Palo Alto

No reviews yetCity California, United States

Stanford University Arches with Memorial Church in the background, Palo Alto, California

The Foster Museum exterior, Palo Alto, California

Ramona Street Architectural District, 261 Hamilton St., Palo Alto, CA 5 27 2012 2 20 25 PM, California

About Palo Alto

Palo Alto lies on the San Francisco Peninsula between the bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains, and is often called the birthplace of Silicon Valley. The city takes its name from El Palo Alto, a tall coast redwood beside San Francisquito Creek that Spanish explorers used as a landmark in 1769 and that still stands today. Palo Alto grew alongside Stanford University, which opened in 1891, and it was incorporated in 1894.

In 1939 Bill Hewlett and David Packard started their company in a garage here, now a historic landmark, and the city went on to host many famous technology firms. Stanford's sandstone arcades, Memorial Church and museums lie just beside the city.

Downtown along University Avenue is lined with Spanish Revival buildings, restaurants and cafes, and California Avenue has its own lively district. Visitors can also explore the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, the Junior Museum and Zoo and the trails of Foothills Nature Preserve.

Best seasonMay to October for warm, sunny weather; spring is mild and green, and winters are cool and rainy.

Ideal stayOne to two days for downtown, Stanford University, the Baylands and a hike in the foothills.

ArrivingSan Jose International Airport is about 20 minutes away and SFO about 30 minutes; Caltrain stops at University Avenue and California Avenue, and US 101 runs along the city.

Top 12 Experiences in Palo Alto

Neighborhoods 3

University Avenue Palo Alto

University Avenue is Palo Alto's lively downtown street, lined with restaurants, cafes, bookshops and startups in historic buildin...

California Avenue Palo Alto

California Avenue is Palo Alto's second downtown, a relaxed street of cafes, restaurants and small shops, now largely closed to ca...

Professorville Historic District

Professorville is a historic district near downtown Palo Alto where many early Stanford professors built shingled Craftsman and Vi...

History 1

HP Garage

The HP Garage at 367 Addison Avenue is where Bill Hewlett and David Packard founded Hewlett-Packard in 1939, a site known as the b...

Landmarks 1

Stanford University

Stanford University borders Palo Alto with its sandstone Main Quad, Memorial Church with its golden mosaics, Hoover Tower and Rodi...

Shopping 1

Stanford Shopping Center

Stanford Shopping Center is an upscale open-air shopping center in Palo Alto, with department stores, designer shops and restauran...

Nature 2

Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve

The Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve protects a large area of tidal marsh on the bay, with a boardwalk, levee trails and a natur...

Foothills Nature Preserve

Foothills Nature Preserve covers oak-covered hills and grassland in the Santa Cruz Mountains foothills above Palo Alto, with Boron...

Hikes 1

Pearson-Arastradero Preserve

Pearson-Arastradero Preserve is a city open space of rolling grassland and oak woodland in the Palo Alto foothills, with gentle tr...

Family 1

Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is a small science museum and zoo for young children, rebuilt in 2021, with hands-on exhibits...

Gardens 1

Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden

The Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden is a historic house and garden in Palo Alto with formal gardens, roses, a wisteria pergola and seas...

Arts 1

Palo Alto Art Center

The Palo Alto Art Center, in a former city hall building beside Rinconada Park, shows contemporary art exhibitions with a focus on...

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