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Atherton is located on the peninsula nestled between the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The Town begins in the flatlands then moves westward to the hills, until it reaches Highway 280. Beautiful foliage, elegant gardens and heritage trees dominate this quiet small community.
The Town of Atherton desires, insofar as possible, 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 still a 'plain of oaks'. Native live oaks, white oaks, bay trees, redwood trees, cedars, pines and other ornamental trees cover the six square miles of land. The Town is bordered by areas of Menlo Park, Redwood City, Woodside, and unincorporated San Mateo County. There are 49 miles of roads in Atherton and approximately 2502 households with no industry or business establishment within the town limits.
The privacy gained by lots of at least one acre, winding streets with mature trees, gracious mansions set well back from the curbless streets — this is Atherton today.
Once part of a Spanish rancho, the town was incorporated in 1923. One of its first rules was to assure that lots would not be subdivided into parcels smaller than an acre. With a few exceptions — primarily former San Mateo County streets acquired through annexation — that is still the rule today.
A few of the early homes remain, including three built by Timothy Hopkins for his daughters between 1901 and 1908 on Parkwood Drive, Altree Court and Lowery Drive.
FACTS
2008-09 TOWN OPERATING BUDGET: $16.9 million
POPULATION (2000): 7,194
HOUSEHOLDS (2000): 2,413
SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING (2000): 99 percent
MEDIAN HOME PRICE: $7,577,500
MEAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME (2000): $200,000-plus
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