Foster City, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Foster City, California
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| City of Foster City | |||
Aerial view of Foster City and the San Mateo Bridge
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Location of Foster City in San Mateo County, California
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 Foster City, California
Location in San Francisco Bay Area
Foster City, California
Location in Northern California
Foster City, California
Location in California
Foster City, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | California | ||
| County | San Mateo | ||
| Incorporated | April 27, 1971 | ||
| Named for | T. Jack Foster, Foster Enterprises | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 19.83 sq mi (51.37 km2) | ||
| • Land | 3.79 sq mi (9.81 km2) | ||
| • Water | 16.05 sq mi (41.56 km2) 81.07% | ||
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 33,805 | ||
| • Density | 8,947.22/sq mi (3,454.27/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
94404
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| Area code | 650 | ||
| FIPS code | 06-25338 | ||
| GNIS feature IDs | 1659723, 2410534 | ||
Foster City is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is a planned community, meaning it was designed before it was built. Foster City is often seen as part of Silicon Valley. This is because of its local businesses and its closeness to other Silicon Valley cities.
Many well-known companies have their main offices in Foster City. These include Gilead Sciences, Zoox, Sledgehammer Games, and Replit.
In 2020, the city's population was 33,805 people. This was a more than 10% increase from 2010. Foster City has at least 10 bridges. Seven of these bridges cross its lagoon system. Two bridges go over Highway 92. The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge crosses the San Francisco Bay. Foster City is known as one of the safest cities in the United States.
Contents
History of Foster City
Foster City was created in the 1960s. It was built on an existing area called Brewer Island. This island was in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay. The city was made larger using engineered landfill.
The city is named after T. Jack Foster. He was a real estate leader who owned much of the land. He played a big part in the city's first design. His company, Foster Enterprises, is still active in real estate today.
The first people moved into Foster City on March 7, 1964. A San Francisco firefighter named Charles Zerbe bought a house for $23,500. In the early 1960s, homes in Foster City sold for under $18,000. By the late 1960s, the average home price was almost $30,000.
In 1970, the average household income was $30,000. By 1980, it was $60,000. In 2020, the average household income in Foster City was $161,000. In 2024, the average home value was $1,926,381.
Geography and Climate
Where is Foster City Located?
Foster City covers about 19.8 square miles (51.37 square kilometers). About 3.8 square miles (9.81 square kilometers) is land. The rest, about 16.1 square miles (41.56 square kilometers), is water. This means over 81% of the city's total area is water.
Foster City faces challenges with water from the San Francisco Bay. There is a risk of flooding as the sea level rises. A project is underway to improve the city's levee system. This project will add a steel-reinforced wall. This is happening because FEMA has called the area a floodplain. This means residents have to pay higher flood insurance rates.
What is the Climate Like?
Foster City has a mild Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. September is usually the warmest month. The average daytime temperature is about 77.8°F (25.4°C). The average nighttime temperature is about 53.8°F (12.1°C).
January is the coldest month. The average daytime temperature is about 58°F (14.4°C). The average nighttime temperature is about 41.5°F (5.3°C).
| Climate data for Foster City, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
80 (27) |
88 (31) |
89 (32) |
98 (37) |
109 (43) |
108 (42) |
103 (39) |
107 (42) |
96 (36) |
89 (32) |
78 (26) |
109 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.0 (14.4) |
61.5 (16.4) |
63.9 (17.7) |
67.0 (19.4) |
70.5 (21.4) |
74.4 (23.6) |
76.7 (24.8) |
76.6 (24.8) |
77.8 (25.4) |
73.0 (22.8) |
65.4 (18.6) |
59.0 (15.0) |
68.7 (20.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 49.7 (9.8) |
52.7 (11.5) |
54.5 (12.5) |
57.0 (13.9) |
60.2 (15.7) |
63.5 (17.5) |
65.2 (18.4) |
65.4 (18.6) |
65.8 (18.8) |
62.1 (16.7) |
55.7 (13.2) |
50.8 (10.4) |
58.5 (14.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 41.5 (5.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
45.3 (7.4) |
46.9 (8.3) |
49.9 (9.9) |
52.7 (11.5) |
53.8 (12.1) |
54.2 (12.3) |
53.8 (12.1) |
51.2 (10.7) |
46.2 (7.9) |
42.6 (5.9) |
48.5 (9.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 23 (−5) |
29 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
31 (−1) |
36 (2) |
40 (4) |
42 (6) |
46 (8) |
40 (4) |
36 (2) |
29 (−2) |
25 (−4) |
23 (−5) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.6 (120) |
3.2 (81) |
2.8 (71) |
1.3 (33) |
0.5 (13) |
0.1 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (5.1) |
0.9 (23) |
2.1 (53) |
3.4 (86) |
19.1 (490) |
| Average precipitation days | 11 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 60 |
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 9,327 | — | |
| 1980 | 23,287 | 149.7% | |
| 1990 | 28,176 | 21.0% | |
| 2000 | 28,803 | 2.2% | |
| 2010 | 30,567 | 6.1% | |
| 2020 | 33,805 | 10.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Foster City in 2020
The 2020 United States Census showed that Foster City had 33,056 people. There were 12,243 households. The average home price in 2020 was $1,439,375.
The population was made up of many different groups. About 39.8% were White, 2.5% African American, and 50.6% Asian. About 7.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino. About 52% of the people were born in the United States. Another 22% became citizens later.
The average household income was $163,322. Only a small number of people, about 3.2%, lived below the poverty line. This included 2.5% of those under 18 and 5.1% of those 65 and older.
Most adults in Foster City have a good education. About 96% of people over 25 had a high school diploma or higher. About 71% had a college degree. And 36.6% had an advanced degree.
Foster City in 2010
In 2010, Foster City had a population of 30,567. The average home price in 2009 was $1,025,000. The population density was about 8,138 people per square mile.
The racial makeup was 45.5% White and 45.0% Asian. About 6.5% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
Most people, 99.6%, lived in households. There were 12,016 households in total. About 35.4% of these households had children under 18. The average household size was 2.53 people.
The population had a mix of ages. About 22.6% were under 18. About 32.1% were between 25 and 44 years old. And 13.4% were 65 or older. The average age was 39.3 years.
Economy and Jobs
Companies Headquartered in Foster City
Visa Inc. started moving its offices to Foster City around 1993. Visa became the largest employer in the city. Visa owns four buildings in Foster City. In 2009, Visa moved its top leaders to San Francisco. However, Foster City still remains a major employment center for Visa. In 2009, 2,400 Visa employees worked in Foster City.
Other companies with main offices in Foster City include:
- Applied Underwriters
- Conversica
- Conviva
- Electronics for Imaging
- Gilead Sciences
- Guidewire Software
- Imperva, Inc.
- Live365.com
- LiveRamp
- Navigenics
- Philips (a manufacturing facility)
- QuinStreet Inc.
- Sledgehammer Games
- Sling Media
- Truviso
- Zuora
- Zoox
Top Employers in Foster City
Here are the top ten employers in Foster City as of 2023:
| # | Employer | Number of Employees | % of Total City Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gilead Sciences | 6,714 | 33.15% |
| 2 | Visa | 2,879 | 14.22% |
| 3 | Zoox | 1,401 | 6.92% |
| 4 | Inovant LLC (Visa Technology and Operations LLC) | 1,054 | 5.20% |
| 5 | CyberSource | 427 | 2.11% |
| 6 | Peninsula Jewish Community Center | 417 | 2.06% |
| 7 | Sledgehammer Games | 321 | 1.58% |
| 8 | Costco Wholesale | 290 | 1.43% |
| 9 | Qualys | 283 | 1.40% |
| 10 | MinPen Housing Corporation | 270 | 1.33% |
Arts, Culture, and Recreation
Arts and Culture in Foster City
The city has access to the Peninsula Library System. The historic Hillbarn Theatre was founded in 1940. It offers live theater shows all year. It also has workshops, classes, and summer camps for kids aged 6 to 18.
Parks and Fun Activities
Foster City has 24 parks that cover over 200 acres (0.81 square kilometers). These parks have many public tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, and basketball courts. There are also trails for rollerblading and biking along the San Francisco Bay.
Other activities in Foster City include:
- Windsurfing and Kite-Surfing: There is a popular spot for windsurfing and kite-surfing in the San Francisco Bay. It is located near Mariners Point.
- Golf Course and Driving Range: The city has a 9-hole golf course and a driving range called Mariners' Point.
- Dragon Boating: The Bay Area Dragons and Ho'okahi Pu'uwai outrigger canoe clubs use the city's lagoon. Only electric, wind, or human-powered boats are allowed in the lagoon. This helps keep the waterways quiet and clean.
- Teen Activities Center: This center, also known as "The Vibe," cost $4 million to build. It has TVs, computers, video games, art rooms, and homework rooms. There is also a kitchen and outdoor basketball courts. A concrete skatepark is next to it.
- Public Amphitheatre: Located in Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park, this new amphitheater hosts the Foster City Summer concerts. A boardwalk with boat tie-up spots is next to the park.
Foster City also has a large, man-made lagoon system. It covers 218 acres (0.88 square kilometers). These lagoons were first designed to help drain the low-lying city.
Education in Foster City
Foster City has five public schools in the San Mateo–Foster City Elementary School District. Foster City Elementary School, Brewer Island Elementary School, Audubon Elementary School, and Beach Park Elementary School serve students from kindergarten to fifth grade. Nathaniel Bowditch Middle School serves students from 6th to 8th grades.
There are also several private preschools and elementary schools. Foster City does not have its own public high school. High school students attend public schools in the San Mateo Union High School District. They can also go to private high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Four public schools in Foster City have won California Distinguished School awards. These are Audubon School, Brewer Island School, Foster City School, and Bowditch Middle School. In 1993, Bowditch Middle School received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon award. It was recognized again as a California Distinguished School in 2005 and 2013.
Foster City also has one private Jewish day school. The Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School teaches students from kindergarten to eighth grade. It was ranked as the top Jewish day school in the South Bay/Peninsula area.
Another private elementary school in Foster City is Kids Connection. It serves students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
Interesting Facts About Foster City
Werder Pier in Foster City is a remaining part of the old San Mateo–Hayward Bridge. It is one of the longest and oldest piers in California. However, it is currently closed for repairs.
Some professional athletes from San Francisco have lived in Foster City. Kevin Mitchell and Jeff Kent, former players for the San Francisco Giants, won the National League Most Valuable Player award while living in Foster City.
Peter Thiel, who founded PayPal, grew up in Foster City.
The movie Over the Edge is based on events that happened in Foster City. These events were written about in a 1973 article called "Mousepacks: Kids on a Crime Spree."
Foster City TV broadcasts programs about the city's operations and life. It is a dedicated government-access television (GATV) channel.
Images for kids
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Aerial view of Foster City and the San Mateo Bridge
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Flag of Foster City
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Seal of Foster City
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Location of Foster City in San Mateo County, California
See also
In Spanish: Foster City para niños
