East Palo Alto, California
East Palo Alto is a city of 29,069 people in San Mateo County, California.
Why visit East Palo Alto
Townapedia lists 30 museums and landmarks, 24 parks and trails, 53 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Dumbarton Bridge, Dumbarton Rail Bridge, Green Gables and Dunker House.
September is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; December lows average 39°F.
Weather in East Palo Alto
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto ( EAST PAL-oh AL-toh; abbreviated E.P.A.) is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of East Palo Alto was 30,034. It is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula, roughly halfway between the cities of San Francisco and San Jose. To the north and east is the San Francisco Bay, to the west is the city of Menlo Park, and to the south the city of Palo Alto.
From the Wikipedia article East Palo Alto, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Dumbarton Rail Bridge
Bridge · 2.0 mi
Sole heavy rail-compatible crossing of the San Francisco Bay
Frost Amphitheater
Cinema and theater · 3.2 mi
Open-air theater at Stanford University in California
Stanford University
School · 3.5 mi
Private research university in Stanford, California, USA
Museums and landmarks30
Green Gables
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic neighborhood in Palo Alto, California, USA
Dunker House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 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
Holbrook-Palmer Estate
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Estate in Atherton, California, listed in the National Register of Historic Places
Hostess House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historical Palo Alto building
HP Garage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 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 · 1.5 mi
Historic house in Palo Alto, California, USA
Kee House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in Palo Alto, California, United States
Norris House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in California, United States
Palo Alto Medical Clinic
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Medical clinic founded in 1932 in Palo Alto, California, also a historical building
Palo Alto Transit Center
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Railway station in Palo Alto, California
Pedro de Lemos House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house located in Palo Alto, California, United States
18 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds24
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Professorville
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic district in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
Park · 1.8 mi
Science museum and zoo in Palo Alto, California, United States
12 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes53
Mountain Mike's
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.5 mi
1765 East Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto
Mo-Th 10:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-24:00; Su 10:00-23:00
SAJJ Mediterranean
Restaurant · Mediterranean · 1.4 mi
883 Hamilton Avenue, Menlo Park
Mo-Fr 11:00-15:00
Fromage
Restaurant · Grilled Cheese, Soup, Sandwich · 1.4 mi
On the roof of Facebook Building 20
1 Facebook Way, Menlo Park
Mo-Fr 11:45-14:00
Tony's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.3 mi
820 Willow Road
Mo-Su 10:00-22:00
41 more on the map.
History
The Ohlone tribe of Native Americans inhabited this area at least by 1500 to 1000 BC. One tumulus was discovered in 1951 during development of the University Village subdivision near today's Costaño School. After a year-long excavation of 60 graves and 3,000 artifacts, researchers concluded Native Americans had utilized the area as a cemetery and camp, rather than as a permanent settlement. In later years another mound was found near Willow Road and the railroad right-of-way.
From the 1850s through the 1940s, the area which was to become East Palo Alto went through many changes. In 1849, Isaiah Churchill Woods (1825–1880) attempted to make the area around what is now Cooley Landing in the northeast of the current city a major shipping town and named the area Ravenswood. In 1868, after Woods' investments failed he sold the wharf to Lester Phillip Cooley (1837–1882), who leased the land to the brick factory Hunter and Schakleford. When the brick factory left the landing in 1884, the land around the landing was reverted to a ranch.
From the History section of East Palo Alto, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship34
Church of the Nativity
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
East Palo Alto Seventh Day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist
994 Beech Street, East Palo Alto
Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.5 mi
1981 Pulgas Avenue, East Palo Alto
Open Door Church of God in Christ
Church · Church Of God In Christ · 0.5 mi
1108 O'Connor Street, East Palo Alto
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries66
Healthcare4
Map of East Palo Alto
236 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°F | 39°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 41°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 44°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 45°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 73°F | 50°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 53°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 56°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 55°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 53°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 48°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 42°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 39°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Palo Alto (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, 1 miles away.
- Menlo Park 1 mi northwest, about 2 min by car
- Stanford 3 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- North Fair Oaks 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Atherton 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Palo Alto 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- West Menlo Park 5 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Redwood City 6 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Mountain View 6 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Newark 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Los Altos 7 mi south, about 11 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
- East Palo Alto aerial view with Dumbarton Bridge, Alfred Twu, CC0
- East Palo Alto, CA, USA - panoramio, Masrur Odinaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Interior of IKEA East Palo Alto 1 2021-11-28, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- East Palo Alto, CA, USA - panoramio (1), Masrur Odinaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 762 Wildwood Lane, Green Gables Historic District, Palo Alto, CA 6-3-2012 4-13-28 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pettigrew House, 1336 Cowpers St., Palo Alto, CA 6-3-2012 4-26-15 PM, Sanfranman59, 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
- Holbrook-Palmer Park Atherton California, LPS.1, CC0
- Palo Alto station building, January 2010, Ron Reiring from Inland Empire of Southern California, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Palo Alto Medical Clinic, 300 Homer Ave., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 4-21-09 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 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
- Church of the Nativity (Menlo Park, California), W Nowicki, CC BY 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
- Sun-bonnet House, 1061 Bryant St., Palo Alto, CA 6-3-2012 2-04-57 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- USA-Palo Alto-Norris House, Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- T. B. Downing House, 706 Cowper St., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 1-52-56 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Front WCPA, LauraBajuk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 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
- 20020306-hp-garage-in-palo-, Original uploader was Gerd Müller, www.twam.info at de.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fraternal Hall Building, 140 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 2-59-13 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rengstorff House, Pheideaux at en.wikipedia, Public domain
- U.S. Post Office, 380 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 5-27-2012 2-11-09 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
- IKEA 1 2024-02-02, Fastily, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IKEA 2 2024-02-02, Fastily, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wemo Plug 1 2018-08-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ring Doorbell 1 2018-08-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IKEA Plant Balls 1 2023-05-08, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IKEA Plant Balls and Fries 1 2024-06-22, Fastily, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Target Palo Alto 7 2018-08-06, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Target Palo Alto 10 2018-08-06, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nest Doorbell 1 2018-08-12, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Target Palo Alto 5 2018-08-06, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Target Palo Alto 6 2018-08-06, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Target Palo Alto 9 2018-08-06, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- IKEA Palo Alto 4 2018-09-06, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Starbucks Coffee in California 1 2018-09-06, F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
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