atherton · san mateo county
Atherton Real Estate & Neighborhood Guide
Atherton covers about 5 square miles of land between Redwood City, Menlo Park and Woodside, from the Middlefield Road side in the east to the hills west of Alameda de las Pulgas. In the 1860s the land around the Fair Oaks railroad flag stop was a string of country estates; the Town's history names Faxon Atherton's Valparaiso Park, Thomas Selby's Almendral, James Flood's Linden Towers and Joseph Donohoe's Holmgrove. Property owners incorporated on September 12, 1923, to keep the area residential, and more than 80 subdivisions recorded in the 1940s and 1950s ended the estate era. It is still almost entirely single-family housing: county parcel maps count about 2,450 single-family parcels with a median lot of about an acre, and the 2020 census counted 2,526 housing units.
population, 2020 census
land area
zip codes
incorporated
51 Valley RD, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 6 Beds 8 Baths 7,905 SqFt
Listed by Silvia Zeng of Vantage Realty
123 Stockbridge AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 9 Beds 15 Baths 15,000 SqFt
Listed by Tianen Shi of Andersen, Jung & Co.349 Walsh RD, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 5 Beds 7 Baths 11,968 SqFt
Listed by Brent & Mary Gullixson of Compass
267 Atherton AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 6 Beds 9 Baths 12,520 SqFt
Listed by Pierre & Alex Buljan of Compass2 Carolina LN, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 7 Beds 7.5 Baths 11,300 SqFt
Listed by Brent & Mary Gullixson of Compass97 Santiago AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 6 Beds 8.5 Baths 10,595 SqFt
Listed by Zach Trailer of Compass99 Tallwood CT, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 4 Beds 3.5 Baths 3,970 SqFt
Listed by Xin Jiang of Compass79 Deodora DR, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 7 Beds 10.5 Baths 10,666 SqFt
Listed by Axis Elite Team of Aspire Homes1 Edge RD, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 9 Beds 11 Baths 10,067 SqFt
Listed by Axis Elite Team of Aspire Homes59 Somerset LN, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 5 Beds 5 Baths 6,732 SqFt
Listed by Keri Nicholas of Parc Agency Corporation265 Atherton AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 4 Beds 3 Baths 5,212 SqFt
Listed by Judy Citron of Compass269 Oak Grove AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 7 Beds 8.5 Baths 6,401 SqFt
Listed by Judy Citron of Compass368 Camino Al Lago, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 4 Beds 4.5 Baths 4,286 SqFt
Listed by Nathalie D.S.A of Christie's International Real Estate Sereno1 Edge, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,130 SqFt
Listed by Axis Elite Team of Aspire Homes61 Irving AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 7 Beds 7.5 Baths 6,274 SqFt
Listed by Axis Elite Team of Aspire Homes63 Irving AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 7 Beds 7.5 Baths 6,637 SqFt
Listed by Axis Elite Team of Aspire Homes333 Walsh RD, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 5 Beds 3.5 Baths 5,160 SqFt
Listed by The Dreyfus Group of Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty134 Hawthorne DR, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,110 SqFt
Listed by DeLeon Team of Deleon Realty98 Rebecca LN, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 5 Beds 4.5 Baths 3,950 SqFt
Listed by Tom LeMieux of Compass2 Irving AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Single Family Home 5 Beds 3 Baths 3,880 SqFt
Listed by Stanley Lo of Green Banker Realty
CA Atherton
Atherton
Listings
- 1/32 32
6 Beds 8 Baths 7,905 SqFt$22,000,000Active - 1/26 26
9 Beds 15 Baths 15,000 SqFt$14,990,000New123 Stockbridge AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Listed by Tianen Shi of Andersen, Jung & Co.
Single Family Home
- 1/34 34
5 Beds 7 Baths 11,968 SqFt$49,680,000Active
neighborhoods
Atherton neighborhoods
El Camino Real splits the town. West of it are the Selby Lane & Almendral side next to Redwood City, West Atherton between Atherton Avenue and Valparaiso Avenue, and West of the Alameda, where the ground climbs into hills (USGS elevations run from about 40 feet near El Camino at the Redwood City line to about 340 feet west of the Alameda). East of it are Lloyden Park by North Fair Oaks, the Holbrook-Palmer Park and Town Center area, and Lindenwood, on James Flood's former Linden Towers estate. Lots cluster around an acre: county parcel maps put the median single-family lot at about 0.99 acre and about half of them at an acre or more, with small-lot pockets such as Parker Avenue, which has had its own zoning overlay since 2010. Watch the edges: some addresses with an Atherton mailing city are unincorporated county land, including part of Selby Lane in Sequoia Tract and the condominiums at 3421 El Camino Real, and North Fair Oaks, Sequoia Tract and West Menlo Park next door are unincorporated too.
Selby Lane & Almendral
Northwest Atherton between El Camino Real and the Redwood City line: Selby Lane, Almendral and Tuscaloosa avenues and the Polhemus side streets, mostly on lots of about an acre.
West Atherton
The acre-lot streets between Atherton Avenue, El Camino Real and the Menlo Park line, from Isabella Avenue and Park Lane to Camino al Lago, on the land where Faxon Atherton built Valparaiso Park.
West of the Alameda
Atherton's hilly southwest corner between Alameda de las Pulgas, Stockbridge Avenue and the Woodside and Menlo Park lines: Walsh Road, Fletcher and Ridge View drives on acre lots around Bear Gulch Reservoir.
Lloyden Park
North-central Atherton by the old Fair Oaks train stop: the 1927 Lloyden Park subdivision between El Camino Real and the tracks, plus the larger Fair Oaks Lane lots across the tracks to Middlefield Road.
Holbrook-Palmer Park & Town Center
The civic middle of Atherton: the 2021 Town Center and 2022 library by the old station, the 22-acre Holbrook-Palmer Park on Watkins Avenue, Encinal School and about 200 homes between El Camino Real and Middlefield Road.
Lindenwood
East Atherton's Flood estate tract: about 500 homes on curving, tree-named streets laid out after the Linden Towers mansion came down in 1936, with the old Flood gates still on Middlefield Road.
schools
Atherton public schools
Elementary and middle
- Menlo Park City School District. About 54% of the Town's land on Census maps: most of the town east of El Camino, including Lindenwood and the Holbrook-Palmer Park area, and West Atherton. The district's schools are Encinal, Laurel and Oak Knoll (TK-5) and Hillview Middle (6-8); Encinal School is in town at 195 Encinal Avenue, and the district office is at 181 Encinal Avenue.
- Las Lomitas Elementary School District. About 27% of the Town's land: West of the Alameda, the Polhemus and Parker side of the Selby area and the southwest corner of West Atherton. Its schools are Las Lomitas Elementary, in town at 299 Alameda de las Pulgas, and La Entrada School.
- Redwood City School District. About 19% of the Town's land: most of the Selby Lane & Almendral side and much of Lloyden Park near North Fair Oaks. Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion School (TK-5) is at 170 Selby Lane.
High school
- Sequoia Union High School District. Serves all of Atherton. Its comprehensive high schools are Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia and Woodside; Menlo-Atherton High is in town at 555 Middlefield Road, and Woodside High is just outside the town line at 199 Churchill Avenue. The high school depends on the address.
property nerd note
Three elementary districts meet in a town of about 5 square miles, and the lines follow neither the ZIP code nor neighborhood names; on the Selby side, Selby Lane's southeast leg divides the Redwood City and Las Lomitas districts. Look up the exact address with the elementary district, then check the high school with Sequoia Union's online boundary search. Boundaries change, so confirm before you write an offer. Start with our Silicon Valley schools guide.
zip codes
Atherton ZIP codes
The Town's ZIP. Census ZIP-code areas put about 99.7% of the Town in 94027 and about 99% of the 94027 area inside the Town. The catch runs the other way: some unincorporated addresses outside the Town also use Atherton as their mailing city, including part of Selby Lane in Sequoia Tract (ZIP 94061 or 94027) and the condominiums at 3421 El Camino Real. Neighboring areas use 94025 (Menlo Park and West Menlo Park), 94061 and 94063 (Redwood City, Sequoia Tract and North Fair Oaks) and 94062 (Woodside).
RECENTLY SOLD LISTINGS
$5,518,000
Single Family Home
19 Irving AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Discover Eichler's Personal Masterpiece: A Mid-Century Haven in Atherton. Nestled among the mature oaks of Atherton's p...
Listed by Boyenga Team of Compass
$5,518,000
Single Family Home
19 Irving AVE, Atherton, CA 94027
Discover Eichler's Personal Masterpiece: A Mid-Century Haven in Atherton. Nestled among the mature oaks of Atherton's p...
Listed by Boyenga Team of Compass
$7,210,000
Single Family Home
28 Holbrook LN, Atherton, CA 94027
Welcome to the epitome of Atherton luxury! This beautiful 5BR/4.5BA estate was taken down to the studs in 2001 and lovin...
Listed by Charles Gillooley of Ektra Real Estate
MARKET TRENDS
listing detail
getting around
Getting around Atherton
Caltrain
Caltrain closed the Atherton station permanently in December 2020 and shifted service to Menlo Park and Redwood City. Menlo Park station, at 1120 Merrill Street, is about 0.2 mile (straight-line) from the nearest corner of town; Redwood City station is about 1.5 miles from the north edge.
El Camino Real and buses
El Camino Real (State Route 82) is the main north-south road, and SamTrans route ECR (Daly City BART to Palo Alto Transit Center) lists Atherton among its stops. The Town's Complete Streets study covers the 1.5-mile stretch from north of Selby Lane to Valparaiso Avenue, generally 100 feet wide, looking at sidewalks, bus stops and bikeways.
Freeways
I-280 runs just west of town, with the Sand Hill Road interchange about 0.4 mile and Woodside Road about 0.6 mile (straight-line) from the nearest town edge. US 101 runs to the east, with the Marsh Road interchange about 0.5 mile and Willow Road about 0.7 mile from the nearest edge.
Bikes and walking
The Town is replacing its 2014 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan with an Active Transportation Plan, with adoption hearings tentatively set for winter 2026/2027. Proposed projects include Class II bike lanes on Atherton Avenue between the Alameda and El Camino and on Selby Lane, the latter on hold until the plan is done.
living here
Living in Atherton
Holbrook-Palmer Park
The Town's 22-acre park at 150 Watkins Avenue, left to the Town in Olive Holbrook Palmer's will and formally accepted in 1964. The Town lists a Little League-sized baseball field, tennis courts, a playground, gardens and walking paths, plus three rental buildings: the Main House, Jennings Pavilion and Carriage House. The playground closed for renovation starting May 4, 2026.
Civic Center
Town staff moved into the new Civic Center at 80 Fair Oaks Lane, between Fair Oaks and Dinkelspiel Station lanes, in late 2021: a two-story Town Hall of nearly 30,000 square feet with new council chambers. It replaced a small Town Hall from the 1920s and 1965 police and administration buildings on Ashfield Road.
Atherton Library
A San Mateo County Library branch of about 10,000 square feet at 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, on the Civic Center site, which held its grand opening in June 2022. It has a makerspace and digital lab, a reading room, and meeting rooms that include the renovated Historic Town Hall.
Oaks and heritage trees
The Town's history page says it simply: "Atherton is still a plain of oaks." Valley, coast live and blue oaks with a trunk diameter of 15.2 inches or more at 54 inches above grade are heritage trees anywhere on a lot, other trees that size are protected outside the main buildable area, removing one takes a heritage tree removal permit, and development projects need a tree protection plan from a certified arborist.
Estate history you can still find
James Thomas Watkins's estate house, Fair Oaks, has been moved twice and now stands on Alejandra Avenue as a private home. Joseph Donohoe's Holmgrove estate is now the Menlo-Atherton High School site, James Flood's Linden Towers is now the Lindenwood neighborhood, and Faxon Atherton's Valparaiso Park stood where the Circus Club, a private club, is today.
Water
Cal Water's Bear Gulch district serves Atherton and treats its local surface water at a reservoir and treatment plant in town (Bear Gulch Reservoir, west of the Alameda); about 89% of the district's water is bought from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Atherton Creek runs from the hills west of the Alameda across West Atherton toward El Camino.
your atherton team
Buy or sell in Atherton with the Boyenga Team
Eric and Janelle Boyenga and the Property Nerds® at Compass have sold more than 2,520 Silicon Valley homes, $2.6+ billion in all, since 1996. We know Atherton block by block, from pricing and prep to the off-market homes most buyers never see.
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faq
Atherton real estate FAQ
Does Atherton have a Caltrain station?
Not anymore. Caltrain closed the Atherton station permanently in December 2020 and moved service to Menlo Park and Redwood City. Menlo Park station is about 0.2 mile (straight-line) from the nearest corner of town.
What ZIP code does Atherton use?
94027 covers the Town. The reverse case trips people up: some unincorporated addresses, such as part of Selby Lane in Sequoia Tract and the condominiums at 3421 El Camino Real, also use Atherton as their mailing city but are under county planning and permits.
Which school districts serve Atherton?
Three elementary districts (Menlo Park City, Las Lomitas and Redwood City) and the Sequoia Union High School District for high school. The elementary line depends on the street, so check the exact address with the district.
What is the minimum lot size in Atherton?
New subdivisions in the R-1A district need at least one acre per lot. Many existing lots are smaller: county parcel maps put about 390 of roughly 2,450 single-family parcels under half an acre, and Parker Avenue has its own small-lot overlay.
Can I add an ADU or split a lot?
Second dwelling units are permitted by right in the R-1A district under the Town's ADU rules, and county assessor codes flag about 270 single-family parcels as having one. The Town's Housing Element also covers SB 9 lot splits and multifamily overlays (RM-10 on designated lots of at least half an acre, RM-20/40 on two school sites). Check with the Town's planning department first.
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