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saratoga neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Golden Triangle, Saratoga Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
The big wedge of 1950s and 1960s ranch streets between Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Cox Avenue, with Argonaut Elementary, Saratoga High and Congress Springs Park inside.
Golden Triangle by the numbers
golden triangle by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Golden Triangle: Saratoga Ave, Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd and Cox Ave (approximate). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in golden triangle · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Golden Triangle
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Golden Triangle from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
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Listings come from MLSListings and other MLSs through IDX and show their listing brokerage; confirm details with the listing agent. The map outline is the neighborhood boundary used by our listing search (Golden Triangle: Saratoga Ave, Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd and Cox Ave (approximate)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Golden Triangle came to be
The Golden Triangle is a nickname, not a tract name. It is a real estate nickname for the area bounded by Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Cox Avenue, and the three roads really do draw a clean triangle on the map. Inside it, the City of Saratoga's parcel data count roughly 2,100 parcels, about 1,900 of them single-family homes. The parcel records list more than 60 separate tract numbers, so this was built as dozens of small subdivisions rather than one big development.
Before the houses, this side of Saratoga was orchard country. The City's history page traces Saratoga from a sawmill and toll-road settlement to fruit orchards and vineyards and then to homes after World War II, and the General Plan says the city grew into its single-family pattern from the 1950s through the 1970s. The Triangle tracks that closely: county build years put about 80 percent of its houses in the 1950s and 1960s. Saratoga Avenue is the exception. The City has designated the stretch from Fruitvale Avenue toward the Village a Heritage Lane, and its historic resources inventory lists a run of older houses along it, from a circa-1870 pioneer house to Craftsman bungalows of the 1910s through 1930; a 1920 Craftsman there is on the National Register.
The northeast corner holds the surprise. On De Havilland Drive, Shubert Drive and Columbine Court, between Cox Avenue and Highway 85, Eichler Homes built Saratoga's only Eichler tract in 1964 and 1965. Eichler Network's history of the tract says 47 homes were planned and 35 were built, and county records show the remaining lots filled in with other houses by about 1970. The City's heritage inventory lists an Eichler on Shubert Drive and the tract's Eichler entrance planters on De Havilland Drive.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
The street names read like three subdivision moods. In the middle is a Scottish cluster: Glasgow, Kilbride, Edinburgh, Braemar, Lanark, Lomond, Moray, Angus, Aberdeen, Tweed and Kilt, plus Scotland Drive itself, built mostly from 1957 to 1963 per county records. Closer to Saratoga Avenue, the Via streets (Via Escuela, Via Grande, Via Madronas, Via Real, Via Ranchero, Via Arriba, Via Monte) date mostly from 1962 to 1971. In the northwest, Argonaut Drive, Chateau Drive, Blauer Drive and Craigen Circle went up in 1953-55, and Glen Brae Drive, the longest street, runs south from Cox Avenue past Congress Springs Park. Near the Village tip, Williams, Walnut and Alta Vista avenues keep some of the oldest houses in the triangle.
County data give a median of about 2,575 sq ft of living space on a median lot of about 12,600 sq ft, and about 83 percent of single-family parcels list one floor. About 110 single-family homes carry a build year of 2000 or later, mixed in among the originals. Zoning is mostly R-1-12,500 (about 1,240 parcels) and R-1-10,000 (about 640), with about 70 parcels in R-1-20,000; the number in each district name is the minimum lot area in square feet.
Attached homes are a small slice: about 110 condominium or townhouse parcels, many in small complexes with Saratoga Avenue addresses, plus Brookside Circle (2012), Arbeleche Lane and Saratoga Woods Circle (1989) near the corners. The Argonaut Shopping Center sits at the northwest corner by Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Cox Avenue.
streets in golden triangle
- Glen Brae Drive
- Argonaut Drive
- Chateau Drive
- Blauer Drive
- Craigen Circle
- Scotland Drive
- Glasgow Drive
- Kilbride Drive
- Edinburgh Drive
- Braemar Drive
- Lanark Lane
- Merribrook Drive
- Beaumont Avenue
- Saratoga Vista Avenue
- Thelma Avenue
- Charters Avenue
- Ten Oak Way
- Via Escuela Drive
- Via Grande Drive
- Via Madronas Drive
- Via Real Drive
- Via Ranchero Drive
- Via Arriba Drive
- De Havilland Drive
- Shubert Drive
- Columbine Court
- Herriman Avenue
- Williams Avenue
- Alta Vista Avenue
- Squirrel Hollow Lane
- Regan Lane
- Woodmont Drive
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Golden Triangle
- park
Congress Springs Park
A nearly 10-acre city park on Glen Brae Drive with Saratoga Creek on its east side and the railroad to the south. The City lists 3 soccer fields, 5 baseball diamonds, 2 play areas, an open turf practice field, picnic areas with barbecues, restrooms and on-site parking.
- landmark
Joe's Trail
A city trail along the railroad corridor that crosses the triangle; the City's trail data map about 1.5 miles of it in two segments, one inside the triangle and one north of Cox Avenue (approximate).
- landmark
Saratoga Avenue Heritage Lane
The City's designated Heritage Lane from Fruitvale Avenue toward the Village, lined with houses on the historic resources inventory dating from about 1870 to 1930.
- shopping
Argonaut Shopping Center
At Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Cox Avenue, one of the main commercial areas named in the City's General Plan, with a Safeway (OpenStreetMap).
- park
Kevin Moran Park
Just north across Cox Avenue: 10.3 acres with two play areas, per the City.
- landmark
Saratoga Village
Big Basin Way's shops and restaurants start at the triangle's southern tip, about 1.2 miles from the middle (straight-line).
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Nearly all of the Golden Triangle is in Saratoga Union School District for TK-8 and Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District for high school, according to the City of Saratoga's parcel data and Census district maps; a small group of parcels at the northeast corner near Village Drive is in Moreland School District and Campbell Union High School District. Two public schools sit inside the triangle, Argonaut Elementary (Saratoga Union) and Saratoga High School (Los Gatos-Saratoga), and Redwood Middle School is just across Saratoga Avenue. Saratoga Union says elementary placement is by open enrollment rather than by address, and its middle schoolers attend Redwood. Boundaries change, so check the exact address with each district; Saratoga Union points buyers to the County Assessor's property search for its boundary.
Saratoga Union guide · Los Gatos-Saratoga high schools · Silicon Valley school districts
Getting around
- Highway 85's only Saratoga interchange is at Saratoga Avenue, at the triangle's east corner, about 0.8 mile from the middle (straight-line). The freeway also crosses the northeast corner without an exit.
- Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road runs north along the west edge into Cupertino; Saratoga Avenue runs northeast toward Westgate and San Jose and southwest into the Village.
- VTA Line 57 runs daily on Saratoga Avenue between the West Valley College transit center (about 0.7 mile away) and Old Ironsides station in Santa Clara; Lines 26, 37 and 51 also serve the college on weekdays.
- Rail: VTA light rail's Winchester station in Campbell is about 4 miles east, and Lawrence Caltrain is about 7 miles northeast (straight-line).
- On foot or bike: Joe's Trail along the rail corridor, the Argonaut Elementary connector path and the Congress Springs Park north-side entrance are mapped in the City's trail data.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Golden Triangle: what we check
Buying here
- Check the flood zone. City parcel data put about 130 parcels here in FEMA Zone A or AE, mostly along Saratoga Creek (for example parts of Via Ranchero Drive, Squirrel Hollow Lane, Loma Rio Drive and River Ranch Circle). Lenders may require flood insurance there.
- Look the parcel up on the City's GIS for ground and fault flags: about 45 parcels (around Via Escuela, La Vista, Via Arriba, Garnett and Ten Oak) are flagged in a fault zone and about 440 show liquefaction potential. Saratoga's ground movement rules (City Code Article 16-65) can add geotechnical review to building permits.
- Confirm the zoning district (R-1-10,000, R-1-12,500 or R-1-20,000) before you plan an addition, ADU or SB 9 lot split. The City's SB 9 page notes a new lot may need fire-access improvements.
- For original 1950s-60s houses, check the electrical panel, older plumbing, the sewer lateral and permits for past additions. Most of the triangle is in West Valley Sanitation District; the northwest part is in Cupertino Sanitation District.
- Eichlers on De Havilland, Shubert and Columbine need the usual checks (radiant slab heat, flat or low-slope roof, single-pane glass), and any property on Saratoga Avenue's Heritage Lane or the heritage inventory should be checked with the City before exterior changes. Also watch the City's Builder's Remedy map: active applications here include 20440 Arbeleche Lane, 13845 Saratoga Avenue and 14285-14301 Saratoga Avenue.
Selling here
- Buyers here compare lot size, flatness and whether a house is original, remodeled or rebuilt. Have the parcel size, floor plan and permit history ready.
- If your home is one of the 1964-65 Eichlers, document the original features (post-and-beam frame, glass walls, radiant heat) and every update, with permits.
- Pull the City's parcel report and any elevation certificate early if your parcel has a flood, fault or liquefaction flag, so the disclosures hold no surprises.
- Name the school districts from the county record, and note the walk to Argonaut Elementary, Congress Springs Park or the Village if it applies.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Golden Triangle questions, answered
Why is it called the Golden Triangle?
It is a real estate nickname for the area bounded by Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Cox Avenue. It's a nickname, not a recorded tract name.
When were most Golden Triangle homes built?
County build years in the City's parcel data put the median single-family home at 1963, with about 80 percent built in the 1950s and 1960s. A few houses on Saratoga Avenue date from about 1870 to 1930.
Are there Eichlers in the Golden Triangle?
Yes. Saratoga's only Eichler tract, built in 1964-65, is on De Havilland Drive, Shubert Drive and Columbine Court in the northeast corner between Cox Avenue and Highway 85. Eichler Network says 35 of a planned 47 homes were built.
How big are the lots?
The median single-family lot is about 12,600 sq ft, a bit over a quarter acre, and most fall between 10,000 and 17,000 sq ft. Most parcels are zoned R-1-12,500 or R-1-10,000.
Which school districts serve the Golden Triangle?
Mostly Saratoga Union (TK-8) and Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High; a few parcels near Village Drive are in Moreland and Campbell Union High. Check the exact address with the districts.
Is the whole Golden Triangle in the City of Saratoga?
Yes. Every parcel inside this outline is in the city, per the City's parcel data. The San Jose parts of ZIP 95070 are farther east, near Quito Road and north of Prospect Road.
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