los altos neighborhood guide · property nerds® at compass
Summerhill, Los Altos Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
The wedge between Foothill Expressway and Summerhill Avenue, from El Monte Avenue to Magdalena Avenue: 1940s to 1970s tracts on lots near 16,000 sq ft, part city and part unincorporated county.
Summerhill by the numbers
summerhill by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Summerhill: Foothill Expwy to Summerhill Ave, El Monte Ave to Magdalena Ave, part city and part county (drawn along streets and the town line). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in summerhill · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Summerhill
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Summerhill from the MLS, updated automatically, with a map of the neighborhood outline.
Get alerts for new Los Altos listings: open Los Altos in our full search and tap Save Search.
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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 (Summerhill: Foothill Expwy to Summerhill Ave, El Monte Ave to Magdalena Ave, part city and part county (drawn along streets and the town line)); it may not match every local definition.
sold by the property nerds
Our sales near Summerhill
None of the Los Altos-area sales we can match to MLS records since 2012 sit inside the Summerhill outline, so these are our closest listings, measured from its edge.
the story
How Summerhill came to be
Summerhill takes its name from Summerhill Avenue, which runs the full length of the area's southwest side along the Los Altos Hills town line, and from the recorded tracts that borrowed the street's name. Before them the land was divided into large lots: the 1940 and 1946 maps describe their land as parts of the Margarita Tract (Book F-3 of Maps, page 35) and the Hale Ranch Subdivision.
Summerhill Terrace, Tract 136, came first. Its map, dated March 1940 and recorded that April in Book 4 of Maps, laid out Quinnhill Avenue, La Cuesta and Anita Avenue between Summerhill Avenue and Fremont Avenue, in lots from roughly half an acre to more than an acre, and it draws the Southern Pacific tracks along Fremont Avenue on the side that faces Foothill Expressway today. Summerhill Heights, Tract 248, followed after the war: surveyed in December 1945 by Thomas & Whipple, civil engineers of Palo Alto, and recorded on February 26, 1946 in Book 8 of Maps, it laid out Valley View Drive and dedicated a 30-foot strip on the northeast side of the Summerhill Avenue centerline for the street. The county's record-map index lists a run of later tracts nearby, among them Kalista Heights Units 1 to 3, Stardust Manor, El Monte Gardens, Maryknoll Estates, Indian Hill, Collegecrest, University Heights, Summerhill Knoll and Costello Heights.
The city line explains the rest. Los Altos incorporated in December 1952, and the city's annexation map shows the El Monte end joining in 11 separate annexations from February 1959 to June 1981, street by street, from Amber Lane and Starlite Lane to Madonna Way, Nash Road, Stagi Lane and Rockpoint Lane. The southeast part never joined. It is part of the one unincorporated island inside Los Altos's urban service area, which LAFCO calls LA01 or the Country Club Area (about 627 acres); LAFCO reports no cohesive effort to annex it and notes that homes in the island are connected to the Los Altos sewer system through an assessment district. The Census counts that part in the Loyola census-designated place.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
Two street systems meet here. The city part at the El Monte end is a set of short streets and courts off University Avenue and Nash Road: Amber Lane, Starlite Lane, Orchid Place, Carnation Court, Gardenia Way, Lilac Lane, Renetta Court, College Court, Viola Place, Madonna Way, Stagi Lane and Court and Rockpoint Lane. The unincorporated part fills the rest of the wedge: Quinnhill Avenue and La Cuesta Drive, Anita Avenue, Border Road and Border Hill Drive, Outlook Drive, Valley View Drive and Court, Costello Drive and Court, Knoll Drive, Hillslope Place, Ruth Lee Court, Young Court, Gronwall Lane and Magdalena Court. Summerhill Avenue and Quinnhill Avenue cross the city line, so neighbors on the same street can be in different jurisdictions.
Lots are large for Los Altos and get larger toward Magdalena Avenue. City parcel data puts the median near 16,100 sq ft overall, about 12,200 sq ft in the city part and about 19,600 sq ft in the county part, with 10 lots of an acre or more. The houses span three decades: about 97 from the 1950s, 83 from the 1960s and 97 from the 1970s, for a median year built of 1968, and about 17 percent date from 2000 or later. The median living area is about 2,800 sq ft. Story counts are known only for the city part, where about 37 percent of the houses have two or more floors; the county assessor fields for the unincorporated parcels did not join.
There are no city parks or public schools inside the area. FEMA's flood map puts two houses in Zone A, on Magdalena Court and Gronwall Lane, and CAL FIRE's 2025 hazard map shows no Fire Hazard Severity Zone at any parcel center here, even though the area backs onto the Los Altos Hills line.
streets in summerhill
- Summerhill Avenue
- Quinnhill Avenue
- El Monte Avenue
- University Avenue
- Nash Road
- Madonna Way
- Starlite Lane
- Amber Lane
- Stagi Lane
- Rockpoint Lane
- La Cuesta Drive
- Anita Avenue
- Border Road
- Border Hill Drive
- Outlook Drive
- Valley View Drive
- Costello Drive
- Knoll Drive
- Gronwall Lane
- Magdalena Court
- Magdalena Avenue
house sales by street, 2021–2026
| Street | Sales | Median price | Per sq ft | Typical lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summerhill Avenue | 6 | $5.68M | $1,894 | 20,490 sq ft |
| Nash Road | 6 | $5.53M | $1,368 | 18,620 sq ft |
| Valley View Drive | 5 | $5M | $1,820 | 17,820 sq ft |
| Madonna Way | 5 | $4.8M | $1,777 | 16,900 sq ft |
| Valley View Court | 3 | $4.4M | $1,619 | 15,680 sq ft |
| College Court | 3 | $4.31M | $1,709 | 10,890 sq ft |
| Quinnhill Road | 3 | $4.2M | $1,331 | 13,270 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; prices, price per square foot and lots are medians. The whole city, ranked: The most expensive streets in Los Altos & Los Altos Hills.
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Summerhill
- transit
El Monte Avenue bus stops
VTA Routes 40 and 52 stop at El Monte and Summerhill and at El Monte and University, at the northwest corner. Both run between Foothill College and the Mountain View Transit Center; Route 52 runs on weekdays only.
- shopping
Rancho Shopping Center
Across Foothill Expressway at Springer Road (see the Rancho guide), about 0.4 mile (straight-line) from the Knoll Drive end.
- shopping
Downtown Los Altos
Main and State streets are about 0.9 mile (straight-line) from the Nash Road end.
- park
Rosita Park and McKenzie Park
City parks across Foothill Expressway: Rosita Park about half a mile (straight-line) from the El Monte end, McKenzie Park about 0.6 mile from the Magdalena end.
- landmark
Summerhill Avenue and the town line
Summerhill Avenue runs along the Los Altos Hills town line for the length of the area; the 1946 Summerhill Heights map dedicated a 30-foot strip on its northeast side of the centerline for the street.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
The California Department of Education's 2025-26 district map places every house here, in the city and the unincorporated part alike, in the Los Altos School District (K-8) and the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District. No public school sits inside the area. Attendance areas and district lines change, so check the exact address with the districts before relying on a school assignment.
Los Altos School District guide · Mountain View-Los Altos high schools · Silicon Valley school districts
Getting around
- VTA Route 40 (daily) and Route 52 (weekdays) stop on El Monte Avenue at Summerhill Avenue and at University Avenue, with service to Foothill College, downtown Los Altos and the Mountain View Transit Center.
- Foothill Expressway runs along the northeast side, with crossings at El Monte Avenue and at Magdalena Avenue and Springer Road.
- I-280 is about half a mile (straight-line) from the Knoll Drive end by Magdalena Avenue, and about a mile from the El Monte end by El Monte Road.
- Mountain View Caltrain station is about 2.7 miles (straight-line); San Antonio station is about 3 miles.
- Downtown Los Altos is about a mile (straight-line) from the middle of the area.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Summerhill: what we check
Buying here
- Check the jurisdiction for the exact address. About 179 houses are in the City of Los Altos and 255 are in unincorporated Santa Clara County, and the line crosses Summerhill and Quinnhill avenues. County zoning, permits and ADU or lot-split rules apply on the county side.
- On the county side, confirm how sewer service is billed; LAFCO reports that homes in the island connect to the Los Altos sewer system through an assessment district, but the city does not provide direct municipal services there.
- Square footage and story counts for the county parcels are missing from the assessor fields used here, so verify size and permit history with county records rather than relying on listing estimates.
- Read the recorded tract map. The 1946 Summerhill Heights map, for example, dedicates a strip along Valley View Drive out to marked 'future street lines' and public utility easements along rear and side lot lines; other maps here carry their own strips and easements.
- Two houses, on Magdalena Court and Gronwall Lane, are in FEMA Zone A at the parcel center. CAL FIRE's 2025 map shows no hazard zone at the parcel centers, but check the disclosure for the specific parcel.
Selling here
- Say in the listing whether the house is in the City of Los Altos or unincorporated county. Buyers will ask, and it changes who issues permits.
- Lead with the lot. The county part's median is about 19,600 sq ft and some lots exceed an acre; give the recorded lot size and show the usable yard.
- Gather permit history from the agency that had jurisdiction when the work was done; on the city side, annexation dates run from 1959 to 1981, so older permits may be with the county.
- Name the tract (Summerhill Heights, Summerhill Terrace, Kalista Heights, Stardust Manor and others). The recorded map shows lot lines, easements and street dedications buyers will want to see.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Summerhill questions, answered
Is Summerhill in the City of Los Altos?
Partly. About 179 houses at the El Monte Avenue end are in the city; the other 255, toward Magdalena Avenue, are unincorporated Santa Clara County with Los Altos addresses. The city's City Limit map and Census place boundaries agree on the line.
Why was the county part never annexed?
It belongs to the one unincorporated island inside Los Altos's urban service area, which LAFCO calls the Country Club Area. LAFCO's review reports no cohesive effort to annex it; at about 627 acres, the island is too large for streamlined annexation.
Where does the name come from?
From Summerhill Avenue, which runs along the Los Altos Hills town line, and the recorded tracts named for it: Summerhill Terrace (1940), Summerhill Heights (1946) and Summerhill Knoll.
Which school districts serve Summerhill?
The Los Altos School District for K-8 and the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, on both the city and county sides, per the state's 2025-26 district map. Check the exact address with the districts.
How do you get to I-280 from here?
Magdalena Avenue reaches I-280 about half a mile (straight-line) from the Knoll Drive end; from the El Monte end, El Monte Road is about a mile.
next door
More Los Altos neighborhood guides
From the blog: Los Altos & Los Altos Hills Neighborhoods by Their Houses
talk to a property nerd
Thinking about Summerhill? 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 Summerhill
Summerhill shows up on this plate in our home styles field guide. Each plate shows how to spot the style from the sidewalk, with live listings opened to Los Altos.
live market · los altos
Los Altos 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.
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- median list price…of homes for sale
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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.
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