Atherton is located on the peninsula nestled between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. According to the city's official website, and according to the town's General Plan, Atherton wants to "preserve its character as a scenic, rural, thickly-wooded, residential area, with abundant open space with streets designed primarily as scenic routes rather than for speed of travel".
Atherton is bordered by areas of Menlo Park, Redwood City, Woodside, and unincorporated San Mateo County. There are no industry or business establishments within the town limits. Atherton is still a "plain of oaks". Native live oaks, white oaks, bays, redwoods, cedars, pines and other ornamental trees cover the six square miles of town. The population is around 7,500 residents.
In 1866, Fair Oaks (Atherton) was a flag stop on the San Francisco-San Jose Railroad line for the convenience of the owners of the large estates who lived north of Menlo Park. The entire area was called Menlo Park. It had been part of the Rancho de las Pulgas that had covered most of the area, which is now southern San Mateo County. The intention was to incorporate the town with the name "Fair Oaks" but the name was already a taken as a city outside of Sacramento. Therefore, it was decided to honor Faxton Dean Atherton who had been one of the first property owners in the south peninsula and name the town for him. Atherton was incorporated on September, 1923.
There are eleven schools within Atherton's boundaries, both private and public. There are eleven schools within Atherton's boundaries, only 3 of which are public: Selby, Laurel and Los Lomitas. The three public schools are under the guidance of the Menlo Park Elementary District, which serves parts of Menlo Park, Atherton and unincorporated San Mateo County. High school students are served by Menlo-Atherton High School.
The school is part of the Sequoia Union High School District, which includes four comprehensive and one continuation high school. It serves students from eight feeder school districts, including Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, and Woodside.
Atherton is unique community, one whose residents enjoy the advantages of a small town in the midst of one of the nation's most attractive metropolitan areas, with all the cultural, recreational, and economic opportunities it offers.
In February 2010, the average home sales price for a single family home or condo in Atherton, CA was $5,692,500. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
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