Atherton, California
Atherton is a town of 6,993 people in San Mateo County, California, founded in 1795.
Why visit Atherton
Townapedia lists 78 museums and landmarks, 60 parks and trails, 202 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Aquarius Theatre, Fox Theatre, Union Cemetery and Dunker House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; December lows average 40°F.
Weather in Atherton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Atherton
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. A Silicon Valley bedroom community, Its population was 6,823 as of July 2023 estimates.
From the Wikipedia article Atherton, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do8
Fox Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Movie theater in Redwood City, California, United States
Circle Star Theater
Cinema and theater · 3.6 mi
Former theater in San Carlos, California
Frost Amphitheater
Cinema and theater · 2.6 mi
Open-air theater at Stanford University in California
Stanford University
School · 2.6 mi
Private research university in Stanford, California, USA
Museums and landmarks78
Union Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic cemetery in Redwood City, California
Dunker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Fraternal Hall Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Single-family detached home in Palo Alto, United States of America
Hanna–Honeycomb House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Holbrook-Palmer Estate
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Estate in Atherton, California, listed in the National Register of Historic Places
Hostess House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historical Palo Alto building
HP Garage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Founding site of the company Hewlett-Packard, "birthplace of Silicon Valley"
John Adam Squire House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic house in Palo Alto, California, USA
Kee House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic house in Palo Alto, California, United States
Lathrop House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic building in Redwood City, California constructed by Benjamin Gordon Lathrop
Lou Henry and Herbert Hoover House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in Stanford, California
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MacFarland House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in California, United States
66 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds60
Professorville
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic district in Palo Alto, California
Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University
Park · 2.3 mi
Art museum in Stanford, California
Pacific Shores Center
Park · 3.8 mi
Business park in Redwood City, California, United States
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
Park · 3.3 mi
Science museum and zoo in Palo Alto, California, United States
Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden
Park · 2.7 mi
Garden at Stanford University
48 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes202
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.0 mi
Ice cream cafe
863 Santa Cruz avenue, Menlo Park
Mo-Su 11:00-22:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi
693 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park
Mo-Fr 05:00-21:00; Sa 05:30-20:30; Su 06:00-20:30
Black Pepper
Restaurant · Thai · 1.1 mi
1029 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Mo-Th 11:30-14:40,17:00-21:00; Fr 11:30-14:40,17:00-22:00; Sa...
British Bankers Club
Restaurant · 1.0 mi
This Federal style building was designed by Birge Clark. For many years it was the American Trust Bank, Menlo Park City Hall, Library...
555 Santa Cruz Avenue
Mo-Th 11:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-23:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Cafe Borrone
Cafe · 1.1 mi
Kitchen closes one hour before closing
1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Su-Mo 07:00-17:00; Tu-Sa 07:00-23:00
Canteen Coffee House
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.9 mi
1300 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Mo-Fr 07:00-15:00, Sa 08:00-14:00
Chef Kwan's Cafe
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.1 mi
630 Menlo Avenue, Menlo Park
Mo-Fr 11:00-21:30; Sa-Su 11:30-21:30
Cold Stone Creamery
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.0 mi
611 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park
Mo-Th, Su 12:00-21:00; Fr, Sa 12:00-22:30
Evvia Estiatorio
Restaurant · Greek · 2.2 mi
420 Emerson Street
Mo-Th 11:30-14:00,17:30-22:00; Fr 11:30-14:00,17:30-23:00; Sa...
190 more on the map.
History
The entire area was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas. During the 1860s, Atherton was known as Fair Oaks. In 1923, Menlo Park wanted to incorporate its lands to include Fair Oaks, but the Fair Oaks property owners chose to incorporate separately. The name Fair Oaks was already in use, so the property owners decided to rename the town in honor of Faxon Dean Atherton, a former 19th century landowner on the south peninsula.
From the History section of Atherton, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay18
Churches and places of worship25
Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 0.9 mi
950 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park
Shopping57
Gas and EV charging26
Schools, colleges and libraries81
Saint Patrick's Seminary & University
School · Roman Catholic · 1.8 mi
320 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park
Fair Oaks Branch Redwood City Public Library
Library · 1.6 mi
2510 Middlefield Road, Redwood City
Summit Preparatory Charter High School
School · 2.2 mi
890 Broadway Street, Redwood City
Healthcare13
Passport Health Menlo Park Travel Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
1225 Crane St., Menlo Park
Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.0 mi
420-450 Broadway, Redwood City
Map of Atherton
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 40°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 42°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 45°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 46°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 73°F | 50°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 54°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 57°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 56°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 54°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 50°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 44°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 40°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Redwood City (2 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
San Mateo County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-08-22: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2020-08-20: Czu Lightning Fire Complex (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Palo Alto Airport (PAO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- North Fair Oaks 1 mi north, about 2 min by car
- West Menlo Park 2 mi south, about 3 min by car
- Stanford 3 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Menlo Park 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- East Palo Alto 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Redwood City 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Emerald Lake Hills 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Woodside 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Ladera 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- San Carlos 5 mi northwest, about 8 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
- Holbrook-Palmer Park Atherton California, LPS.1, CC0
- Church of the Nativity (Menlo Park, California), W Nowicki, CC BY 3.0
- Union Cemetery (Memorial Day, 2009), User:Wwoods, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Front Gate to Pedro de Lemos House, Gerosch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wilson House, 860 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 1-18-53 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palo Alto Medical Clinic, 300 Homer Ave., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 4-21-09 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hostess House, University Ave. at El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 3-30-12 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Front WCPA, LauraBajuk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bank of San Mateo County, 2000 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 9-5-2011 6-11-10 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- USA-Palo Alto-Theophilus Allen House, Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- USA-Palo Alto-John Adam Squire House-2, Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mortimer Fleishhacker House (rear view), Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Public domain
- Fraternal Hall Building, 140 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 2-59-13 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Electioneer statue and Palo Alto Stock Farm horse barn, Fremont Rd., Palo Alto, CA 6-3-2012 3-06-34 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MacFarland House, 775 Santa Ynez St., Stanford, CA 6-3-2012 3-23-08 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dunker House, 420 Maple St., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 12-57-04 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palo Alto station building, January 2010, Ron Reiring from Inland Empire of Southern California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- New Sequoia Theater Building, 2211-2235 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 9-5-2011 5-31-31 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20020306-hp-garage-in-palo-, Original uploader was Gerd Müller, www.twam.info at de.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lou Henry Hoover House from E, Jack Boucher, Public domain
- Kee House, 2310 Yale St., Palo Alto, CA 6-3-2012 3-48-19 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- USA-Palo Alto-555-581 Ramona Street-1, Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
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