Just a short drive from Palo Alto and Stanford University, in southern San Mateo County, lies the prestigious town of Atherton.


Named after Faxon Atherton, a rich hide and tallow trader from Chile who bought over 600 acres and built the first mansion in the area, Atherton is rich in history and unique in its character.

Beginning on the flatlands and moving westward to the hills, Atherton features beautiful heritage trees and elegant gardens. It is still a ?plain of oaks? and residents like it that way. Lot sizes are generally one acre or more. There are 49 miles of roads in Atherton and about 2500 households with no industry or business in the town. Both income and housing prices are significantly higher than elsewhere in the state, indeed in the country. Residents shop in nearby Menlo Park, Redwood City and Palo Alto. Commuting to Silicon Valley and Stanford is easy via freeway or CalTrain. This makes Atherton an excellent location for families who can afford it.