Why visit Alto
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 31 parks and trails, 54 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Sequoia Cinema, Marin Theatre Company, Alexander-Acacia Bridge and Benjamin and Hilarita Lyford House.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; December lows average 42°F.
Weather in Alto
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Alto
Alto (Spanish for "Tall") is a census-designated place adjacent to Mill Valley, California, United States, located in Marin County. It lies at an elevation of 26 feet (8 m). The population was 732 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Alto, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Museums and landmarks10
Alexander-Acacia Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Road bridge in Larkspur, United States of America
Benjamin and Hilarita Lyford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Larkspur Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic district in California, United States
Outdoor Art Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historical Landmark in Mill Valley, California, United States
Muir Woods National Monument
Monument and historic site · 3.0 mi
National Monument in the United States
Triangle Marsh
Monument and historic site · 1.7 mi
Archaeological site in California, United States of America
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model
Museum · 3.2 mi
Hydraulic scale model
Parks, trails and playgrounds31
19 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes54
Bungalow 44
Diner · American · 1.5 mi
44 East Blithedale Avenue
Tu-Sa 17:00-21:00; Su 17:00-20:00; Mo 17:00-20:30
Burmatown
Restaurant · Burmese · 1.5 mi
18 Tamalpais Drive
Tu-Th 12:00-14:00,16:30-20:30; Fr 12:00-14:00,16:00-20:30; Sa 16:00-20:30
Flores
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.4 mi
301 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Su-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Flour Craft Bakery
Restaurant · Breakfast, Bakery, Brunch · 1.4 mi
129 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley
Mo-Th 08:00-15:00; Fr-Su 08:00-16:00
Joe's Taco Lounge
Restaurant · Mexican, Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
382 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley
Mo-Th 06:00-21:00; Fr 06:00-22:00; Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 07:00-21:00
Piatti
Restaurant · Italian · 1.0 mi
625 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley
Mo-Fr 11:30-21:00; Sa-Su 11:00-21:00
Robata Grill & Sushi
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.2 mi
591 Redwood Highway
Mo-We 11:30-14:00,17:30-20:30; Th-Fr 11:30-14:00,17:30-21:00;...
SAJJ Mediterranean
Restaurant · Mediterranean · 0.4 mi
741 East Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley
10:30-24:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.5 mi
209 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Mo-Fr 17:30-08:00; Su 18:00-08:00; Sa 18:30-08:00
Fieldwork Brewing Company
Bar and pub · 1.5 mi
107 Corte Madera Town Center
Mo-Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Su 11:00-21:00
42 more on the map.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship9
Buddhist Temple of Marin
Place of worship · 1.2 mi
390 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley
Shopping12
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries43
Corte Madera Regional Branch Marin County Free Library
Library · 1.3 mi
707 Meadowsweet Drive, Corte Madera
Anthony G. Bacich Elementary
School · 3.4 mi
699 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kentfield
Healthcare3
Carbon Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
303 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Map of Alto
184 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 42°F | 8.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 43°F | 8.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 44°F | 6.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 46°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 74°F | 50°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 52°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 53°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 53°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 50°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 45°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 56°F | 42°F | 9.8 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kentfield (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Marin County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-05-17: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
San Rafael Airport (SRF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Strawberry 1 mi southeast, about 2 min by car
- Mill Valley 1 mi west, about 2 min by car
- Corte Madera 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Tamalpais-Homestead Valley 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Larkspur 2 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Marin City 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Kentfield 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Tiburon 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Belvedere 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Sausalito 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Larkspur City Hall 400 Magnolia Ave Larkspur CA 3-21-2010 1-56-19 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lyford House, Tiburon, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Alexander Avenue Bridge - View from Below, Marthature, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Outdoor Art Club, Mill Valley, California, Bento00, Public domain
- Muir Wood11, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- USCAE Bay Model - San Francisco Bay Detail, Something Original, Public domain
- Triangle Marsh in July 2016, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Letter from Frank McGill, BMarinca, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 1919 Scilly Isles, Bankaza, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Page 2 Letter from Frank McGill, BMarinca, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Seaplane crash 1919, Bankaza, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Crash Feb 1919, BMarinca, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Frank McGill, BMarinca, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Home Made Pizza Oven, Ben Soppitt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Capt. Frank McGill, Bankaza, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2011 Mill Valley, California - panoramio (1), sdjaspal, CC BY 3.0
- 2011 Mill Valley, California - panoramio, sdjaspal, CC BY 3.0
- 2011 Mill Valley, California - panoramio (2), sdjaspal, CC BY 3.0
- Jasonsnell-2017-selfie, Jason Snell, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Edna Maguire Elementary, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Mill Valley Post Office, Marincyclist, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Marin access bus, Grandmaster Huon, CC0
- Angel Island Tiburon Belvedere aerial, Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View of one of the arcades in Strawberry Village Shopping Center, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Strawberry Village Shopping Center (March 2012), Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Aeonium arboreum, California, 2 Apr 2026, E bailey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Marin-county-building-on-stilts, Alfred Twu, CC0
- Aloe brevifolia, California, 2 Apr 2026, E bailey, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bike-path-mill-valley-to-sausalito, Alfred Twu, CC0
- Wetlands-and-power-substation, Alfred Twu, CC0
- Bike path along U.S. 101 in Corte Madera, September 2015, Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet (50808106603), Becky Matsubara from Contra Costa County, California, CC BY 2.0
- Mill Valley Panorama (as seen from Seaver Dr), Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ramaria rubricarnata 462010638, Alan Rockefeller, CC BY 4.0
- Western Meadowlark (50614376723), Becky Matsubara from Contra Costa County, California, CC BY 2.0
- Colonel William R. Parnell, 1836-1910 funeral service - cover, Al Sargent, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Colonel William R. Parnell, 1836-1910 funeral service - eulogy, Al Sargent, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hooded merganser - female, Len Blumin from Mill Valley, California, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Ketuba for Benjamin Levy and Esther Solomon, Carolynimhoff, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Signature Detail from Benjamin Levy and Esther Solomon's Ketuba from 1842 in Wellington New Zealand, Carolynimhoff, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.