Corte Madera, California
Corte Madera is a town of 10,077 people in Marin County, California, founded in June 10, 1916.
Why visit Corte Madera
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 32 parks and trails, 82 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, Cinemark Century Larkspur, 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 Corte Madera
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Corte Madera
Corte Madera (, Spanish: [ˈkoɾte maˈðeɾa]; Spanish for "Chop Wood") is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Corte Madera is located 3.25 miles (5.2 km) south of San Rafael, at an elevation of 39 feet (12 m). The population was 10,222 at the 2020 census. The town was named after the Spanish imperative command "chop wood", as the area was famous for producing redwood tree lumber which was used in the construction of the city of San Francisco.
From the Wikipedia article Corte Madera, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Richmond–San Rafael Bridge
Bridge · 3.3 mi
Bridge crossing the San Francisco Bay in Marin and Contra Costa counties in California, United States
Cinemark Century Larkspur
Cinema and theater · 1.1 mi
500 Larkspur Landing Circle
Museums and landmarks12
Alexander-Acacia Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Road bridge in Larkspur, United States of America
Benjamin and Hilarita Lyford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Bradford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
House in San Rafael, California
Larkspur Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in California, United States
Outdoor Art Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historical Landmark in Mill Valley, California, United States
San Rafael Improvement Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic building in San Rafael, California, United States
Museum of International Propaganda
Museum · 3.1 mi
Non-profit institution located in San Rafael, California
Triangle Marsh
Monument and historic site · 0.9 mi
Archaeological site in California, United States of America
Slide House
Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi
Spiral slide from 2nd floor to ground, numerous artworks.
Parks, trails and playgrounds32
,_Corte_Madera,_California.jpg){kind=link}
,_Corte_Madera.jpg){kind=link}
20 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes82
Starbird Chicken
Restaurant · Chicken · 0.6 mi
205 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Su-Th 10:30-21:00,Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00
Burmatown
Restaurant · Burmese · 1.2 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
DJ's Chinese Cuisine
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.5 mi
435 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur
Tu-Sa 11:30-14:30,16:30-21:00; Su 16:30-21:00
Flores
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
301 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Su-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Hog island oyster
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.0 mi
2401 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard East
Mo-Fr 11:30-20:00; Sa,Su 11:00-20:00
Il Fornaio
Restaurant · Italian · 0.6 mi
223 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Mo-Fr 11:30-22:00; Sa-Su 10:00-22:00
Kito's Taco Shop
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.3 mi
60 Corte Madera Avenue, Corte Madera
Mo-Tu 12:00-19:00; Th 12:00-19:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-20:00; Su 12:00-17:00
70 more on the map.
History
The first post office in Corte Madera opened in 1878, and closed in 1880. The Adams post office opened in 1902, and changed its name later that year to Corte Madera. The name Adams honored Jerry Adams, its first postmaster. Corte Madera incorporated in 1916.
The town of Corte Madera is situated on a portion of Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio granted to John Reed in 1834 by Mexican Governor José Figueroa. Reed quickly took to the lumber industry, logging the area's immense supply of redwoods and shipping the lumber to San Francisco by way of Corte Madera Creek—some of this wood was used to build the Presidio in San Francisco; the town's growth continued.
In 1850, California joined the Union, and the Gold Rush, by then a year old, brought more settlers to the area. By 1875, the North Pacific Coast Railroad set its tracks through Corte Madera, allowing flatcars to haul lumber, and later, passenger trains to service commuters to and from San Francisco, aided in its early stages by the Sausalito ferry. A few of those commuters significantly influenced the formation of Old Town.
From the History section of Corte Madera, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Courtyard San Francisco Larkspur Landing/Marin County
Motel and hotel · 1.2 mi
2500 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur
Extended Stay America
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
1775 Francisco Boulevard East, San Rafael
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping22
Gas and EV charging11
Schools, colleges and libraries50
Corte Madera Regional Branch Marin County Free Library
Library · 0.8 mi
707 Meadowsweet Drive, Corte Madera
Anthony G. Bacich Elementary
School · 2.2 mi
699 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kentfield
Healthcare6
Carbon Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
303 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera
Map of Corte Madera
233 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 (3 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, 6 miles away.
- Larkspur 1 mi northwest, about 2 min by car
- Mill Valley 2 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- San Rafael 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Tamalpais-Homestead Valley 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- San Anselmo 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Richmond 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- San Pablo 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Novato 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Albany 11 mi east, about 17 min by car
- El Cerrito 11 mi east, about 18 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
- Town Center at Corte Madera 2, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Salt Marsh Corte Madera, CA 94925 - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis), Corte Madera, California, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis), Corte Madera, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Village at Corte Madera - July 2016, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Corte Madera Sunrise over Salt Marsh Nikon S550 - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Corte Madera, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ridgway's Rail - Marta's Marsh, Corte Madera, Marin County, California, Becky Matsubara, CC BY 4.0
- American avocet (Recurvirostra americana) near Corte Madera, California, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Corte Madera Center (July 1969) - W T Grant store, Menlo Park Planning, CC0
- American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) near Corte Madera, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Starbird store in Corte Madera, ProtoWiki10013, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alexander Avenue Bridge - View from Below, Marthature, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Larkspur City Hall 400 Magnolia Ave Larkspur CA 3-21-2010 1-56-19 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bradford House 333 G St San Rafael CA 3-21-2010 3-15-00 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lyford House, Tiburon, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- San Rafael Improvement Club 1801 5th Ave San Rafael CA 3-21-2010 3-29-02 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Outdoor Art Club, Mill Valley, California, Bento00, Public domain
- It was A GOOD DAY in NorCal - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Pink Sky - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Cheesecake Factory - December 2021 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- South end of Detour wye, December 2019, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- TheTower y Fountain VCM 94925 - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Southwest leg of Detour wye, December 2019, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) V, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis), non-breeding plumage, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) IV, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) copulating, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) copulating - edit1, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ridgway's Rail - Flickr - Becky Matsubara, Becky Matsubara from Contra Costa County, California, CC BY 4.0
- Long-billed Curlew (52572202349), Becky Matsubara from Contra Costa County, California, CC BY 2.0
- Sunsise over Salt Marsh - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Saucy Skies - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Village Dawn - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- Spring - panoramio - md. childress, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- 94925 - panoramio, md. childress, CC BY 3.0
- East leg of Detour wye, December 2019, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Northwest leg of the Detour wye, January 2025, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Detour wye from the west, January 2025, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Northern Mockingbird (Leucistic) (53123111551), Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California, CC BY 2.0
,_Corte_Madera.jpg){kind=link}
_near_Corte_Madera,_California.jpg){kind=link}
_-_W_T_Grant_store.jpg){kind=link}
_near_Corte_Madera.jpg){kind=link}
_V.jpg){kind=link}
,_non-breeding_plumage.jpg){kind=link}
_IV.jpg){kind=link}
_copulating.jpg){kind=link}
_copulating_-_edit1.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_(53123111551).jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.