San Mateo County, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids San Mateo County
County
County of San Mateo
Images, from top down, left to right: View of San Francisco Bay from the San Francisco Bay Discovery Site, San Mateo County Government Center, Año Nuevo State Park
Seal
Motto(s):  All of California in One County
Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
Incorporated	April 19, 1856
Named for	Saint Matthew (English translation)
County seat and largest city by area	Redwood City
Largest city by population	San Mateo
Government
• Type	Council–CEO
• Body	Board of Supervisors
Area
• Total	744 sq mi (1,930 km2)
• Land	448 sq mi (1,160 km2)
• Water	293 sq mi (760 km2)
Highest elevation	2,603 ft (793 m)
Population  (April 1, 2020)
• Total	764,442
• Density	1,704/sq mi (658/km2)
GDP
• Total	$177.912 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes	415/628, 650
FIPS code	06-081
GNIS feature ID	277305
Congressional districts	15th, 16th

San Mateo County is a county in California, United States. It is part of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2020, about 764,442 people live here. Redwood City is the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices are.

San Mateo County is known for being part of Silicon Valley. It has one of the highest household incomes in the country. The county covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. It has many suburban areas and is home to large company offices.

History of San Mateo County

San Mateo County was created in 1856. Before that, it was part of San Francisco County. The California government decided to split the county into two parts. Everything south of a line near San Bruno Mountain became the new San Mateo County. Everything north became the City and County of San Francisco.

The county officially started on April 18, 1857. Redwood City was chosen as the county seat. Later, San Mateo County added some land from northern Santa Cruz County in 1868. This included areas like Pescadero.

There were some disagreements about where the county seat should be. In 1856, an election tried to make Belmont the county seat. But these results were found to be unfair. So, the government moved to Redwood City in 1858. Redwood City has been the county seat ever since.

The name San Mateo comes from the Spanish name for Saint Matthew. This name appeared on maps as early as 1776. It was used for a settlement, a creek, a headland, and a large land area.

Japanese Americans in San Mateo County

Japanese people first came to San Mateo County in 1872. They were part of a group led by Ambassador Tomomi Iwakura. Many young Japanese men came to San Mateo to learn English and other useful skills. They wanted to take these skills back to Japan. Some of these students were among the first Japanese to attend the Belmont School for Boys. They worked for their food and housing while studying.

Many early Japanese immigrants found jobs as gardeners and landscapers. They often had good education from their home country. But, it was hard for them to find other jobs at first because they did not know English well.

Geography of San Mateo County

San Mateo County covers about 741 square miles. About 448 square miles are land, and 293 square miles are water. It is the third smallest county in California by land area. Many creeks flow into the San Francisco Bay on the east side of the county. Other streams flow into the Pacific Ocean on the west side.

The northern and eastern parts of the county have many cities and towns. These areas are very populated. The southern and west-central parts of the county are more rural. They have fewer people and more coastal beaches.

The Santa Cruz Mountains cross through San Mateo County. In comparison to the rest of the county, the area is quite rural and forested.

Natural Features of San Mateo County

San Mateo County is located on the San Francisco Peninsula. The Santa Cruz Mountains run through the entire county. The county has many different natural areas. These include areas where rivers meet the sea, ocean areas, oak forests, redwood forests, and coastal bushes.

Many types of wildlife live here. You can find them along the San Francisco Bay shoreline, on San Bruno Mountain, and in the forests. There are also special underwater parks, called marine protected areas, off the coast. These parks help protect ocean animals and their homes.

Plants and Animals of San Mateo County

The county is home to several endangered species. These are animals and plants that are at risk of disappearing forever. Two examples are the San Francisco garter snake and the San Bruno elfin butterfly. Both of these are found only in San Mateo County. The endangered Ridgway's Rail bird lives along the shores of San Francisco Bay.

Rare wildflowers like Hickman's potentilla grow near the Pacific Ocean. Other endangered wildflowers are found near the Crystal Springs Reservoir.

In 2014, a California condor was seen near Pescadero. This was the first time a condor was spotted in San Mateo County since 1904. This condor, named "Lupine," flew over 100 miles from Pinnacles National Park.

Pumas, also called cougars or mountain lions, also live in the county.

Tule elk used to live in San Mateo County. They were an important food source for the native Ohlone people. Elk bones have been found in many old sites in the county.

Protected Areas in San Mateo County

• Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area (part)

Marine Protected Areas

• Montara State Marine Reserve & Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area

County Parks in San Mateo County

The San Mateo County Parks Department manages 22 parks, trails, and historic sites. The first park, Memorial Park, opened on July 4, 1924. It was created to save old redwood trees from being cut down.

San Mateo County Parks

No.	Name	Image	Est.	Size	City	Ref.
1	Coyote Point Marina Recreation Area		1963	149 + 538 acres 60 + 218 ha	San Mateo/Burlingame
2	Crystal Springs San Andreas Sawyer Camp Crystal Springs			17.5 mi 28.2 km	Burlingame
3	Devil's Slide			1.3 mi 2.1 km	Pacifica/Montara
4	Edgewood		1980	467 acres 189 ha	Redwood City
5	Fitzgerald		1969		Moss Beach
6	Flood			21 acres 8.5 ha	Menlo Park
7	Friendship			<1 acre 0.40 ha	Redwood City
8	Huddart		1948	974 acres 394 ha	Woodside
9	Junipero Serra		1960	103 acres 42 ha	San Bruno
10	Memorial		1924	673 acres 272 ha	Loma Mar
11	Mirada Surf			15 + 34 acres 6.1 + 13.8 ha	El Granada
12	Moss Beach		2014	467 acres 189 ha	Moss Beach
13	Pescadero Creek		1968	8,020 acres 3,250 ha	Loma Mar
14	Pillar Point		2011	220 acres 89 ha	Moss Beach
15	Quarry			517 acres 209 ha	El Granada
16	Sam McDonald		1970	850 acres 340 ha	Loma Mar
17	San Bruno Mountain		1978	2,416 acres 978 ha	Brisbane
18	San Pedro Valley		1970s	1,052 acres 426 ha	Pacifica
19	Sanchez Adobe		1953	5 acres 2.0 ha	Pacifica
20	Tunitas Creek Beach				Half Moon Bay
21	Woodside Store		1940	—	Woodside
22	Wunderlich		1974	942 acres 381 ha	Woodside

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District also protects several natural areas in San Mateo County.

State Parks in San Mateo County

State Beaches in San Mateo County

Economy of San Mateo County

San Mateo County has a very strong economy. In 2012, it became the top wage-earning county in the U.S. This was partly because of the Facebook company's stock offering. The average weekly wage was very high, much higher than in other counties.

Homes in San Mateo County are also very expensive. In 2021, the average home value was over $1.2 million. This made it one of the most expensive counties for homes in the U.S.

Many big companies have their main offices here. These include Visa Inc, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Electronic Arts, YouTube, Genentech, GoPro, and Gilead Sciences. There are also many companies that invest in new technology businesses in Menlo Park.

Education in San Mateo County

Burlingame Public Library

People in San Mateo County can use the San Mateo County Libraries. These libraries are part of the Peninsula Library System. They have many branches and even a bookmobile.

The county has many public school districts. There are also Catholic and other private schools. The San Mateo County Board of Education helps manage schools. They also help with special education and programs for young children.

Some students in San Mateo County go to outdoor education in La Honda. This is a special school where kids learn about ecology. They explore forests, ponds, gardens, and beaches. The school's mascot is the banana slug.

K-12 School Districts in San Mateo County

Oceana High School in Pacifica, part of the Jefferson Union High School District

Here are some of the school districts in the county:

Unified School Districts

• Cabrillo Unified School District
• La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District
• South San Francisco Unified School District

Secondary School Districts (High Schools)

• Jefferson Union High School District
• San Mateo Union High School District
• Sequoia Union High School District

Elementary School Districts

Private Schools in San Mateo County

These schools offer education for middle and high school students:

Colleges and Universities in San Mateo County

Campus of College of San Mateo

There are three community colleges in San Mateo County. They are all part of the San Mateo County Community College District:

• Cañada College (in Redwood City)
• College of San Mateo (in San Mateo)
• Skyline College (in San Bruno)

Transportation in San Mateo County

Major Roads

Public Transportation in San Mateo County

Train Services

Caltrain in South San Francisco

Caltrain is a train system that connects cities in San Mateo County. It goes north to San Francisco and south to San Jose. There are 13 Caltrain stations in the county.

Caltrain stations in San Mateo County (north to south)

BART at Millbrae station

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains serve San Francisco International Airport (SFO). They also serve the northern part of the county. There are six BART stations between Daly City and Millbrae.

BART stations in San Mateo County (north to south)

The only place where Caltrain and BART connect directly is at Millbrae station.

Bus Services

SamTrans buses in Redwood City

SamTrans provides local bus service within San Mateo County. Some routes also connect to nearby counties. Many bus routes run along El Camino Real.

All Caltrain and BART stations have connections to SamTrans bus routes. There are also free shuttle buses. These shuttles take people from train and ferry stations to local businesses.

Airports in San Mateo County

SFO, aerial view looking southwest

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is located in San Mateo County. It is near San Bruno and Millbrae. However, the airport is owned and run by the City and County of San Francisco.

San Mateo County also owns two smaller airports for private planes. These are Half Moon Bay Airport and San Carlos Airport.

Water Transport in San Mateo County

Port of Redwood City

The Port of Redwood City is the only deepwater port in the South San Francisco Bay. It was first used in 1850 for shipping lumber. The San Mateo Harbor District manages Pillar Point Harbor on the Pacific coast. They also manage Oyster Point Marina on San Francisco Bay.

The San Francisco Bay Ferry has routes from the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal. You can take a ferry to Oakland and Alameda. There is a free shuttle to connect ferry passengers to the South San Francisco Caltrain station.

Famous Places in San Mateo County

There are many well-known buildings and sites in San Mateo County:

• Carolands Mansion, Hillsborough
• Cow Palace, Daly City
• Uplands Mansion, Hillsborough
• Crystal Springs Reservoir, central part of county
• CuriOdyssey, San Mateo
• Filoli Mansion, Woodside
• The Flintstone House, Hillsborough
• Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, which includes Ralston Hall
• Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero
• Point Montara Lighthouse, Montara
• Pulgas Water Temple, Woodside
• Sanchez Adobe, Pacifica
• San Mateo County History Museum, Redwood City
• San Francisco International Airport
• Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park

Communities in San Mateo County

Cities in San Mateo County

Towns in San Mateo County

• Atherton
• Colma
• Hillsborough
• Portola Valley
• Woodside

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

Unincorporated Communities

Population Ranking of Communities (2020 Census)

† county seat

Images for kids

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  Ethnic origins in San Mateo County

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  Age distribution (2000 census)

See also

In Spanish: Condado de San Mateo para niños