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Woodland Acres Homes for sale, recent sales and a Property Nerd’s guide
A 1950s lot subdivision of tree-named streets between Foothill Expressway and I-280 in south Los Altos, annexed from the county in 2006 and served by Cupertino Union schools.
Woodland Acres by the numbers
woodland acres by the numbers · live from the mls
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Calculated in your browser from MLS data for Woodland Acres area: Foothill Expwy, St. Joseph Ave, the Highlands edge, I-280 and Homestead Rd (approximate). Sales are single-family homes, townhomes and condos.
homes in woodland acres · live from the mls
Homes for sale, for rent and recently sold in Woodland Acres
Every active listing, rental and closed sale in Woodland Acres 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 (Woodland Acres area: Foothill Expwy, St. Joseph Ave, the Highlands edge, I-280 and Homestead Rd (approximate)); it may not match every local definition.
the story
How Woodland Acres came to be
Woodland Acres is one of the few south Los Altos neighborhoods with a written origin story. A 1963 history by a resident, excerpted by the Los Altos Town Crier in 2000, traces the land from Mission Santa Clara grazing ground to an 1839 Mexican grant to Juan Prado Mesa, then to new owners who received about 3,000 acres north of Cupertino Creek (now Stevens Creek) in 1850. In 1927 a private owner bought 96 acres here, added about 10 more, and spent years supervising tree planting and care. Street names like Arboretum, Deodara and Sequoia make it hard not to connect the dots.
In 1948 that owner sold the house and 20 acres, then known as Toyon Stock Farm, to one buyer. That parcel later became the Toyon Farms condominiums. The remaining 86 acres went to Serra Development Co., a subsidiary of the R.V. Jones Real Estate Company, which named the land Woodland Acres. Serra sold the first lot in 1950 and the last in 1957, then dissolved. Because it was sold as lots rather than finished houses, homes went up one at a time; listing records we checked show originals from 1954, 1956 and 1962. The map is recorded as Tract 605, Woodland Acres.
Woodland Acres stayed outside city limits long after Los Altos incorporated in 1952. In 2006 it was still an unincorporated county island, and on June 13, 2006 the City Council approved annexing "Los Altos Pocket No. 2: Woodland Acres," about 79.2 acres, under the state's streamlined island-annexation law, detaching it from the county's Central Fire Protection District. The rail line that ran past the first lots ended service in 1964, and its right-of-way became Foothill Expressway, which now forms the neighborhood's northeast edge.
streets and homes
The streets and the houses
Arboretum Drive meets Foothill Expressway across from Woodland Plaza and curves southwest toward I-280. Deodara Drive runs parallel to the expressway on the inside for most of the neighborhood's length, from near the I-280 interchange almost to St. Joseph Avenue. Between them sit Aspen Drive and Aspen Way, Sequoia Drive and Sequoia Way, Pinecrest Drive, Fir Lane and Beechwood Lane, with Wistaria Lane and Vineyard Drive near the Homestead Road end. Woods Lane and Farm Road are private roads inside Toyon Farms. At the upper end of Arboretum, lots back up toward I-280, and one listing describes westward views toward Rancho San Antonio.
Most original houses are single-story ranches on generous lots. Examples from listing records: a 1956 house on Aspen Way on just over half an acre, a 1954 ranch on a hillside Arboretum Drive lot of nearly an acre, and a 1962 ranch on Deodara Drive on about 13,500 square feet, all listed with Cupertino Union and Fremont Union schools. Many have been remodeled or replaced, and newer two-story houses appear where the rules allow. Toyon Farms is different: condominiums and townhouses on planned-unit-development zoning.
Two rules shape what you can build. Since 2003, 29 lots on the northwest portion of Deodara Drive have been in the city's R1-S single-story overlay, which caps houses at one story and 20 feet. Elsewhere, a second story goes through city design review. Near I-280, the roughly 9-acre 2100 Woods Lane site, developed with institutional and school buildings in 1971, is on the city's housing element site list with a realistic capacity of 11 units, held down by slope, flooding potential, limited emergency access and a creek with wetlands.
streets in woodland acres
- Arboretum Drive
- Deodara Drive
- Aspen Drive
- Aspen Way
- Sequoia Drive
- Sequoia Way
- Pinecrest Drive
- Fir Lane
- Beechwood Lane
- Wistaria Lane
- Wistaria Court
- Vineyard Drive
- Vineyard Court
- Woods Lane (private)
- Farm Road (private)
parks and places
Parks, shops and landmarks near Woodland Acres
- landmark
Woodland Branch Library
At 1975 Grant Road, just across Foothill Expressway: a 4,600 sq ft Santa Clara County Library District branch that opened in 1975, was renovated in 2009-10, and opened a new outdoor terrace and native-plant habitat in August 2026.
- shopping
Woodland Plaza
On Grant Road opposite Arboretum Drive: a neighborhood center with a Lucky supermarket and small service shops. Since 2023, city rules require any redevelopment to stay mixed-use, with 20 to 33 percent commercial space.
- shopping
Foothill Crossing
At Homestead Road and Foothill Expressway (22310 and 22350 Homestead Road), the strip center anchored by Trader Joe's sits inside Los Altos city limits. A former Rite Aid space there has been listed for lease.
- park
Montclaire Park
Beside Montclaire Elementary at 1160 St. Joseph Avenue: about 1.1 acres with two lighted, reservable tennis courts, picnic tables, barbecue pits and a preschool play area, but no restroom.
- park
Rancho San Antonio Preserve and County Park
On the other side of I-280: Midpen's 2,180-acre preserve and the adjoining 293-acre county park, with more than 25 miles of trail and Deer Hollow Farm. The entrance is on Cristo Rey Drive in Cupertino, about 2 miles by car; parking fills at busy times and dogs are not allowed.
schools and commute
School districts and getting around
School districts
Woodland Acres is in the Cupertino Union School District (TK-8) and the Fremont Union High School District, not the Los Altos School District and Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District that serve most of the city. Both districts list Los Altos among the communities they serve, and the Los Altos School District's own locator boundary stops at Permanente Creek and Fremont Avenue, north and west of here. The closest public campus is Cupertino Union's Montclaire Elementary at 1160 St. Joseph Avenue, next to the neighborhood's northwest corner. Attendance boundaries change, so check the exact address with each district before you buy.
Cupertino Union guide · Fremont Union guide · Silicon Valley school districts
Getting around
- I-280 exit 13 (Foothill Expressway / Grant Road) is at the neighborhood's south end, about half a mile from Arboretum Drive.
- Foothill Expressway runs along the northeast edge toward Loyola Corners, downtown Los Altos (about 4 miles by car) and Palo Alto; it follows the old Southern Pacific right-of-way, which lost rail service in 1964.
- Caltrain: Mountain View and Sunnyvale stations (both fare zone 3) are roughly 4 to 6 miles by car, and San Antonio about 6. Mountain View also connects to VTA's Orange Line light rail.
- VTA Route 51 (weekdays) runs between West Valley College and Moffett Field via the Mountain View Transit Center, passing through south Los Altos; check VTA for the current stop nearest you.
- Woodland Library, Woodland Plaza and Foothill Crossing are all within about half a mile in a straight line, though the first two mean crossing Foothill Expressway.
nerd notes
Buying or selling in Woodland Acres: what we check
Buying here
- Confirm the school districts for the exact address: this is Cupertino Union and Fremont Union territory, and the Los Altos School District line is close by to the north and west.
- Pull permit history from both Santa Clara County (before the 2006 annexation) and the City of Los Altos (after), and confirm the house is on city sewer; the city notes that a few homes still use septic systems.
- On the northwest part of Deodara Drive, check whether the lot is one of the 29 in the R1-S single-story overlay; elsewhere, budget time for design review if you want a second story.
- Look up the FEMA flood map for the parcel. Most of the area is mapped shaded Zone X, but parts of Arboretum Drive and Aspen Drive fall in Zone D, which FEMA defines as possible but undetermined flood hazard.
- Near I-280, walk the lot for slope, drainage, retaining walls and freeway sound; in Toyon Farms, read the association documents before you write an offer.
Selling here
- Put the lot first: size, flat usable area, slope and any westward view. Have a survey or plot plan ready.
- State the school districts accurately (Cupertino Union and Fremont Union) and give buyers the district lookup links.
- Gather permits from the county era as well as the city, and document the sewer connection and any lateral work.
- If you are in the Deodara Drive single-story overlay, say so up front; if not, a quick feasibility note on a second story, an ADU or SB 9 answers the question buyers will ask.
nerd noteCommissions are always negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what's included.
faq
Woodland Acres questions, answered
Is Woodland Acres the same as the Highlands?
Not quite. Woodland Acres is the 1950s subdivision of tree-named streets between Foothill Expressway and I-280, recorded as Tract 605. The Highlands is the area to its west around Highlands Circle, Kent Drive and Yorkshire Drive. Listing sites often lump them together as "Woodland Acres-The Highlands," and both are in the same school districts.
Is Woodland Acres in the City of Los Altos?
Yes, since 2006. It was an unincorporated county island until the City Council approved annexing about 79.2 acres on June 13, 2006. Permits for work done before then may be on file with Santa Clara County rather than the city.
Which school districts serve Woodland Acres?
Cupertino Union School District for TK-8 and Fremont Union High School District for grades 9-12. Montclaire Elementary, a Cupertino Union school, is next door on St. Joseph Avenue. Boundaries change, so confirm any address with the districts.
Can I add a second story or an ADU?
It depends on the lot. Twenty-nine lots on the northwest part of Deodara Drive are limited to one story and 20 feet by the R1-S overlay; elsewhere, two-story plans go through design review. ADUs follow the city's ADU ordinance, and SB 9 projects get staff review under 2024 objective standards. Check the parcel with the city.
How close is Rancho San Antonio?
Just across I-280, but the car entrance on Cristo Rey Drive in Cupertino is about 2 miles by road, and parking can fill at busy times.
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