Emerald Lake Hills, California facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Emerald Lake Hills
Census-designated place
Location in San Mateo County and the state of California
Emerald Lake Hills Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Mateo
Area
• Total	1.203 sq mi (3.115 km²)
• Land	1.196 sq mi (3.097 km²)
• Water	0.007 sq mi (0.017 km²) 0.55%
Elevation	518 ft (158 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	4,406
• Density	3,662.5/sq mi (1,414.4/km²)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	94062
Area code(s)	650
FIPS code	06-22587
GNIS feature ID	1867022

Emerald Lake Hills, also known as Emerald Hills, is a special area in San Mateo County, California. It's not a city, but a "census-designated place," which means it's a community that the government counts for statistics. It sits among beautiful hills with oak trees, between the towns of Woodside, Redwood City, and San Carlos.

In 2020, about 4,406 people lived here. The area is known for being quite wealthy. It was first planned as a vacation spot for people from San Francisco after World War I. The community has two main parts: Emerald Lake and Emerald Hills. People use both names, but "Emerald Hills" is more common now because of postal rules. Fun fact: The famous "Emerald Hill Zone" from the video game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was named after this place!

What to See and Do in Emerald Lake Hills

Explore Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve

A robot friend might enjoy the park too!

Edgewood Park is a huge, beautiful area with 467 acres of grasslands and forests. It's famous for its amazing spring wildflowers. This park is a natural preserve, which means it's protected from building. It's a great place for hiking, jogging, and horseback riding. You can find several entrances to the park, like the one off Edgewood Road.

Discover the Emerald Lakes

The area is named after its two lakes, which have a unique emerald green color. The Upper Emerald Lake is privately owned by the people living around it. However, the Lower Emerald Lake belongs to the Emerald Lake Country Club. This club started in 1920. Members and their families can swim, sunbathe, picnic, and fish in the Lower Emerald Lake during summer.

Visit Handley Rock Park

Handley Rock Park is right in the middle of Emerald Hills. It has a giant sandstone rock that is 50 feet tall! This is the biggest rock formation of its kind in San Mateo County. It's a private park run by local residents and people who love rock climbing.

A Look Back: Early History of the Area

The Rancho de las Pulgas Land Grant

Long ago, Emerald Lake Hills was part of a huge piece of land called the Rancho de las Pulgas, which means "Flea Ranch." This land, about 35,000 acres, was given to José Darío Argüello in 1795. He was one of the last governors when California was under Spanish rule. Later, his son, Luis Antonio Argüello, became California's first elected governor in 1822.

Luis Argüello passed away in 1830. In 1835, the Mexican government officially gave ownership of the land to his family. Luis's wife, Soledad Ortega, later moved to the ranch. Her home was near what is now Argüello Park in San Carlos.

California Becomes a State

Land Claims and New Towns

In the early 1850s, after Mexico gave California to the United States and gold was found, many people rushed to claim land. Some people started living on the Argüello ranch, thinking the family's ownership wasn't valid. The Argüellos hired a lawyer named Simon Mezes to help them. He was paid with a large piece of their land near the bay. This land later became Redwood City, a port for the logging industry.

Before Soledad Argüello died in 1874, the ranch was divided even more. By the mid-1850s, a lawmaker named Horace Hawes owned a big part of the land. He used a pond on the ranch for watering his plants. This pond later became Lower Emerald Lake. In 1885, Moses Hopkins bought the northern part of Hawes' land and built a dam to make the pond bigger.

The Roaring Twenties: A Resort Community is Born

Creating a Vacation Getaway

In the early 1920s, developers from San Francisco saw the Emerald Lake Hills area as a perfect spot for summer homes. The name "Emerald Hills" first appeared in a brochure in 1920. After some changes in ownership, Charles Holt and George Leonard became the main developers. They wanted to create a resort for city families.

They advertised Emerald Lake Hills as a great weekend or vacation spot. They highlighted its sunny, fog-free weather, calling it "the eternal summer." They even compared it to beautiful old European towns. The developers would bring potential buyers by bus for free picnics at the lakes. A golf course was built on a hill north of the lake.

The Emerald Lake Country Club

In 1926, 20 homeowners around the lake bought it to protect their property values. They formed the Emerald Lake Country Club. One early member, Vince Hallinan, helped change the swim dress code to be more modern.

When the developers no longer owned the first lake, they decided to build another one. This was Emerald Lake No. 2, or Upper Emerald Lake. By 1927, they had built this new lake by damming a creek. It had a beach, a water slide, and diving platforms. They also built an outdoor theater called the Easter Bowl and a large concrete cross on a hill.

However, the stock market crash of 1929 hit the Emerald Lake developments hard. The golf course was sold, and the upper lake was sold in 1938.

After World War II: From Resort to Homes

A Growing Neighborhood

After World War II, Emerald Hills started to change from a vacation spot into a place where people lived all year round. In the 1950s, the Emerald Lake Homeowners Association was formed. They worked to stop a major highway from being built through their neighborhood. Interstate 280 was eventually built west of Emerald Hills in the early 1970s.

By 1968, Emerald Hills had 430 families. Many people were new to the area. A survey of homeowners showed they wanted to keep the neighborhood's natural, rustic feel. They were against becoming part of Redwood City and wanted to protect the lakes, the Easter Cross, and Handley's Rock. A plan to build a college campus nearby was dropped. Instead, that land became Edgewood County Park, partly because of a small butterfly called the bay checkerspot.

Modern Emerald Hills: A Developed Community

Growth and Preservation

Emerald Hills used septic tanks for waste until the early 1980s, which limited how many homes could be built. In 1982, a sewer system was installed. By 1992, the number of homes had grown to 1,400, filling up most of the empty lots. Many of the new homes were large and expensive. Some famous San Francisco 49ers football players, like Joe Montana, even lived here because the team trained nearby. Today, most new homes are built on the sites of older cabins or vacation homes.

Many of the community's past concerns have been resolved. The Easter Cross is still standing and can be seen from the highway. Handley's Rock is public land and remains open for climbing. The lakes are still enjoyed by their owners and club members.

Where is Emerald Lake Hills?

Emerald Lake Hills is located at 37°27′52″N 122°15′59″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the area covers about 1.2 square miles. Most of this is land, with a small amount of water.

Who Lives in Emerald Lake Hills?

Population Changes Over Time

The population of Emerald Lake Hills has grown over the years:

2010: 4,278 people
2020: 4,406 people

A Snapshot of the Community in 2010

In 2010, there were 4,278 people living in Emerald Lake Hills. Most residents, about 85.4%, were White. About 7.5% were Asian, and 6.7% were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 1,550 households. Many of these, about 71.4%, were married couples. About 35.7% of households had children under 18. The average household had about 2.74 people. The median age in Emerald Lake Hills was 46.0 years.

A Look at 2000

In 2000, there were 3,899 people living here. The median income for a household was $127,250, showing it was a wealthy area. The median income for a family was $141,255.

Learning in Emerald Lake Hills

Schools for Students

Children living in Emerald Lake Hills attend schools in two main districts. Younger students go to primary schools in the Redwood City School District. Older students attend secondary schools in the Sequoia Union High School District.

For elementary school, children in the northern part of the area usually go to Clifford School. Those in the southern part go to Roy Cloud School. There are also special schools like North Star Academy for academics or Adelante for Spanish immersion.

Most high school students from Emerald Lake Hills are assigned to Woodside High School. However, they can ask to transfer to other schools in the Sequoia Union High School District or apply to public charter high schools like Summit or Everest.