Atherton, Residential city in San Mateo County, California.
Atherton is a residential community in San Mateo County in northern California, south of San Francisco. The area sits between Redwood City and Menlo Park on roughly 5 square miles with wide streets and spacious properties.
The area developed after the railroad arrived in the 1860s and received its current name in 1923 honoring an early landowner. Incorporation as a municipality was adopted in the mid-20th century to secure local governance control.
Residential regulations maintain one single-family dwelling per acre without sidewalks, creating an environment of estates separated by natural landscaping.
Visitors will find public facilities at Holbrook-Palmer Park, where community meetings also take place. The area has no sidewalks along most streets, so driving is the usual way to move around.
Atherton's ZIP code area recorded the highest median home prices in the United States during 2023, reaching 7.95 million dollars.
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