Gorgeous natural scenery, attractions, showplace homes and colorful fields and gardens offer a feast for the eyes in San Mateo. All this, plus fine dining, great entertainment, classy shopping, and great schools make San Mateo a great place to visit or call home.
Roads/Distances Between towns/cities
CA 82 (El Camino Real) is the main road running north/south through the city, connecting San Mateo to San Francisco to the north and San Jose to the south. US highway 101 and Interstate 280 also run north/south, to the east and west of the city, respectively, and can easily be accessed from San Mateo. San Francisco is 20 miles north of San Mateo and San Jose is 30 miles to the south.
Airports
There are 3 major international airports within 30 miles of San Mateo:
San Francisco International - about 6 miles
Metropolitan Oakland International - about 13 miles
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International - about 31 miles
Terrain
The land area of the city of San Mateo is 12.2 square miles, and the elevation is 15 feet. The natural features of the area consist of hilly terrain, creeks, mature oak woodland, chaparral and grasslands.
Population
San Mateo is located in San Mateo County. It is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the East, and Belmont to the south. The estimated population, in 2003, was 91,157.
Jobs
The median income for a household in the city is $64,757, and the median income for a family is $76,223. San Mateo County has the second-highest income per capita in the Bay Area, and consistently falls in the top five in per capita income in the State of California.
The San Mateo Area has seen a 71% growth rate for construction and mining positions in the past 5 years. The services sector accounts for 34% of all jobs and grew 12% in the past fiscal year, making it the largest and fastest growing industry for several years
Colleges/Universities
In San Mateo:
College Of San Mateo - Full-time enrollment: 5,619.
San Mateo County Community College.
Northern California Graduate University.
Nearby:
Stanford University - about 14 miles – Full-time enrollment: 14,955.
City College of San Francisco - about 15 miles – Full-time enrollment: 17,819.
San Francisco State University - about 17 miles – Full-time enrollment: 21,373.
Housing
The median home value in San Mateo is $477,300.
The City of San Mateo sponsors a variety of loan programs to help families with their housing needs to become homeowners. There are programs to help you purchase single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses at several locations within the city limits of San Mateo.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
One of the greatest strengths of San Mateo is the beautiful parks, which allow you to absorb the peace, quiet and natural beauty of the outdoors without leaving the city. From koi ponds to sail boats, the City of San Mateo offers a wonderful variety of outdoor recreational activities.
The City of San Mateo has started a master plan and management plan for the Laurelwood Park and Sugarloaf Mountain Open Space. The master plan project area consists of 225 acres of contiguous park and open space lands located in the southwestern portion of the City of San Mateo.
The Peninsula Golf and Country Club and the Poplar Creek Golf Course are both located in San Mateo.
Adult sports programs through the parks and recreation department include badminton, basketball, bocce ball, softball and volleyball.
Bay Meadows Race Track is located in San Mateo, one of the pre-eminent sites for horse racing in the country.
Historic Buildings
Northwest of San Mateo, in Pacifica, is the Sanchez Adobe. It was constructed between 1842 and 1946 by Francisco Sanchez, owner of Rancho
San Pedro and one-time alcalde (mayor) of San Francisco. Sanchez was a leader of Mexican California, who led volunteers against United States’ forces at the Battle of Santa Clara.
Special Events
A few of the unique attractions in San Mateo include the Coyote Point Museum and Wildlife Center, where you can experience the importance of protecting our environment through hands-on exhibits, live animals, extensive gardens and a walk-through aviary.
Another beautiful location not to be missed is San Mateo’s Japanese Tea Garden. Designed by an architect from the Imperial Palace, the garden is known throughout the state.
Interesting Facts
Mavericks, an area of beach in San Mateo County, is considered one of the three best surfing locations in the world. Winter storms create swells and waves up to 30 feet.
Big Field West pond, a freshwater marsh between San Mateo and Pacifica, is monitored by frog-watchers from Frog Watch USA, an organization comprised of scientists dedicated to protecting and conserving frogs and toads!
Bair Island is the home of the Bair Island Aquatic Center that provides paddling and rowing activities for adults and juniors.
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