san jose neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Rainbow, San Jose Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
The Rainbow Dr blocks between Miller Ave and Johnson Ave, Bollinger Rd to Prospect Rd: single-family tracts and townhome courts around Rainbow Park, two Cupertino Union schools and a neighborhood shopping corner.
Rainbow by the numbers
rainbow 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 Rainbow (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in rainbow · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Rainbow
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Rainbow from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
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 (Rainbow (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Rainbow came to be
Rainbow shares its name with Rainbow Dr, which crosses it from Miller Ave to Johnson Ave, and with the city's Rainbow Park on Johnson Ave; listing records use "Rainbow" as an area name too. The city's own neighborhood map is different: it groups these blocks with the ones east of Johnson Ave under the name Murdock. This guide splits that city area at Johnson Ave, so Rainbow is the west half and Lynbrook the east half.
City annexation records show how the land came into San Jose a few blocks at a time. A March 1956 annexation named Johnson No. 1 took in about 37% of today's outline, two Madera annexations in 1957 added about 17%, and a string of small annexations named Johnson (No. 3 to No. 11) and Brookhaven (No. 1 to No. 7) filled in the rest between 1959 and 1969. The city's tract layer maps 33 recorded subdivision tracts inside the outline, with about 1,550 lots between them.
Two Cupertino Union public schools are inside: Joaquin Miller Middle School on Rainbow Dr and Nelson S. Dilworth Elementary on Strayer Dr. Rainbow Park and its neighborhood center face Lynbrook High School across Johnson Ave, so the Johnson Ave frontage near Rainbow Dr is park and school land on both sides of the street.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
The grid is a patchwork of tracts, each with its own street-name theme. Several streets carry cherry-variety names (Bing Dr, Royal Ann Dr, Tartarian Way), others carry place names such as Plymouth Ave, Pilgrim Ave, Mayflower Ct and Provincetown Dr, and the single-family blocks near Johnson Ave include Lockhaven Way, Little John Way, Fairford Way and Friar Way. Harlan Dr, Amapola Dr, Narciso Ct and Queen Anne Dr form another single-family pocket. About half the land is zoned R-1-8, and county parcel maps put the typical single-family lot at about 6,250 sq ft.
In the northern half, between Miller Ave and Bollinger Rd, the city's zoning map shows one large planned development (city file 66026) covering Brigantine Dr, Edenhall Dr, Forest Knoll Dr, Queensbrook Dr, Norfolk Dr, Gardenwood Dr, Elmbridge Dr, Hyde Ave and nearby streets: more than 250 parcels zoned R-1-8(PD), with smaller lots than the standard tracts. Listing records show townhomes on Brigantine Dr, Whitebick Dr, Edenhall Dr and Regency Knoll Dr. A second planned development off Strayer Dr (Manorwood Ct and Randleswood Ct) holds townhome courts.
The northwest corner at Bollinger Rd and Miller Ave is a neighborhood shopping center on about 13 acres of commercial zoning, and the General Plan marks it as the Bollinger Rd/Miller Av neighborhood urban village; the city layer lists that village plan as not yet approved. For remodels, check whether your lot is in the standard R-1-8 zone or in the planned development, since a PD lot also has to follow its development permit.
streets in rainbow
- Rainbow Dr
- Johnson Ave
- Miller Ave
- Bollinger Rd
- Prospect Rd
- Strayer Dr
- Petal Way
- Walbrook Dr
- Tracel Dr
- Lockhaven Way
- Little John Way
- Fairford Way
- Friar Way
- Harlan Dr
- Amapola Dr
- Queen Anne Dr
- Brigantine Dr
- Edenhall Dr
- Regency Knoll Dr
- Whitebick Dr
- Hyde Ave
- Bing Dr
- Royal Ann Dr
- Plymouth Ave
- Provincetown Dr
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Rainbow
- park
Rainbow Park
8.84 acres at 1295 Johnson Ave (city parks layer), with youth and tot playgrounds, a reservable picnic area, horseshoe pits, a sand area and parking.
- civic
Rainbow Neighborhood Center and Community Garden
The neighborhood center shares the park's Johnson Ave address and is run through the city's partner program; the 0.14-acre community garden is at Rainbow Dr and Johnson Ave.
- shopping
Bollinger Rd and Miller Ave corner
A neighborhood shopping center on the southeast corner, zoned for neighborhood commercial use and marked in the General Plan as a small urban village.
- landmark
Johnson Ave at Rainbow Dr
Rainbow Park faces Lynbrook High School across Johnson Ave here, and Dilworth Elementary is a few blocks north on Strayer Dr, near Johnson Ave.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Rainbow is in the Cupertino Union School District for elementary and middle school and the Fremont Union High School District for high school; the Census school-district layers cover the whole outline with those two districts. Inside are Nelson S. Dilworth Elementary (Strayer Dr) and Joaquin Miller Middle School (Rainbow Dr), both Cupertino Union. Next to the area are Lynbrook High School across Johnson Ave, Warren E. Hyde Middle School across Bollinger Rd in Cupertino and Christa McAuliffe Elementary across Prospect Rd in Saratoga. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with the district.
Getting around
- VTA route 25 runs along Bollinger Rd with stops at Miller Ave and Johnson Ave, continuing east to Moorpark Ave and Williams Rd.
- SR 85 is reached at De Anza Blvd, about 1.2 miles west; I-280 is reached at Lawrence Expwy, about 1.5 miles northeast (both straight-line).
- Caltrain: Lawrence station is about 4.8 miles north. Light rail: Winchester station in Campbell is about 3.8 miles east (both straight-line).
- The Saratoga Creek trail starts at Bollinger Rd and Lawrence Expwy, about 0.9 mile east (straight-line), and runs south past Murdock Park.
- Rainbow Dr, Johnson Ave and Miller Ave are the internal through streets; Prospect Rd runs east to Lawrence Expwy and Saratoga Ave.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Rainbow: what we check
Buying here
- Flood map: FEMA shows about 98% of the outline as Zone D, meaning flood hazard is possible but undetermined, and the rest as shaded Zone X. A FEMA map check inside the area confirmed Zone D. Ask your lender whether flood insurance is required and get a quote either way.
- No state liquefaction zone touches this outline (CGS layer), but still read the natural hazard disclosure for the exact parcel.
- Check the zoning on the parcel record: standard R-1-8 lots and the R-1-8(PD) planned-development lots in the northern half follow different rules for additions and setbacks.
- Townhome courts (Brigantine Dr and Regency Knoll Dr area, Strayer Dr courts) have HOAs. Ask for the documents, reserve study and current dues early.
- City line: north of Bollinger Rd is Cupertino and south of Prospect Rd is Saratoga; near Prospect Rd the east side of Johnson Ave is Saratoga. Confirm the city on the county parcel record.
Selling here
- Name the districts and the nearby public schools, and invite buyers to verify the address with the district.
- If your home is in the planned-development tract, have the PD zoning and any HOA paperwork ready; buyers will ask how it differs from a standard lot.
- Lead with distances buyers can check: Rainbow Park, the Johnson Ave schools, the Bollinger Rd shopping corner and the Saratoga Creek trail.
- Zone D confuses buyers. Share the FEMA map printout and an insurance quote up front.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Rainbow questions, answered
Where is Rainbow in San Jose?
In West San Jose, ZIP 95129, between Miller Ave and Johnson Ave from Bollinger Rd south to Prospect Rd. Cupertino is across Bollinger Rd and Saratoga is across Prospect Rd.
Why is it called Rainbow?
The name follows Rainbow Dr and the city's Rainbow Park, and listing records use it as an area name. The city's neighborhood map calls the larger area, including Lynbrook east of Johnson Ave, Murdock.
Which school districts serve Rainbow?
Cupertino Union School District for elementary and middle school and Fremont Union High School District for high school. Dilworth Elementary and Joaquin Miller Middle School are inside the area, and Lynbrook High is across Johnson Ave. Check the address with the district, since boundaries change.
Is Rainbow in a flood zone?
FEMA maps about 98% of it as Zone D, which means the flood hazard is undetermined rather than mapped as high or low. Lenders may treat Zone D differently, so ask your lender and insurer for the exact address.
Are there townhomes in Rainbow?
Yes. Planned-development streets in the northern half (Brigantine Dr, Edenhall Dr, Regency Knoll Dr) and off Strayer Dr include townhomes, alongside the single-family tracts.
next door
More San Jose neighborhood guides
talk to a property nerd
Thinking about Rainbow? 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.
Questions about Rainbow? Send us a note.
