Living in Redwood City
I grew up a few towns north in Burlingame, but Redwood City is one of the places I spend the most time helping clients on the Peninsula. It has a true downtown, quiet hillside streets and waterfront living in Redwood Shores, all in one city. Here is a neighborhood by neighborhood look to help you find your fit.
Redwood City is the seat of San Mateo County and was the first city in the county to incorporate, in 1867. About 84,000 people live here according to the 2020 census, and the city covers nearly 35 square miles, almost half of it water, stretching from the hills near Woodside to Redwood Shores on the bay.
The city's slogan, Climate Best by Government Test, came from a 1925 newspaper contest inspired by a climate survey done before World War I. Today Redwood City is home to Oracle, its largest employer, Electronic Arts in Redwood Shores, and the only deepwater port on San Francisco Bay south of San Francisco.
Redwood City Neighborhood Map
Every neighborhood I cover in Redwood City, numbered and outlined.
Redwood City
- 1Redwood Shores
- 2Bair Island
- 3Centennial
- 4Edgewood Park
- 5Canyon
- 6Downtown
- 7Mount Carmel
- 8Eagle Hill
- 9Farm Hill
- 10Emerald Lake Hills unincorporated
- 11Friendly Acres
- 12Stambaugh Heller
- 13Central
- 14Roosevelt
- 15Redwood Village
- 16North Fair Oaks unincorporated
- 17Redwood Oaks
- 18Palm Park
- 19Woodside Plaza
Disclaimer: neighborhood borders shown on this map are approximate. Neighborhoods on the Peninsula have no official boundaries and names and lines vary by source, so these shaded areas, grouped from the original subdivision tracts in San Mateo County Assessor parcel records, are for general reference only and are not official city, school or MLS boundaries. Please confirm the neighborhood, school assignment and jurisdiction for any specific address. Roads and rail are drawn from OpenStreetMap. Numbers circled with a dashed line are unincorporated county areas that share a mailing city.
Neighborhood by Neighborhood
Numbers match the pins on the map above.
Redwood Shores
A planned community built from the 1960s on former salt ponds, with lagoons, the Bay Trail and the 2008 Redwood Shores Library. Sandpiper and Redwood Shores Elementary serve families here, near Oracle's campus.
Bair Island
Waterfront living east of 101 with no single family homes; townhomes and apartments like One Marina and Blu Harbor face the marinas, with Bay Trail access and the Bair Island Aquatic Center for paddlers.
Centennial
Ranch style homes on the alphabet streets north of Whipple, plus older homes in the Mezesville Historic District. Mezes Park, known locally as the tank park, sits on a square platted by Simon Mezes in 1854.
Edgewood Park
Tucked between El Camino and the Alameda along Cordilleras Creek, with some of the city's largest estate lots on Edgewood Road and 90 Finger Avenue, a home the city dates to 1855.
Canyon
Hillside single family homes near Sequoia Hospital and the Emerald Hills Shopping Center, where many older houses have been remodeled or rebuilt. Dove Beeger Park and the Canyon Inn, open since 1973, anchor the area.
Downtown
The heart of the county seat, centered on Courthouse Square and the 1910 courthouse, now the San Mateo County History Museum. The 1929 Fox Theatre, restaurants and Caltrain are a short walk away.
Mount Carmel
Varied older single family homes, many remodeled, near Sequoia High School, founded in 1895, and Stafford Park, home of the summer Music in the Park concerts. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School is close by.
Eagle Hill
An almost entirely residential neighborhood with a mix of Spanish style and modern homes, served by John Gill Elementary, dedicated in 1932. Small parklets dot the streets between Whipple and Jefferson.
Farm Hill
Hillside homes of similar vintage along Farm Hill Boulevard, near Roy Cloud School, the 42 acre Stulsaft Park and Cañada College. The Easter Cross stands on the city's highest point.
Emerald Lake Hills
Unincorporated hills marketed in the 1920s as a weekend retreat, with oak studded lots, the privately owned Emerald Lakes and trails into Edgewood Park. Students attend Clifford or Roy Cloud and Woodside High.
Friendly Acres
Single family streets south of Woodside Road near Taft Elementary and Andrew Spinas Park, with Marsh Manor Shopping Center, Nazareth Ice Oasis and the Stanford Redwood City campus close by.
Stambaugh Heller
One of the older parts of town, with streets opened in 1861 and Greek Revival and Craftsman homes alongside apartments, close to downtown, Jardin de Niños park and Broadway Plaza.
Central
Flat blocks between Jefferson and Redwood Avenue with homes from around 1930, duplexes and apartments, plus rare back alleys near Jefferson. Hawes Park and Red Morton Park are close by.
Roosevelt
Mostly single family homes around Roosevelt School and Red Morton Park, the city's second largest park, with a pool, skate park and Magical Bridge Playground. Roosevelt Center and the Schaberg Library are nearby.
Redwood Village
Likely the city's smallest neighborhood, with small single story homes on lots around 5,200 square feet and leafy streets. Hoover School and its 10 acre park sit at the center, near Costco and Sigona's.
North Fair Oaks
An unincorporated, largely Latino community of about 14,000 residents between Redwood City, Atherton and Menlo Park, known for the summer North Fair Oaks Festival and the shops along Middlefield Road.
Redwood Oaks
South of Woodside Road, with early Eichler style homes on Atherwood Avenue, late 1980s communities like Kentfield Commons and Hampton Oaks, Fleishman Park and Selby Lane Elementary nearby.
Palm Park
A mix of single family homes, duplexes and apartments off Woodside Road, around the one acre Palm Park and the Sequoia YMCA. Historic Union Cemetery, founded in 1859, is a California State Landmark.
Woodside Plaza
Mostly single family homes, some with modern remodels, around Maddux Park, Kennedy Middle School and Henry Ford Elementary, with the Woodside Plaza shopping center for everyday errands.
A Short History
The Ohlone were the first known people here, and the land later became part of Rancho de las Pulgas, granted to the Argüello family. In 1851 a deep channel on Redwood Creek, known as the Embarcadero, made it possible to float redwood logs from the nearby hills to San Francisco, and by the mid 1850s the lumber trade was booming. Attorney Simon Mezes laid out a town called Mezesville in 1854, a name that soon gave way to Redwood City.
Redwood City became the county seat when San Mateo County formed in 1856 and incorporated in 1867, the first city in the county to do so. The creek became a federally approved shipping channel in 1882, and its lumber helped rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. The 1910 courthouse, with a stained glass dome believed to be the largest on the West Coast, now houses the San Mateo County History Museum, and the 1929 Fox Theatre still hosts shows on Broadway.
Schools, Parks and Local Traditions
Public Schools
Most of the city is served by the Redwood City School District, while Redwood Shores families attend the Belmont Redwood Shores School District. High schoolers attend the Sequoia Union High School District, including Sequoia High School, founded in 1895, with Woodside and Menlo Atherton High serving some neighborhoods.
Private Schools
Families can choose Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, St. Pius School and Redeemer Lutheran School, along with Montessori and preschool programs around town.
Parks
Red Morton Community Park and the 42 acre Stulsaft Park are among the largest city parks, and nearby Edgewood County Park is known for its spring wildflowers. On the bay side, the Bay Trail and Bair Island Ecological Preserve offer miles of shoreline walking.
Traditions
The Fourth of July parade has run every year since 1939, and summer brings Music on the Square on Friday evenings and Movies on the Square on Thursdays at Courthouse Square. Oktoberfest Redwood City closes out the season each fall.
Redwood City Market Report
Home sales for Redwood City pulled directly from MLSListings, the Bay Area's MLS: how many homes sold, what they sold for, and price per square foot.
Last 30 days
September 17 to October 16, 2026
Last 90 days by home type
July 19 to October 16, 2026
| Home type | Homes sold | Median price | Median price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| All homes | 178 | $1.94M | $1,186 |
| Single family homes | 128 | $2.3M | $1,331 |
| Condos and townhomes | 29 | $1.15M | $809 |
Source: MLSListings closed sales for Redwood City, CA, all residential property types, as of October 16, 2026. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Ask me for a full report on your street or price range.
Getting Around
Redwood City sits right on US 101 with Interstate 280 just to the west, and its Caltrain stop and SamTrans buses make it easy to reach San Francisco or Silicon Valley.
Header photo: Courthouse Square in downtown Redwood City by BrokenSphere, Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.