the California State Legislature, San Luis Obispo is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, San Luis Obispo is in.

Education
All public K–12 institutions in San Luis Obispo are operated by San Luis Coastal Unified School District, which contains six elementary schools, one middle school (Laguna Middle School), and one high school, San Luis Obispo High School. The district also operates several schools outside of San Luis Obispo in nearby Avila Beach, Edna Valley, Morro Bay, and Los Osos. Additionally, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School and Old Mission School (est. 1876 as The Academy of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) operate privately within the Diocese of Monterey.

San Luis Obispo is home to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), a public university enrolling 21,812 students as of fall 2018. The school is just outside city limits and provides on-campus housing for nearly 6,000 freshmen and sophomores.

The area is also served by Cuesta College, part of the California Community College System.

Culture
The Madonna Inn is an eccentric landmark established by Alex Madonna in 1958. The Fremont Theater, a historic Art Deco theater from the 1940s, once played first-run movies on the huge screen, and now hosts stage performances. Murals adorn the walls of the main theater while neon swirls light the ceiling. The Palm Theatre boasts solar heating and is home to the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. Since about 1960, people have been sticking chewed gum on the walls of Bubblegum Alley. The doctor's office on the corner of Santa Rosa and Pacific streets is one of very few commercial buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. San Luis also has a Carnegie Library which is now home to the San Luis Obispo County Historical Museum.

The "underground city" is a series of tunnels beneath the city.

One of the largest Mardi Gras parades west of the Mississippi was held in San Luis Obispo, but canceled in 2005 because of difficulties related to crowd control and alcohol consumption. Cal Poly's open house, Poly Royal, was held annually from 1933 to 1990, though canceled in 1945 due to war rationing. It began as a show-and-tell for students to display their projects. It traces its origins to the 1904 Farmer's Institute and Picnic Basket. By the 1980s, as the college became "the most popular...university in the 19-campus CSU system", Poly Royal began drawing over 100,000 people from throughout the state, including 126,000 people in 1985. Concerts, parties, and other entertainment were added and it earned $3–4 million in revenue for the city every year.

San Luis Obispo has been home of several other events, including a stop on the way of the Olympic Flame Relay, the Tour of California bicycle race, Cinco de Mayo celebrations, and a long-standing Christmas Parade. In May, the Madonna Hotel hosts the annual California Festival of Beers, which includes beer tasting of over 200 craft beers. Another attraction is the development of Edna Valley into a well-known wine region. Just south of the city, people can spend an afternoon wine tasting several wineries in the area with a very short drive. The wine region extends north beyond Paso Robles (30 miles north) and south to Santa Ynez (70 miles south). During summer months, a free outdoor concert Friday evening is called Concerts in the Plaza. Other noteworthy events include the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Festival Mozaic, a classical and crossover music festival, and the Plein Air Festival.

Every Thursday night San Luis Obispo hosts a farmers' market. Five blocks of Higuera St are blocked off to allow vendors to sell food and goods and various visual and music artists perform.

Since June 2000, the first Thursday of every month is The Bike Happening (also known as Bike Nite) in San Luis Obispo. People gather at the Mission Plaza with their bikes. The bikers go around on multiple circuits on the main streets of downtown. One of the cultural focal centers of San Luis Obispo is the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center built on the Cal Poly campus, which was constructed utilizing the donations of local businesses and individuals. The Performing Arts Center consists of multiple venues, including the original Spanos Theatre. The largest venue, Harmon Hall, seats 1,300. Many high school and college programs are scheduled. Local artists perform plays, music and dance. The addition of the Performing Arts Center attracts many touring performances which are usually not found in communities of comparable size to San Luis Obispo. The summer of 2007 was the opening concert of the Forbes Pipe Organ, which was built elevated into a side wall of Harmon Hall and required the donation of a further $3 million for purchase and installation.

The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art began in the 1950s when a small group of artists, educators and enthusiasts established the foundation. Over the years, the San Luis Obispo Art Association evolved into the San Luis Obispo Art Center, which evolved into the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. The museum, with a focus on California Contemporary Art, shows 24 exhibitions per year, has both adult and children's art classes, and hosts art talks, films and other events. The museum launched a $15 million Capital Campaign for a new building in 2017.

Historic buildings and districts
San Luis Obispo has more than 180 historic buildings that have been designated as City of San Luis Obispo Historic Resources. Three of the city's designated historic resources have also been designated as California Historic Landmarks, including Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, the Dallidet Adobe, and Ah Louis Store. In addition, National Register of Historic Places sites include the Myron Angel House, the Pacific Coast Railway Company Grain Warehouse, Robert Jack House, the Tribune-Republic Building, San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library, the Ah Louis Store, and William Shipsey House. The Carnegie Library is home to the San Luis Obispo County Historical Museum which includes a research center with information on the city's other historical resources.

The city also has five designated historic districts as follows:
 * Downtown Historic District – 	Covers 61.5 acres generally bounded by Palm Street to the north, Marsh Street to the south, Osos Street to the east, and Nipomo Street to the west, plus Dana Street in the northwest. The Downtown Historic District covers the oldest part of the city, including the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and many commercial structures from the city's boom era from the 1890s to the 1910s.
 * Chinatown Historic District – Covers 4.4 acres along both sides of Palm Street between Chorro and Morro Streets.	Established in 1995 to recognize the contributions of the city's Chinese community. Two historical storefronts face Palm Street; Ah Louis Store and Mee Heng Low.
 * Old Town Historic District – Covers 86 acres generally bounded by Pacific Street on the north, Islay Street on the south, Santa Rosa Street on the east, and Beach Street on the west.	Established in 1987, the district is located in the city's oldest residential neighborhoods with historic homes dating from the 1880s to the turn of the century.
 * Mill Street Historic District	– Covers 20 acres from Peach Street on the north, Palm Street on the south, Pepper Street on the east and Toro Street on the west	Established in 1987, the area consists of early 20th century homes in the Tudor Revival, Craftsman, Mission Revival, Prairie Colonial, and Shingle styles. Sometimes referred to as Fremont Heights.
 * Railroad Historic District – Covers 80.7 acres bounded by the railroad right-of-way on the east, Johnson Avenue on the north, Orcutt Road on the south, Leff Street on the northwest, and Broad Street on the west. Established in 1998 along the historic boundaries of the Southern Pacific rail yard. It includes residential and commercial resources constructed following the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1894.

Television
The following TV stations broadcast from San Luis Obispo:
 * KEYT 3, a trio ABC/CBS/MNTV television affiliate based in Santa Barbara; seen on K31KE-D Channel 31 in San Luis Obispo
 * KSBY 6, a dual NBC/CW+ television affiliate; licensed to and broadcast from San Luis Obispo
 * KKFX 24, a FOX television affiliate; licensed to San Luis Obispo studios broadcast from Telemundo affiliate KCOY in Santa Maria.
 * KTAS 33, a TeleXitos affiliate; broadcast from San Luis Obispo

Radio

 * KVEC "News/Talk"
 * KYNS "Alt 93.7"
 * KKJL "K-Jewell"
 * KLFF "Family Life Radio"
 * KCBX "Central Coast Public Radio"
 * KCPR "Cal Poly Radio"
 * KZOZ "Classic Rock"
 * KXTZ "The Beach"
 * KSLY "K-LOVE"
 * KKJG "K-JUG"
 * KERW "Eclectic 24"
 * KLUN "Radio Lazer"
 * KWWV "Wild 106.1"

Transportation

San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport offers private air service and non-stop commercial air service to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, and Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Las Vegas, and service to Portland and San Diego, beginning in 2020.

Amtrak provides daily rail transport service at San Luis Obispo station as the northern terminus of the Pacific Surfliner line from San Diego and Los Angeles Union Station, and as a stop on the Coast Starlight line. The Amtrak train travels north to Salinas, San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco (via Emeryville), Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle.

Amtrak Thruway 18 provides a daily connection to Visalia on the east, and Santa Maria on the west, with several stops in between.

Greyhound closed its station building in San Luis Obispo on March 12, 2009; it still serves the city via a bus stop on Railroad Avenue. There are also multiple companies that provide shuttle services or black car service to/from the airport.

FlixBus boards from the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum at 1940 Santa Barbara Avenue.

Public transit

Public transit includes the citywide SLO Transit bus lines as well as the county-wide SLO Regional Transit system. Rideshare encourages the use of the local public transit, as well as carpooling and cycling. Riders for the SLO Transit system are now able to plan their trips using Google Transit. The SLO Car Free program provides an online one-stop-shop for all car-free vacationing needs from bus schedules and bike maps, to discounts on transportation, lodging, and attractions.

Roads

U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 are the major north–south highways in San Luis Obispo, linking the city to the rest of the Central Coast region, San Francisco to the north, and Los Angeles to the south. Both enter the city from the south as a concurrency. As they head north, Highway 1 then splits towards the coast to Morro Bay, while Highway 101 stays more inland to Atascadero and Paso Robles. California State Route 227 provides an alternate route to Highway 101 from San Luis Obispo south to Arroyo Grande.

Cycling
Bicycling is increasing as a mode of transportation. The Bill Roalman (Morro Street) Bicycle Boulevard gives priority to bicycle traffic while a special bicycle traffic signal (one of only a handful in the United States) allows bicyclists their own phase in traffic flow. The SLO County Bicycle Coalition offers a free bicycle valet service during the weekly Farmers' Market. In 2007, the city was designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Gold level by the League of American Bicyclists.

title: San Luis Obispo, California


text:
San Miguel, California

San Miguel (Spanish for "St. Michael") is a unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,336. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined San Miguel as a census-designated place (CDP). San Miguel was founded by the Spanish in 1797, when Mission San Miguel Arcángel was established by Fermín de Lasuén. San Miguel is a tourist destination with historic architecture and vineyards, as part of the Paso Robles wine region.

History
The area of San Miguel and the rest of the southern Salinas Valley was inhabited by the Salinans, an Indigenous Californian nation.

The Spanish founded the settlement at San Miguel on 25 July 1797, when Fermín de Lasuén established Mission San Miguel Arcángel, under the authority of the Franciscan Order. The site of the mission was specifically chosen due to its proximity to the large number of Salinan villages in the area. The interior of the mission church features murals executed under the direction of the famed artist Esteban Munrás in the 1820s.

The mission's location between Mission San Luis Obispo and Mission San Antonio de Padua provided a stop on the trip that had previously taken two days. In 1803, the mission reported an Indian population of 908, while its lands grazed 809 cattle, 3,223 sheep, 342 horses and 29 mules. That year's harvest included about 2,186 fanegas of wheat and corn (A fanega was about 220 lb). Most of the mission burned, while still being developed, in 1806. It was rebuilt within a year. The Rios-Caledonia Adobe was built in 1835 just south of Mission San Miguel as a home for the overseer of mission lands.

On July 15, 1836, following the Mexican secularization of the missions, Mission San Miguel Arcángel was acquired by Ygnacio Coronel, a noted Californio ranchero and politician.

In 1846, Governor Pío Pico sold Mission San Miguel Arcángel for $600 to Petronilo Ríos and William Reed. Reed used the Mission as a family residence and a store. In 1848, Reed and his family were murdered, leaving the Mission vacant for a period of time. The Mission was a stopping place for miners coming from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and, consequently, was used as a saloon, dance hall, storeroom and living quarters.

In 1859, President James Buchanan returned the mission to the Catholic Church. In 1878, after 38 years without a resident priest, Padre Philip Farrelly became the first pastor of Mission San Miguel Arcángel since the secularization. In 1928, Mission San Miguel Arcángel and Mission San Antonio de Padua were both returned to the Franciscan Order, which led to their restorations and repairs.

The 2003 San Simeon earthquake caused severe damage to the sanctuary at Mission San Miguel. The Catholic Church considered closing the parish due to the extensive damage and the estimated $15 million cost of repair; however, the work has since been completed and the mission has since reopened.

In 2011, San Miguel's local business community formed the San Miguel Chamber of Commerce in order to promote the village's tourism and agricultural industries.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km$2$), all of it land.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that San Miguel had a population of 2,336. The population density was 1,369.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of San Miguel was 1,638 (70.1%) White, 65 (2.8%) African American, 58 (2.5%) Native American, 19 (0.8%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 474 (20.3%) from other races, and 81 (3.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,196 persons (51.2%).

The Census reported that 2,324 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 12 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 698 households, out of which 358 (51.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 379 (54.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 93 (13.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 57 (8.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 73 (10.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 115 households (16.5%) were made up of individuals, and 25 (3.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33. There were 529 families (75.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.73.

The population was spread out, with 774 people (33.1%) under the age of 18, 262 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 711 people (30.4%) aged 25 to 44, 481 people (20.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 108 people (4.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.

There were 791 housing units at an average density of 463.9 /sqmi, of which 435 (62.3%) were owner-occupied, and 263 (37.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%. 1,399 people (59.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 925 people (39.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,427 people, 468 households, and 335 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 852.3 PD/sqmi. There were 503 housing units at an average density of 300.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 63.28% White, 1.47% African American, 2.73% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 23.83% from other races, and 8.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.66% of the population.

There were 468 households, out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.53.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 33.0% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $33,264, and the median income for a family was $32,847. Males had a median income of $26,216 versus $20,134 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $15,444. About 6.1% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government
In the California State Legislature, San Miguel is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, San Miguel is in.

The local government organization is the San Miguel Community Services District (CSD).

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: San Miguel, California


text:
Shandon, California

Shandon is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 1,295 at the 2010 census, up from 986 at the 2000 census. Shandon lies by the San Juan River.

Etymology
The town is named for a town that appeared in Harper's Magazine in 1891.

Geography
Shandon is located at the bottom of the San Juan Valley, where San Juan Creek and Cholame Creek come together to form the Estrella River, which flows west to meet the Salinas River north of Paso Robles. Shandon is also at the junction of State Routes 41 and 46, at the southwestern portion of the stretch where the two highways merge for approximately six miles. The San Andreas Fault cuts perpendicular to the highways here, six miles from Shandon.

Shandon is located at 35.65611°N, -120.37889°W (35.656178, -120.378817).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.0 sqmi, 98.56% of it land and 1.44% of it water.

Climate
Shandon experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Owing to its location inland from the coast, diurnal temperature variation is high, reaching a maximum of 40 °C during summer.

2010
At the 2010 census Shandon had a population of 1,295. The population density was 433.2 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Shandon was 840 (64.9%) White, 34 (2.6%) African American, 18 (1.4%) Native American, 7 (0.5%) Asian, 2 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 352 (27.2%) from other races, and 42 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 693 people (53.5%).

The census reported that 1,293 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 2 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 371 households, 187 (50.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 219 (59.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 46 (12.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 24 (6.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 18 (4.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 62 households (16.7%) were one person and 15 (4.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.49. There were 289 families (77.9% of households); the average family size was 3.83.

The age distribution was 418 people (32.3%) under the age of 18, 127 people (9.8%) aged 18 to 24, 373 people (28.8%) aged 25 to 44, 284 people (21.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 93 people (7.2%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.9 males.

There were 412 housing units at an average density of 137.8 per square mile, of the occupied units 239 (64.4%) were owner-occupied and 132 (35.6%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.3%. 732 people (56.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 561 people (43.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 986 people, 267 households, and 225 families in the CDP. The population density was 329.4 PD/sqmi. There were 286 housing units at an average density of 95.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 71.20% White, 0.51% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 20.59% from other races, and 6.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.67%.

Of the 267 households 49.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.4% were non-families. 10.9% of households were one person and 3.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.67 and the average family size was 3.86.

The age distribution was 34.7% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 15.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% 65 or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.8 males.

The median household income was $35,000 and the median family income was $32,273. Males had a median income of $28,068 versus $21,786 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,174. About 16.7% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Shandon is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Shandon is in.

Business
This part of the county's economy is largely based in agriculture. Several large vineyard plantings, including Arciero, Sunview Shandon, Shandon Valley Partners, Red Cedar Vineyards, and French Camp Vineyards, represent important employers in the region.

Shandon has a 15-member paid-call firefighter company who respond to all incidents via radio pager. Company 31 is responsible for maintaining and responding Engine 31 during the summer months. There also is CalFire Station 51 at 501 West Centre Street.

The town has a State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) District 5 yard located at 400 West Centre Street.

Shandon is home to Shandon Unified School District, which includes Shandon Elementary, Shandon High School, and Parkfield Elementary.

The Shandon Post Office is located at 200 East Centre Street.

School
Public education in Shandon is provided by the Shandon Joint Unified School District.

Sports
Shandon High School's varsity mascot is the Outlaws, and the school presently competes in the Coast Valley League.

CIF Team Championships

 * 1979, Southern Section /Small School Division: Girls Basketball

CIF Finalists/Team Runner-Up

 * 1998, Southern Section /8-Man Small Division: Football

Notable residents
Former Deputy Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and United States Secretary of the Interior William P. Clark, Jr. resided near Shandon until his death in August 2013; he built Chapel Hill on the hill above his ranch. Former 2008–2009 National FFA Secretary Nessie Early is a resident of Shandon.

title: Shandon, California


text:
Templeton, California

Templeton is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 7,674 at the 2010 census, up from 4,687 at the 2000 census.

Geography
Templeton is located at 35.55389°N, -120.70944°W (35.553847, −120.709469). It is approximately 5 mi south of Paso Robles and five miles north of Atascadero along U.S. 101. State Route 46 intersects U.S. 101 on the north edge of the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.8 sqmi, 99.37% of it land and 0.63% water. However, much of the surrounding unincorporated area between Atascadero and Paso Robles is considered as part of Templeton, with most U.S. mail for this area addressed as such.

Climate
Templeton has a Mediterranean climate that is characterized by mild winters and dry summers. The area usually has low humidity. Rain generally falls only between November and March, with the rainy season tapering off almost completely by the end of April. Temperature lows can reach from 20 to 25 F in the winter, and highs can reach 100 F in the summer, with the highest recorded temperature being 115 °F.

Like much of the nearby area, Templeton occasionally receives significant but temporary fog through parts of the year. In summer, Templeton will occasionally receive fog due to its proximity with the California Coastal Range, Pacific Ocean, and the higher valley temperatures of Templeton itself; the differential in density between the warm rising air in the valley causes it to be displaced with the descent of the cooler marine air layer via the Templeton Gap in the Santa Lucia Range. Similarly, in winter, Templeton will occasionally receive morning fog due to the temperature differential with the Central Valley.

Although it is rare to see snow in Templeton, it did snow on December 15, 1988, leaving between 5 and 8 in of total snowfall. It also most recently snowed in the winter of 2023.

Economy
Templeton is home to numerous businesses that serve local agriculture and ranching, with the economy comprised most significantly from medical care including the Twin Cities Hospital, Templeton Unified School District, agriculture consisting primarily of vineyards and wineries, and assorted businesses on Main Street. Many residents work in nearby communities. Templeton is emerging as a world class wine producer; with many of the wineries carrying the "Paso Robles" appellation actually located in the unincorporated Templeton area – including Castoro Cellars, Peachy Canyon, York Mountain, and Wild Horse.

There is a growing production of olive oil, with many small groves producing olives intended for consumption and oil, including Pasolivo.

History
Templeton is located within the former Rancho Paso de Robles Mexican land grant and was founded in 1886 when Chauney Hatch Phillips of the West Coast Land Company sent R.R. Harris to survey 160 acre set aside for a town to exist south of Paso Robles as part of the company's larger purchase of 63,000 acre. These 160 acres were to be laid out in business and residential lots with 5–12 acre parcels, with the town to be named "Crocker" after a Vice President of the Southern Pacific Railroad, Charles F. Crocker; however, Crocker instead chose to name the town "Templeton," after his two-year-old son, Charles Templeton Crocker.

The town was briefly the end of the line for passengers travelling south via the Southern Pacific Railroad from northern California; passengers disembarked at Templeton and were then carried by stagecoach south to San Luis Obispo. In 1889, the railroad was continued 14 mi south to Santa Margarita and the town was reclassified to a flag stop. Currently, the railroad stops in nearby Paso Robles before continuing on, and Templeton is classified as a bypass.

In 1898, a fire destroyed most of the original wooden buildings of the business district along Main Street, prompting this section of the town to be rebuilt with brick, although on a somewhat smaller scale than before.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Templeton had a population of 7,674. The population density was 988.1 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Templeton was 6,833 (89.0%) White, 59 (0.8%) African American, 80 (1.0%) Native American, 123 (1.6%) Asian, 10 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 337 (4.4%) from other races, and 232 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,171 persons (15.3%).

The Census reported that 7,580 people (98.8% of the population) lived in households, 1 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and 93 (1.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 2,830 households, of which 1,121 (39.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,572 (55.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 363 (12.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 127 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 117 (4.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships and 29 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 654 households (23.1%) were made up of individuals, and 352 (12.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68. There were 2,062 families (72.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.14.

2,049 people (26.7%) of the population were under the age of 18, 598 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 1,627 people (21.2%) aged 25 to 44, 2,288 people (29.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,112 people (14.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

There were 3,006 housing units at an average density of 387.1 /sqmi, of which 2,002 (70.7%) were owner-occupied, and 828 (29.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%. 5,453 people (71.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,127 people (27.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census, there were 4,687 people, 1,548 households and 1,247 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 989.2 PD/sqmi. There were 1,588 housing units at an average density of 335.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.36% White, 1.17% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 3.63% from other races, and 3.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.82% of the population.

There were 1,548 households, of which 49.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.4% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.33.

33.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median household income was $53,438 and the median family income was $58,750. Males had a median income of $41,268 compared with $32,034 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,671. About 6.3% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Local
Templeton is governed by the five-member board of the Templeton Community Services District.

The current board members are:
 * President: Debra Logan
 * Vice President: Wayne Petersen
 * Board members: Navid Fardanesh, and Pamela Jardini

State and federal
In the state legislature, Templeton is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Templeton is in.

Schools

 * Templeton High School - grades 9 to 12
 * Templeton Middle School - grades 6 to 8
 * Vineyard Elementary School - grades 3 to 5
 * Templeton Elementary School - kindergarten to 2

Public schools in Templeton are located in and operated by the Templeton Unified School District, which notably includes Templeton High School, which was selected as a National Blue Ribbon High School in 2006, having previously been selected in both 1999 and 2005 as one of 64 schools out of 860 in the state of California as a California Distinguished School.

Notable people

 * Brian Barden, baseball player, born in Templeton
 * Josh Brolin, actor, raised in Templeton
 * Kurtis "Miss Fame" Dam-Mikkelsen, American drag queen, makeup artist, model, and recording artist
 * Charles Douglass, inventor of the laugh track
 * Stewart Finlay-McLennan, actor
 * Tyler Gray, Miami Dolphins NFL linebacker
 * Spencer Howard, MLB pitcher
 * Sandy Koufax, Hall of Fame baseball player
 * Steve Webb, former Mayor of Beverly Hills, California

title: Templeton, California


text:
Atherton, California

Atherton 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.

Atherton is known for its wealth; in 1990 and 2019, Atherton was ranked as having the highest per capita income among U.S. places that have a population between 2,500 and 9,999, and the area covered by its ZIP Code is regularly ranked as having the highest cost of living in the United States. In 2023, the Atherton ZIP Code had the highest median home prices in the United States, at $7,950,000.

History
The entire area was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas.

During the 1860s, Atherton was known as Fair Oaks. In 1923, it was decided to rename the town in honor of Faxon Dean Atherton, a former 19th century landowner on the south peninsula.

Lawsuit against the electrification of Caltrain
The town has been involved in lawsuits to block or delay the introduction of California High-Speed Rail. Atherton was an early and vocal opponent of the electrification of the U.S. commuter railroad Caltrain, which serves cities in the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley. Residents opposed electrification and the proposed high-speed rail route because the overhead electrical lines would require tree removal and the town could potentially be divided by the closing of the two grade crossings at Fair Oaks Lane and Watkins Avenue.

In February 2015, shortly after the project received environmental clearance from the state, Atherton sued Caltrain, alleging the agency's environmental impact review was inadequate and that its collaboration with the CHSRA should be further vetted. In July 2015, the suit proceeded after Caltrain's request to the Surface Transportation Board to exempt it from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines was denied. Atherton reiterated its opposition to electrification on the basis that overhead wires would require removing a significant number of heritage trees, and city representatives asserted that "newer, cleaner, more efficient diesel trains" should supplant plans for "century-old catenary electrical line technology". Atherton mayor Rick De Golia was quoted as saying "Caltrain is locked into an old technology and 20th century thinking". After Caltrain issued infrastructure and rolling stock contracts in July 2016, Atherton representatives did not file a temporary restraining order to halt those contracts, preferring to let the suit proceed to a hearing. In September 2016, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Barry Goode sided with Caltrain, ruling that the electrification project did not hinge on the high-speed rail project's success, and was thus independent from the latter.

Atherton sued CHSRA again in December 2016, stating that using bond money intended for high-speed rail for CalMod was a material change in usage and therefore was unconstitutional because such a change would require voter approval first. In response, the California Legislature allowed the funding to be redirected by passing Assembly Bill No. 1889, which had been championed by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin in 2015. Mullin noted "this entire Caltrain corridor is the epicenter of the innovation economy and it's a job creation and economic engine. This electrification project, I would argue, is monumental with regard to dealing with [increased traffic and environmental impacts] effectively and efficiently."

The Caltrain station closed in 2020.

Land use and housing
Atherton is the wealthiest city in the United States. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "the town's ascendance stems largely from its single-family zoning, 1-acre-minimum lot sizes, flat land, streamlined permits and changing buyer demographics — which have translated into soaring house sizes and skyrocketing prices." There is no commercial zoning in the town, thus there are no restaurants, shops or grocery stores. There are no sidewalks in Atherton, only road lanes.

Until 2022, the town's zoning regulations permitted only one single-family home per acre and prohibit sidewalks. Partly as a result of these regulations, the average home price in the city in recent years was more than 7.5 million dollars. Many of the inhabitants have strongly opposed proposals to permit more housing construction. Among those include Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry. However, with the passage of SB 9 in 2022, the zoning regulations that limit how many units can be built on a property were nullified.

In 2022, the town blocked a proposal to build 131 multifamily housing units in the town in response to strong criticism of the proposal by the city's inhabitants. Advocates for the construction of additional homes have criticized Atherton as being a NIMBY town. In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom singled out Atherton in a speech for its restrictive housing policies. The mayor said in 2022 that they were focusing on building affordable housing for staff and teachers at the city's eight schools.

In February 2023, the Atherton City Council approved a housing plan with 348 mixed-income housing units. Under California law, the units must be built over the next eight years, and the city must reserve 148 units for occupancy by "very low income" or "low income" individuals, 56 units for “moderate income” individuals, and 144 units for “above moderate income” individuals.

As of November 2022, Atherton's stated land-use goal is to “preserve the Town's character as a scenic, rural, thickly wooded residential area with abundant open space."

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 sqmi, of which 5.0 sqmi is land and 0.03 sqmi, comprising 0.63%, is water.

Atherton lies 2 mi southeast of Redwood City, and 18 mi northwest of San Jose. The town is considered to be part of the San Francisco metropolitan area.

Demographics
About 73% of the city's inhabitants are ethnically non-Hispanic white; this makes it among the least ethnically diverse cities in Silicon Valley.

2010
At the 2010 census Atherton had a population of 6,914. The population density was 1,369.5 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Atherton was 5,565 (80.5%) White, 75 (1.1%) African American, 7 (0.1%) Native American, 911 (13.2%) Asian, 45 (0.7%) Pacific Islander, 95 (1.4%) from other races, and 216 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 268 people (3.9%).

The census reported that 6,529 people (94.4% of the population) lived in households, 385 (5.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 2,330 households, 787 (33.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,755 (75.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 109 (4.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 48 (2.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 34 (1.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 15 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 321 households (13.8%) were one person and 178 (7.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80. There were 1,912 families (82.1% of households); the average family size was 3.03.

The age distribution was 1,543 people (22.3%) under the age of 18, 579 people (8.4%) aged 18 to 24, 966 people (14.0%) aged 25 to 44, 2,264 people (32.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,562 people (22.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 48.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 95.3 men.

The median household income was in excess of $250,000, the highest of any place in the United States. The per capita income for the town was $128,816. About 2.9% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

There were 2,530 housing units at an average density of 501.1 per square mile, of the occupied units 2,116 (90.8%) were owner-occupied and 214 (9.2%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.9%. 5,921 people (85.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 608 people (8.8%) lived in rental housing units.

Forbes ranked Atherton as second on its list of America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes in 2010, listing median house price as over $2,000,000.

2020
At the 2020 census, Atherton had a population of 7,193 and 2,252 households, and the homeowner vacancy rate was 0%. The population density was 1424.3 PD/sqmi.

There was an average 2.94 people per household, 89.2% of homes were owner occupied and 10.8% were renter occupied. The racial makeup of Atherton was 5,403 (75%) White, 1,655 (23%) Asian, 124 (1.7%) African American, 18 (0.3%) Native American, 107 (1.5%) Pacific Islander, 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 540 (7.5%) people. The median age was 49. For every 100 females there were 100.1 men.

The age distribution was 1,472 people (20.5%) under the age of 18, 862 people (5.6%) aged 18 to 24, 932 people (12.9%) aged 25 to 44, 2,123 (29.5%) aged 45–64 and 1,813 people (25.2%) over the age of 65.

Median income for a household was over $250,000. Males had a median income $102,192 versus $53,882 for females. About 1.1% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.5% of those under the age of 18 and 1.1% of those 65 years or over.

Property Shark ranked Atherton first for the fourth year in a row as the most expensive ZIP code in the United States in 2022, with the median home price at $7,900,000.

Arts and culture
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.

The Holbrook-Palmer Estate, was once an active rural estate and gentleman's farm. The Holbrook-Palmer Estate was donated to the city of Atherton in 1958 and now serves as a 22 acre and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for the architecture.

The city is served by the Atherton Public Library of the San Mateo County Libraries, a member of the Peninsula Library System.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Atherton is in, and is split between and. In the United States House of Representatives, Atherton is in.

Political party registration
According to the California Secretary of State, as of March 11, 2022, Atherton has 5,063 registered voters. Of those, 2,192 (43.2%) are registered Democrats, 1,247 (24.6%) are registered Republicans and 1,317 (26%) have declined to state a political party.

Education
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.

Notable people

 * Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder.
 * Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
 * Mohamed Atalla, Egyptian-American engineer, inventor of MOSFET transistor, founder of Atalla Corporation
 * Gertrude Atherton, American author
 * Faxon Atherton, namesake of Atherton, California
 * CiCi Bellis, tennis player
 * Lindsey Buckingham, of Fleetwood Mac
 * Nick Clegg, Meta Platforms executive and former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and his wife, Miriam González Durántez, a lawyer
 * Ty Cobb, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player
 * Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry, NBA star and his family moved to Atherton when the Golden State Warriors moved to San Francisco in 2019.
 * Timothy C. Draper, venture capitalist and founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson
 * Clay Dreslough, game designer, raised in Atherton
 * Douglas Engelbart, computer engineer and inventor of the computer mouse
 * Drew Fuller, actor, known for role on Charmed and Army Wives
 * Bill Gurley, venture capitalist; general partner at Benchmark.
 * Elizabeth Holmes, former biotechnology entrepreneur convicted of fraud.
 * Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz.
 * Ron Johnson, former senior executive at Apple
 * Guy Kawasaki, venture capitalist
 * Bobbie Kelsey, Stanford University women's basketball assistant coach
 * Andy Kessler, author of books on business, technology, and the health field
 * Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp
 * Robby Krieger, musician, former guitarist of The Doors
 * Charlie Kubal, music producer, created 2010's Mashup Album of the Year, the notorious xx, grew up in Atherton
 * Douglas Leone (born 1957), billionaire venture capitalist
 * Andy W. Mattes, CEO of Diebold.
 * Willie Mays, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player
 * Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow
 * Rajeev Motwani, professor, computer science, Stanford University
 * Farzad Nazem, former chief technology officer of Yahoo! and one of its longest-serving executives, now an angel investor
 * Chamath Palihapitiya, CEO of Social Capital, and board member of the Golden State Warriors.
 * J. B. Pritzker, Governor of Illinois and co-founder of the Pritzker Group
 * Tom Proulx, co-founder of Intuit.
 * Vivek Ranadive, chairman, CEO and founder of TIBCO Software
 * Jerry Rice, Hall of Fame football player
 * George R. Roberts, co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
 * Ted Robinson, sports broadcaster and former San Francisco 49ers play-by-play announcer
 * Maureen Kennedy Salaman, author and proponent of alternative medicine
 * James R. Scapa, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Altair Engineering
 * Eric Schmidt, former executive chairman and CEO of Google
 * Charles R. Schwab, founder and CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation
 * Komal Shah, art collector, philanthropist, and businessperson
 * Shirley Temple, child movie star and diplomat
 * Y.A. Tittle, 49ers & Giants QB, NFL HOFer, resident until his death in 2017
 * Bob Weir, of the Grateful Dead and Ratdog, raised in Atherton
 * Steve Westly, former State Controller of California, major Democratic Party fundraiser, and venture capitalist.
 * Meg Whitman, diplomat, former president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, former CEO of eBay
 * Dennis Woodside, president of Impossible Foods, former COO of Dropbox
 * Quadeca, YouTuber/Rapper grew up in Atherton

title: Atherton, California


text:
Belmont, California

Belmont is a city in San Mateo County in the U.S. state of California. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, on the San Francisco Peninsula about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. Known for its wooded hills, views of the San Francisco Bay and stretches of open space, Belmont is a quiet residential community in the midst of the culturally and technologically rich Bay Area. It was originally part of Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas, is named. The city was incorporated in 1926. Its population was 28,335 at the 2020 census.

Ralston Hall is a historic landmark built by Bank of California founder William Chapman Ralston on the campus of Notre Dame de Namur University, and is also home to Notre Dame High School. It was built around a villa formerly owned by Count, an Italian aristocrat. The locally famous "Waterdog Lake" is also located in the foothills and highlands of Belmont. A surviving structure from the Panama–Pacific International Exposition is on Belmont Avenue (another is the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco). The building was brought to Belmont by E.D. Swift shortly after the exposition closed in 1915.

The city is bordered by San Mateo to the north, Half Moon Bay to the west, Redwood Shores to the east, and San Carlos to the south.

Belmont has a smoking ordinance, passed in January 2009, which bans smoking in all businesses and multi-story apartments and condominiums; the ordinance has been described as one of the strictest in the nation.

Etymology
The name is believed to derive from the Italian bel monte, meaning "beautiful mountain." The town was named for the "symmetrically rounded eminence" nearby.

Geography
Belmont is located at 37.51806°N, -122.29167°W (37.518087, -122.291673).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a land area of 4.63 sqmi and 0.009 sqmi of water.

2020
Belmont's population in 2020 was reported as 28,335. The population density was 6,119.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 14,248 (50.3%) White, 370 (1.3%) Black or African American, 102 (0.4%) American Indian and Alaska Native, 8,398 (29.6%) Asian, 148 (0.5%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 1,527 (5.4%) Some Other Race, and 3,542 (12.5%) two or more races. The largest mixed-race groups were White and Some Other Race (1,345, 4.7%) and White and Asian (1,312, 4.6%). 3,523 residents (12.4%) were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Among the residents who were not Hispanic or Latino, 13,572 were White, 348 were Black or African American, 22 were American Indian and Alaska Native, 8,330 were Asian, 132 were Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, 300 were of other races, and 2,108 were of two or more races. 2020 was the first recent census in which non-Hispanic White people were not the majority of the population in Belmont (47.9%). Among Hispanic and Latino residents, 676 identified their race as White, 22 Black or African American, 80 American Indian and Alaska Native, 68 Asian, 16 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 1,227 Some Other Race, and 1,434 two or more races. 1,021 Hispanic or Latino residents identified their race as both White and Some Other Race.

There were 11,169 housing units, of which 10,705 were occupied and 464 were vacant.

722 people (2.5%) were living in group quarters, including 203 in nursing facilities, 339 in college/university student housing, and 180 in other facilities.

22,198 people (78.3%) were 18 years old or older, while 6,137 (21.7%) were younger than 18 years old.

2010
At the 2010 census Belmont had a population of 25,835. The population density was 5,579.8 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Belmont was 17,455 (67.6%) White, 420 (1.6%) African American, 72 (0.3%) Native American, 5,151 (19.9%) Asian, 198 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 964 (3.7%) from other races, and 1,572 (6.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,977 persons (11.5%).

The census reported that 25,321 people (98.0% of the population) lived in households, 394 (1.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 120 (0.5%) were institutionalized.

There were 10,575 households, 3,251 (30.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,630 (53.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 830 (7.8%) had a female householder with no husband or wife present, 391 (3.7%) had a male householder with no wife or husband present. There were 510 (4.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 96 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,904 households (27.5%) were one person and 997 (9.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39. There were 6,851 families (64.8% of households); the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 5,395 people (20.9%) under the age of 18, 1,668 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 7,645 people (29.6%) aged 25 to 44, 7,284 people (28.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,843 people (14.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

There were 11,028 housing units at an average density of 2,381.8 per square mile, of the occupied units 6,280 (59.4%) were owner-occupied and 4,295 (42.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 16,473 people (63.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 8,848 people (34.2%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 25,123 people in 10,418 households, including 6,542 families, in the city. The population density was 5,551.1 PD/sqmi. There were 10,577 housing units at an average density of 2,337.1 /mi2. Of the 10,418 households 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 27.2% of households were one person and 7.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.89.

The age distribution was 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $99,739, and the median family income was $122,515. Males had a median income of $63,281 versus $46,957 for females. The per capita income for the city was $42,812. About 1.7% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 and over.

In May 2009, Belmont was ranked 11th on Forbes list of "America's Top 25 Towns to Live Well."

Federal and state representation
In the California State Legislature, Belmont is in, and in.

Federally, Belmont is in.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Belmont has 15,827 registered voters. Of those, 7,678 (48.5%) are registered Democrats, 2,540 (16%) are registered Republicans, and 4,994 (31.6%) have declined to state a political party.

Facilities
The city is served by the Belmont Public Library of the San Mateo County Libraries, a member of the Peninsula Library System.

The city has a number of parks. This includes Twin Pines Park, Waterdog Lake Open Space, Semeria Park and Davey Glen Park.

Child education is provided by public and private facilities. Students in Belmont are eligible to receive public schooling through two school districts: Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (kindergarten through middle school) and Sequoia Union High School District (high school). There are also several private schools. The private Charles Armstrong School specializes in language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia.

The city's largest hotel is Hyatt House, which is an apartment hotel and caters mostly to a business clientele, due to its proximity to Oracle headquarters.

Smoking policy
In January 2009, Belmont adopted an ordinance that bans smoking in city parks, all businesses, and all multi-story apartments and condominiums. The policy, which has been described as perhaps the strictest anti-smoking law in the nation, was the result of a group of retirees lobbying the city to stop secondhand smoke from drifting into their apartments from neighboring places. Public health advocates consider the ordinance to be a new front in a national battle against tobacco; officials from the American Lung Association of California said "Belmont broke through this invisible barrier in the sense that it addressed drifting smoke in housing as a public health issue."

Public schools
The public schools in Belmont are highly rated. The public schools in Belmont are run by the Belmont – Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD). The public high school in Belmont, Carlmont High School, however, is in Sequoia Union High School District.

Elementary schools

 * Central Elementary School, California Distinguished School
 * Cipriani Elementary School, California Distinguished School
 * Fox, National Blue Ribbon School
 * Nesbit, California Distinguished School

Middle schools

 * Ralston Middle School, California Distinguished School
 * Nesbit (K-8), California Distinguished School

High school

 * Carlmont High School, California Distinguished School

Private schools

 * Immaculate Heart of Mary School (preschool through 8th grade)
 * Notre Dame High School
 * Charles Armstrong School specializing in language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia

Colleges

 * Notre Dame de Namur University

Public transportation
SamTrans provides local bus service within Belmont as well as the entire county of San Mateo. Caltrain provides commuter rail service on the San Francisco Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose including Belmont station in the city, and Hillsdale station in southern San Mateo city, near the border.

Top employers
According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in 2021 were:

Sister cities

 * Namur, Belgium
 * Belmont, Massachusetts, United States

title: Belmont, California


text:
Brisbane, California

Brisbane (pron. ) is a small city in San Mateo County, California, located on the lower slopes of the San Bruno Mountain. The city is on the northeastern edge of San Mateo County, located immediately south of the San Francisco city limits on the San Francisco Bay. The population was 4,851 as of the 2020 census.

Brisbane is called "The City of Stars" because of a holiday tradition dating back to 1939. At the start of the Christmas/Hanukkah season, many residents and business owners place large, illuminated stars, some as big as 10 ft or more in diameter, on the downhill sides of homes and offices throughout Brisbane. Many of the stars are kept up all year.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.1 sqmi, of which 3.1 sqmi is land and 17.0 sqmi (84.58%) is water, the latter the Brisbane Lagoon. A remnant of San Francisco Bay, the lagoon was formed by the construction of the U.S. Highway 101 causeway, and became diminished as most of its north and central portions were filled with landfill. Brisbane sits at the southeast corner of the Guadalupe Valley.

Guadalupe Valley Creek is a small creek which flows east through Brisbane along the north flank of San Bruno Mountain and enters the Brisbane Lagoon after passing under the Tunnel Avenue bridge.

History
The first recorded inhabitants were the Costanoan Indians. They built dome-shaped dwellings of boughs and tules. By 1776, Spanish explorers had arrived and the Franciscan missionaries soon followed leaving numerous large land grants in their wake. With Mexican rule, the lands controlled by the Mission were released to private enterprise.

Brisbane was originally part of Rancho Cañada de Guadalupe la Visitación y Rodeo Viejo, a large tract of land that included the Cañada de Guadalupe (now Guadalupe Valley), and also the Bayshore district of Daly City, the Visitacion Valley district of San Francisco, and San Bruno Mountain. Visitacion City, as it was initially known, was platted in 1908 adjacent to a new rail line that had been completed in 1907 to the east of the town site. The Southern Pacific Railroad built the new line to create a faster and more direct route into San Francisco. The railroad also planned to build extensive terminal facilities just north of the town site. The Visitacion Valley rail yard and locomotive works were expected to employ over 1,000 workers, but construction was halted soon after it began due to the Panic of 1907. The town site remained largely undeveloped for many years. The railroad resumed construction of the yard and shops during World War I, and the facilities were completed by 1918.

The city is served by San Mateo County Libraries.

In the 1920s Arthur Annis proposed the name change from Visitacion City to Brisbane. Annis regarded the name Visitacion City as a handicap "being so close to a San Francisco city district with a similar name", which he felt would confuse people and prevent "Brisbane" from establishing its own unique identity. Accounts of how the city acquired its name vary. According to his daughter, the city was named for Brisbane, Queensland, perhaps due to the area's resemblance to that port city at the time. Another story holds that it was named for newspaper columnist Arthur Brisbane.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Brisbane had a population of 4,282. The population density was 213.3 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Brisbane was 2,578 (60.2%) White, 80 (1.9%) African American, 21 (0.5%) Native American, 1,084 (25.3%) Asian, 41 (1.0%) Pacific Islander, 182 (4.3%) from other races, and 296 (6.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 712 persons (16.6%).

The Census reported that 4,266 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 16 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,821 households, out of which 514 (28.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 808 (44.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 159 (8.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 96 (5.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 128 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 59 (3.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 554 households (30.4%) were made up of individuals, and 122 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 1,063 families (58.4% of all households); the average family size was 2.94.

The population was spread out, with 825 people (19.3%) under the age of 18, 213 people (5.0%) aged 18 to 24, 1,356 people (31.7%) aged 25 to 44, 1,459 people (34.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 429 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

There were 1,934 housing units at an average density of 96.3 /sqmi, of which 1,169 (64.2%) were owner-occupied, and 652 (35.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. 2,936 people (68.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,330 people (31.1%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,597 people, 1,620 households, and 850 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,083.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,831 housing units at an average density of 551.6 /sqmi. There were 1,620 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.5% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.7% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 37.5% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $63,684, and the median income for a family was $81,484. Males had a median income of $51,270 versus $48,684 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,162. About .4% of families and .7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Brisbane is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Brisbane is in.

The mayor is Karen Cunningham, and Clifford R Lentz is Mayor Pro Tempore.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Brisbane has 2,794 registered voters. Of those, 1,455 (52.1%) are registered Democrats, 292 (10.5%) are registered Republicans, and 906 (32.4%) have declined to state a political party.

Transportation
The main arterial road serving Brisbane is Bayshore Boulevard. The boulevard continues north to San Francisco and south to South San Francisco and SFO. U.S. Route 101 also goes past the city on the eastern side adjacent to San Francisco Bay.

SamTrans provides bus service through the city along Bayshore Boulevard. Shuttles connecting to nearby BART, Muni T-Third Street line and Caltrain stations are available to residents and employees in the city.

Economy
Brisbane's economy is dominated by office parks at Sierra Point and an industrial park around the Valley Drive corridor. There are commercial areas at Brisbane Village, Visitacion Avenue, and Bayshore Avenue. The population of Brisbane doubles during the work day as such facilities fill up with commuters. Some of the larger office tenants in Brisbane are Cutera Inc., Dolby, Tercica, Sing Tao, and Intermune. Monster Cable Products and bebe stores (traditionally spelled in lowercase) are headquartered in Brisbane on Valley Drive. The Sierra Point office park area is home to a number of well-known class A office buildings like the Dakin Building.

Universal Paragon's proposed 659 acre Brisbane Baylands project, if approved by Brisbane voters, proposes to more than double the existing employment base of the city by providing new office, research & development, retail, hotel and other land uses that are accessible by a proposed multi-modal transit station (Caltrain, Muni T-Third light rail and proposed Bus Rapid Transit). Houses are quite expensive, as the average home cost is around $639,000. This compared to the California average of $393,000 follows a common home price trend in the surrounding areas.

Parks and open space
Brisbane California is home to the San Bruno Mountain as well as a number of city parks. San Bruno Mountain is known for its views of the City, and the native Mission Blue butterfly. City parks in Brisbane include the Community Park in the center of town (1 Visitacion Ave.) the Fire Hydrant Plug Preserve (300 Mariposa St.) and Firth Park (100 Lake St.) and The Brisbane Dog Park ( 50 Park Pl.)

Top employers
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Whale rescue
In 1989, north of Sierra Point Humphrey the whale was beached on a mudflat after an anomalous journey into the San Francisco Bay. His rescue was filmed for national TV and witnessed by hundreds of onlookers from the upper floors of the Dakin Building. The rescue was carried out by staff of The Marine Mammal Center and United States Coast Guard.

Education
The city is served by the Brisbane Public Library of the San Mateo County Libraries, a member of the Peninsula Library System.

title: Brisbane, California


text:
Broadmoor, California

Broadmoor is a census-designated place (CDP) in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, California, United States. The enclave is entirely surrounded by Daly City. The population was 4,176 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Broadmoor is located at 37.6925°N, -122.47889°W (37.692433, -122.478901).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.432 square miles, all of it land.

2020
Broadmoor's population in 2020 was reported as 4,411. The population density was 10,210.6 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 1,206 (27.3%) White, 77 (6.4%) Black or African American, 43 (1.0%) American Indian and Alaska Native, 2,084 (47.2%) Asian, 38 (0.9%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 466 (10.6%) Some Other Race, and 497 (11.3%) two or more races. The largest mixed-race groups were White and Some Other Race (271, 6.1%) and White and Asian (102, 2.3%). 982 residents (22.3%) were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Among the residents who were not Hispanic or Latino, 1,060 were White, 65 were Black or African American, 14 were American Indian and Alaska Native, 2,061 were Asian, 34 were Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, 25 were Some Other Race, and 170 were of two or more races. Among Hispanic and Latino residents, 146 identified their race as White, 12 Black or African American, 29 American Indian and Alaska Native, 23 Asian, 4 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 441 Some Other Race, and 327 two or more races. 250 Hispanic or Latino residents identified their race as both White and Some Other Race.

There were 1464 housing units, of which 1427 were occupied and 37 were vacant.

3,658 people (82.9%) were 18 years old or older, while 753 (17.1%) were younger than 18 years old.

65 people (1.5%) were living in group quarters, including 20 in nursing facilities and 45 in other facilities.

2010
At the 2010 census Broadmoor had a population of 4,176. The population density was 9,277.0 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Broadmoor was 1,705 (40.8%) White, 100 (2.4%) African American, 30 (0.7%) Native American, 1,676 (40.1%) Asian, 44 (1.1%) Pacific Islander, 359 (8.6%) from other races, and 262 (6.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 981 people (23.5%).

The census reported that 4,076 people (97.6% of the population) lived in households, 68 (1.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 32 (0.8%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,349 households, 461 (34.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 782 (58.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 163 (12.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 80 (5.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 64 (4.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 12 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 227 households (16.8%) were one person and 110 (8.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.02. There were 1,025 families (76.0% of households); the average family size was 3.40.

The age distribution was 854 people (20.5%) under the age of 18, 345 people (8.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,095 people (26.2%) aged 25 to 44, 1,228 people (29.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 654 people (15.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

There were 1,392 housing units at an average density of 3,092.3 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,037 (76.9%) were owner-occupied and 312 (23.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 1.9%. 2,981 people (71.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,095 people (26.2%) lived in rental housing units.

2000
At the 2000 census there were 4,026 people, 1,275 households, and 984 families in the CDP. The population density was 8,998.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,295 housing units at an average density of 2,894.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP in 2010 was 30.7% non-Hispanic White, 2.0% non-Hispanic African American, 0.2% Native American, 39.1% Asian, 1.0% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.5%.

Of the 1,275 households 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 16.2% of households were one person and 8.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.48.

The age distribution was 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median household income was $69,836 and the median family income was $71,250. Males had a median income of $47,700 versus $37,784 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,608. About 3.9% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

History
The farms that had long graced the area started to give way to suburban housing developments from the 1940s onwards. The residents of Broadmoor, rallying around their police protection district and their sense of identity as a separate community, have been mostly successful in fighting off annexation by Daly City, despite losing slices of their community's territory, including its police headquarters, in the many piecemeal annexations which over the years saw Daly City gradually encircle Broadmoor in its entirety. Daly City's attempts to annex the enclave and Broadmoor residents' resistance to those efforts have led to strained relations between the two entities at times.

Public safety
A special property tax assessment funds the Broadmoor Police Department, which was founded in 1948 after residents grew concerned of long response times from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department—most of whose deputies are based in the southern end of the county. The Broadmoor Police Protection District is governed by a Police Commission, the Broadmoor Police Protection District Board of Police Commissioners, which consists of three residents elected at large every four years. In 2007 State Senator Leland Yee (California's Eighth District) authored legislation sponsored by the Broadmoor Police Department to recognize Broadmoor as a municipal or city police department. Senate Bill 230, which was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger, provides Broadmoor Police with the same legal recognition and status of a city or municipal police department. The Broadmoor Police Department is staffed by eight full-time police officers, including the chief of police, and twenty-five part-time police officers.

As of 2021, an investigation of retirement fraud and misuse of public funds by former top employees of the District is ongoing. The former police chief, Michael Connolly, was sentenced to probation for conflict-of-interest charges.

Fire protection is provided by the Colma Fire Protection District. The Colma Fire Protection District also provides 24 hr paramedic (ALS) coverage 365 days a year. It is staffed with one paramedic at all times.

Government
In the California State Legislature, Broadmoor is in, and in.

In the United States House of Representatives, Broadmoor is in.

title: Broadmoor, California