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san jose neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds, San Jose Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
Between Monterey Rd and Senter Rd from Tully Rd south to Capitol Expwy: tract homes, fourplexes and condos around the county fairgrounds, next to the Capitol Caltrain station.
Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds by the numbers
senter-monterey & the fairgrounds by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in senter-monterey & the fairgrounds · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds 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 (Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds (approximate outline traced from the boundary streets)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds came to be
The county fairgrounds sit at the center of this guide. The county bought the site on Tully Rd in 1940 and held the first fair there on October 7-12, 1941; fairs paused during 1942-1945, and 2024 marked the 80th fair on the grounds, according to the San Jose Public Library. The county-owned property is about 150 acres on public maps (a June 2026 local news report gives 165), and the same report says the board of the county-created management corporation voted to move ahead with a change that would give county staff three of its five seats.
The homes around it joined the city in many small steps. The city's annexation map shows Franklin and Monterey Park annexations from 1958 into the 1980s, and two of the last, Franklin No. 54 and No. 55, were recorded on November 23, 2009, bringing about 111 acres around Southside Dr, Water St, Haga Dr and Wool Ave into the city. That late pocket still has some older houses on larger lots: listing and property records show build years of 1915 and 1940 on Southside Dr.
Monterey Rd along the west edge is an industrial and commercial corridor. Light industrial, combined industrial/commercial and commercial land together cover about a sixth of the guide on the General Plan map, the city's Animal Care Center is at 2750 Monterey Rd, and the Capitol Caltrain station sits just across Monterey Rd from the guide's south end.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
Senter Rd and Monterey Rd run north-west to south-east, with Umbarger Rd and Lewis Rd crossing between them. North of the fairgrounds, Feldspar Dr, Arctic Ave, Baltic Way, Salmon Dr, Sue Ave and Mekler Dr hold houses near Tully Rd. South of it, Lewis Rd, Garden Ave, Durant Ave, Haga Dr, Southside Dr, Water St and Pfeifle Ave mix detached houses with small multi-unit buildings (listing records show 1962 fourplexes on Lewis Rd), and Kenbrook Cir, Kenhill Dr and Kenland Dr hold condo complexes.
Single-family R-1-8 zoning covers about 23% of the land on the city zoning map, planned developments about 9% and light industrial about 8%. On the General Plan map, Residential Neighborhood covers about 27% and open space (mostly the fairgrounds) about 17%. A small piece of the city's Capitol Caltrain Station Area urban village, which has an approved plan on the city layer, reaches the south end near Monterey Rd.
The fairgrounds and a few industrial parcels beside them, near Pacer Ln on the east side and Healey Ave on the west, are unincorporated Santa Clara County land with county planning, zoning and permits. Everything else is City of San Jose, including the blocks annexed in 2009, though older permit records there may be with the county.
streets in senter-monterey & the fairgrounds
- Monterey Rd (west edge)
- Senter Rd (east edge)
- Tully Rd (north edge)
- Old Tully Rd (north edge)
- Capitol Expwy (south edge)
- Umbarger Rd
- Lewis Rd
- Garden Ave
- Durant Ave
- Haga Dr
- Southside Dr
- Water St
- Pfeifle Ave
- Kenbrook Cir
- Kenhill Dr
- Feldspar Dr
- Baltic Way
- Mekler Dr
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds
- landmark
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
County-owned events grounds with the entrance on Tully Rd; the first fair there ran in October 1941.
- landmark
Capitol Caltrain station
On Monterey Rd just across from the guide's south end; four northbound morning and four southbound evening weekday trains on the current timetable.
- landmark
San Jose Animal Care Center
City animal shelter at 2750 Monterey Rd, on about 3.9 acres listed on the city parks layer.
- park
Solari Park and Seven Trees Community Center
Just across Capitol Expwy in Seven Trees & Hellyer: a 7-acre city park and the community center and library at 3590 Cas Dr, under 0.1 mile straight-line from the south edge.
- shopping
Senter Rd and Monterey Rd
Small shopping centers along Senter Rd and Monterey Rd; Neighborhood/Community Commercial land covers about 2% of the guide on the General Plan map.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Senter-Monterey is in the Franklin-McKinley School District for elementary grades and the East Side Union High School District for high school. Public schools inside the outline: Franklin Elementary (420 Tully Rd) and Captain Jason M. Dahl Elementary (3200 Water St). Andrew P. Hill High (East Side Union High) is about 0.1 mile straight-line east across Senter Rd. Los Arboles Literacy and Technology Academy, about 0.2 mile south across Capitol Expwy, closed after the 2024-25 school year. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with the districts.
Franklin-McKinley School District site · East Side Union High guide · Silicon Valley school districts
Getting around
- Capitol Caltrain station on Monterey Rd, just across from the south end: a few weekday commute-hour trains only.
- Buses: public maps show VTA routes 42, 71, 72 and 73 on Senter Rd and Monterey Rd and routes 22 and 26 on Tully Rd; check VTA's current schedules.
- Monterey Rd, Senter Rd and Capitol Expwy carry most traffic; the US 101 interchange at Tully Rd is about 1.1 miles straight-line east of the north-east corner.
- Bikes: protected (Class IV) lanes on Senter Rd, buffered lanes on Monterey Rd and bike lanes on Tully Rd on the city's bikeway map.
- San Jose City Hall is about 3.7 miles straight-line north of the center.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds: what we check
Buying here
- Jurisdiction: confirm whether a parcel near the fairgrounds is city or county land; county parcels follow county planning and building permits. For homes in the 2009 annexation area, ask whether past work was permitted by the county.
- Lot sizes and building ages vary a lot on Southside Dr, Water St and Haga Dr; check the county parcel map, permits and any older septic or well history before buying.
- Small multi-unit buildings such as fourplexes sit among the houses south of the fairgrounds; check zoning, rent rules and permits for each unit.
- Liquefaction: CGS zones cover about 61% of the outline; the city's flood layer shows Zone D throughout. Read the natural hazard disclosure.
- Fairgrounds events and Monterey Rd industry bring traffic and noise; check event calendars and visit at different times.
Selling here
- Collect city and any older county permits, especially for homes annexed in 2009.
- For multi-unit properties, have leases, rent rolls and unit permits ready.
- Give straight-line distances to Capitol Caltrain, the Seven Trees library and the fairgrounds entrance.
- Explain the lot size and zoning for larger lots; buyers will ask about ADU or SB 9 potential.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Senter-Monterey & the Fairgrounds questions, answered
Is the fairgrounds part of San Jose?
No. The fairgrounds and a few parcels beside them are unincorporated Santa Clara County land owned by the county; the surrounding homes are City of San Jose.
When did these blocks join the city?
In many steps from 1958 on. The last large pieces, the Franklin No. 54 and 55 annexations around Southside Dr, Water St and Haga Dr, were recorded on November 23, 2009.
Is there a train station nearby?
Capitol Caltrain station is on Monterey Rd just across from the south end, with a few weekday commute-hour trains.
Which schools serve the area?
Franklin-McKinley School District for elementary grades and East Side Union High for high school; Franklin Elementary and Dahl Elementary are inside. Check the exact address with the districts.
What is happening with the fairgrounds?
A June 2026 local news report says the county is taking more control of the management corporation's board. Check county board agendas for current plans.
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