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San Mateo County

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San Mateo County, County in San Francisco Bay Area, California

Description

San Mateo County is a county on the San Francisco Peninsula in California, stretching between the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Francisco Bay to the east. The county includes several cities and towns, with Redwood City serving as its administrative seat, alongside coastal stretches and forested ridges running along the peninsula.

History

The county was formed in 1856 through the division of what was then San Francisco County and took its name from the Spanish missionary Mateo. Redwood City was designated as the county seat the following year and has remained the administrative center since.

Culture

The area maintains 22 parks, trails, and historic sites, including Memorial Park and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, preserving natural and cultural heritage.

Practical

Travelers can reach the county via the Caltrain commuter rail or the BART subway system, both connecting several cities across the peninsula. Bus routes operated by SamTrans complement the rail options and cover routes not directly served by the train systems.

Did you know?

San Francisco International Airport technically sits within the boundaries of this county, even though it carries the name of the neighboring city. Many visitors do not realize they are already landing in San Mateo County before continuing on to San Francisco.

Location
Inception
1856
Capital city
Redwood City
Part of
San Francisco–San Mateo–Redwood City metropolitan division
Shares border with
Alameda County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County
Phone
GPS coordinates
37.44000,-122.36000
Latest update
December 14, 2025 23:26

AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide. Discover all places nearby (California).

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« San Mateo County - County in San Francisco Bay Area, California » is provided by Around Us (aroundus.com). Images and texts are derived from Wikimedia project under a Creative Commons license. You are allowed to copy, distribute, and modify copies of this page, under the conditions set by the license, as long as this note is clearly visible.

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