home / mountain view / old mountain view
mountain view neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Old Mountain View, Mountain View Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
The railroad-era town around Castro Street: Victorians, Craftsman and Spanish Revival bungalows, postwar houses and apartments between El Camino Real, Shoreline Boulevard, Central Expressway and Highway 85.
Old Mountain View by the numbers
old mountain view by the numbers · live from the mls
- for sale now…
- median list price…
- homes sold, last 12 months…
- median sale price, 12 mo…
- median price per sq ft, sold…
- sale price vs. list…
Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Old Mountain View: the city's neighborhood outline around Castro St (approximate). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in old mountain view · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Old Mountain View
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Old Mountain View from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
Get alerts for new Old Mountain View listings: open this neighborhood in our full search and tap Save Search.
Loading listings…
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 (Old Mountain View: the city's neighborhood outline around Castro St (approximate)); it may not match every local definition.
sold by the property nerds
Our sales in and near Old Mountain View
Since 2012 we’ve handled 1 sale inside the Old Mountain View outline that we can match to MLS records: 1 where we represented the buyer. The photos are our closest listings outside it, measured from its edge.
We also represented the buyer at 146 Iris Drive (Feb 2021).
All 42 of our Mountain View sales, on a map Selling in Old Mountain View? Book a strategy call
the story
How Old Mountain View came to be
The name is a little backwards. Mountain View started around 1850 as a stagecoach stop on El Camino Real near today's Grant Road. In 1864 the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad ran its tracks across the Castro family's land and opened a station about a mile from that first settlement. A new town, New Mountain View, grew up around the depot, and Castro Street, named for the family, became its main street. Residents voted to incorporate, and the City of Mountain View was established on November 7, 1902. Today the neighborhood association uses the name Old Mountain View for that railroad town and the blocks around it.
The town filled in from the depot outward. The Mountain View Historical Association says the residential blocks on either side of Castro Street were mostly developed between the late 1800s and World War II. Landmarks from those years still anchor the map. The town cemetery, on land the Castros deeded in 1861, was saved from a planned street in 1966 and became Pioneer Memorial Park. The first Mountain View High School opened in 1902 on El Camino Real at Calderon Avenue, and the Farmers and Merchants Bank opened at Castro and Villa streets in 1905.
Building never really stopped. Census estimates for the two tracts that cover the neighborhood put about one in eight housing units before 1940 and more than half in 1970 or later. Only about a third of the units are detached houses; the rest range from duplexes to buildings of 50 or more units. The city's neighborhood map counts about 3,443 homes inside these boundaries.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
Castro Street runs about 0.7 mile from El Camino Real northeast to the Caltrain station, and the grid follows it. Bryant and Franklin streets parallel Castro on the west; Hope, View and Bush streets and Calderon Avenue parallel it on the east. Cross streets step down from Evelyn Avenue by the tracks: Villa, Dana, California, Mercy and Church, then Yosemite and Fairmont avenues near El Camino. East of Calderon the blocks get shorter and the names change: Loreto, Velarde, Eldora, Dalma, Paul, Centre and Ehrhorn, out to Highway 85.
The oldest houses sit closest to Castro. A local historian's walking tour of the blocks east of downtown logs an Italianate house from about 1885 on Calderon Avenue, Folk Victorian and Four Square houses from around 1890 on Bush Street, a row of Craftsman bungalows on View Street built between 1906 and 1925, and Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival houses on Bush and Loreto streets. Loreto and Velarde streets were the Palmita Park subdivision, filled in over about two decades with custom-built houses. The historical association's summary: Craftsman and Spanish Revival bungalows with a scattering of older Victorians.
Between those sit postwar ranch houses, duplexes, small apartment buildings, townhomes and, near downtown and Evelyn Avenue, larger condo and apartment buildings. Zoning explains the mix. By area, about 40 percent of the neighborhood is zoned R1 single-family, with R2 and R3 multifamily districts and the Downtown, Evelyn Avenue Corridor and El Camino Real precise plans covering much of the rest. Single-family lots are modest: in city parcel data the median R1 lot is about 6,200 square feet.
streets in old mountain view
- Castro Street
- Bryant Street
- Franklin Street
- Hope Street
- View Street
- Bush Street
- Calderon Avenue
- Evelyn Avenue
- Villa Street
- Dana Street
- California Street
- Mercy Street
- Church Street
- Yosemite Avenue
- Fairmont Avenue
- Loreto Street
- Velarde Street
- Eldora Drive
- Dalma Drive
- Paul Avenue
- Centre Street
- Ehrhorn Avenue
house sales by street, 2021–2026
| Street | Sales | Median price | Per sq ft | Typical lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Street | 5 | $3.05M | $1,651 | 5,720 sq ft |
| Bush Street | 5 | $2.91M | $1,585 | 6,880 sq ft |
| View Street | 5 | $2.7M | $2,009 | 7,410 sq ft |
| Yosemite Avenue | 4 | $2.61M | $1,757 | 5,240 sq ft |
| Calderon Avenue | 7 | $2.6M | $1,523 | 5,980 sq ft |
| Church Street | 5 | $2.57M | $1,541 | 6,100 sq ft |
| California Street | 5 | $2.54M | $1,119 | 2,190 sq ft |
| Franklin Street | 6 | $2.53M | $2,162 | 6,670 sq ft |
| Dalma Drive | 5 | $2.5M | $1,891 | 5,490 sq ft |
| Houghton Street | 4 | $2.39M | $1,772 | 2,830 sq ft |
| Pine Way | 4 | $2.3M | $1,373 | 1,610 sq ft |
| Fairmont Avenue | 6 | $2.3M | $1,692 | 5,050 sq ft |
| Centre Street | 12 | $2.26M | $1,501 | 6,810 sq ft |
| Sierra Avenue | 4 | $2.24M | $1,681 | 4,950 sq ft |
| Azalea Drive | 4 | $1.92M | $1,056 | 1,590 sq ft |
Single-family house sales inside this guide’s outline, Oct. 1, 2021 to Oct. 21, 2026, from MLS records, with each sale counted once. Streets with at least 3 sales (the 15 with the most sales; 8 more streets qualify); prices, price per square foot and lots are medians. The whole city, ranked: The most expensive streets in Mountain View.
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Old Mountain View
- park
Pioneer Memorial Park
About 3.3 acres behind City Hall and the library. It was the town cemetery, on land deeded by the Castro family in 1861, until it was saved from a planned street and turned into a park in 1966.
- park
Eagle Park and Eagle Park Pool
About 6.9 acres at Franklin and Church streets on the west side, with a big lawn and the city's outdoor Eagle Park Pool.
- park
Mercy-Bush Park and the small parks
Mercy-Bush Park is a 0.66-acre pocket park at Mercy and Bush streets. Dana Park (0.41 acre) and Fairmont Park (0.37 acre) fill in the gaps, and the city maps 5.2 acres of the Landels Elementary grounds as a school park.
- shopping
Castro Street
Seven blocks of restaurants, cafes and shops from the station to El Camino Real. The 100 to 300 blocks, from Evelyn Avenue to California Street, closed to cars in 2020, and in October 2022 the City Council adopted an ordinance making them a pedestrian mall.
- market
Mountain View Farmers' Market
Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, in the Caltrain station lot at 600 W. Evelyn Ave. On a few Sundays it moves to the Hope Street lots.
- landmark
Civic Center and library
City Hall and the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts opened on Castro Street in 1991, and the public library moved into its building at 585 Franklin St. in 1997. A segment of the Berlin Wall has stood outside the library since 2013.
- trail
Stevens Creek Trail
Runs along the east edge beside Highway 85, with connections at Evelyn Avenue, Yuba Drive and El Camino Real. It continues north to Shoreline Park, about 5 miles of trail inside Mountain View.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Old Mountain View is served by the Mountain View Whisman School District for elementary and middle school and the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District for high school. Landels Elementary sits inside the neighborhood at 115 W. Dana St., and Graham Middle School is just across El Camino Real at 1175 Castro St. Mountain View High School is at 3535 Truman Ave., about 2 miles south. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with each district before you rely on it.
Mountain View Whisman guide · Mountain View-Los Altos high schools · Silicon Valley school districts
Getting around
- Mountain View station, 600 W. Evelyn Ave., is on the north edge, about 0.4 mile from the middle of the neighborhood (straight line). Caltrain local, limited and express trains stop here, and it is the western end of VTA's Orange Line light rail.
- VTA buses 21, 40, 51 and 52 and the MVgo and Mountain View Community shuttles stop at the station; VTA 22 and Rapid 522 run on El Camino Real (route data from public maps; check VTA for current service).
- Central Expressway runs along the north edge. Highways 85 and 237 run along the east edge, and Highway 237 begins at El Camino Real and Grant Road, about 0.6 mile from the center (straight line).
- US 101 at Shoreline Boulevard is about 1.7 miles north of the neighborhood's center (straight line).
- The Stevens Creek Trail runs along the east edge with connections at Evelyn Avenue, Yuba Drive and El Camino Real, and goes north to Shoreline Park and the Bay.
- On foot, Castro Street from El Camino Real to the station is about 0.7 mile, roughly a 15-minute walk (approximate).
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Old Mountain View: what we check
Buying here
- Ask the city's planning division whether the house is on Mountain View's Register of Historic Resources and what review applies to exterior changes, additions and ADUs. Also ask whether the house has a Mills Act contract, which affects property taxes, and get a copy if one exists.
- On pre-1940 houses, budget for a foundation and structural look, a wiring and panel check, and a sewer lateral video. Ask for permits on past additions and second stories.
- Look up the zoning around the lot, not just on it. R1 blocks sit next to R2, R3 and precise-plan areas (Downtown, Evelyn Avenue Corridor, El Camino Real) where multifamily buildings are allowed.
- Downtown is close, so visit at the hours you would be home: pedestrian-mall dining and events, the Sunday farmers' market, Caltrain horns, and the Transit Center grade-separation project, which closes the Castro Street rail crossing to cars and adds undercrossings for people on foot and bikes. Check its current construction status.
- Check the flood map for the exact parcel. In the city's FEMA layer nearly all of Old Mountain View is Zone X (reduced flood risk due to levee); the Stevens Creek channel along the east edge is Zone A.
Selling here
- If the house is on the historic register or has a Mills Act contract, pull the paperwork before listing; buyers will ask how it affects taxes and future changes.
- Document the big systems with dates (foundation work, roof, electrical, plumbing, sewer lateral). On a century-old bungalow, that is where buyers' inspectors start.
- Put the walk in the listing: blocks to Castro Street, the station, Pioneer Park and Landels Elementary.
- Make sure comparable sales match the product. A period bungalow, a postwar ranch house and a downtown townhome trade like different markets even on the same street.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Old Mountain View questions, answered
Why is it called Old Mountain View if the first town was somewhere else?
Because the railroad town became the city's center. The first settlement, around 1850, was a stagecoach stop on El Camino Real near Grant Road. The 1864 depot pulled the town to Castro Street, and that railroad-era town is what the neighborhood association now calls Old Mountain View.
Is downtown part of Old Mountain View?
Yes. The neighborhood association's area includes the downtown business district, and the city's neighborhood map draws Old Mountain View from El Camino Real to Central Expressway. Downtown also has its own guide.
Are the houses all historic?
No. The blocks around Castro were mostly developed between the late 1800s and World War II, but Census estimates put only about one in eight housing units here before 1940. Victorians and bungalows share streets with postwar houses, townhomes and apartments.
How close is the train?
Mountain View station, with Caltrain and VTA light rail, is on the north edge at 600 W. Evelyn Ave. From the middle of the neighborhood it is about 0.4 mile in a straight line, and express trains stop there.
What ZIP code is Old Mountain View?
Mostly 94041, according to city parcel records; a few parcels near El Camino Real use 94040.
next door
More Mountain View neighborhood guides
From the blog: Old Mountain View · Best Walkable Neighborhoods in Silicon Valley · Best Mountain View Neighborhoods
talk to a property nerd
Thinking about Old Mountain View? Let's run your numbers.
Eric, Janelle and the Boyenga Team have sold more than 2,520 Silicon Valley homes, $2.6+ billion in all, since 1996. Get a value, a plan, or a straight answer about a street.
on the home styles field guide
Home styles in Old Mountain View
Old Mountain View shows up on these plates in our home styles field guide. Each plate shows how to spot the style from the sidewalk, with live listings opened to Mountain View.
- plate 01c. 1870s–1910sVictorian & EdwardianAn Italianate from about 1885 on Calderon Avenue and Folk Victorian houses on Bush Street.open the plate and live listings →
- plate 02c. 1905–1930Craftsman & bungalowA row of Craftsman bungalows on View Street built between 1906 and 1925.open the plate and live listings →
- plate 03c. 1915–1940Spanish & MediterraneanMission and Spanish Colonial houses on the historic-homes walking tour.open the plate and live listings →
live market · mountain view
Mountain View right now
City-wide numbers read from the MLS each time this page loads. A neighborhood can trade differently from its city, so ask us for the sales on your street.
- homes for sale…houses, condos, townhomes
- new this week…by days on market
- median list price…of homes for sale
- median days on market…of homes for sale
- 12 months of sales…median sale price
Full Mountain View dashboard in Market Pulse →Offer Lab for Mountain ViewMountain View neighborhoods rankedWhat’s my home worth?Get early access
Listing data comes from the MLS through our IDX feeds and is shown as reported; it isn’t guaranteed. Repeat listings from overlapping feeds are removed, and land and mobile homes are left out.
Questions about Old Mountain View? Send us a note.
