Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Take a look below for 20 fascinating and fun facts about Atherton, California, United States.
1. Its population was 6,914 as of 2010.
2. Atherton is known for its wealth; in 1990 and 2019, Atherton was ranked as having the highest per capita income among U.S. towns with a population between 2,500 and 9,999, and it is regularly ranked as the most expensive ZIP Code in the United States.
3. The entire area was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas.
4. During the 1860’s Atherton was known as Fair Oaks.
5. In 1923 it was decided to rename the town in honor of Faxon Dean Atherton, a former 19th century landowner on the south peninsula.
6. Atherton is located at 37°27′31″N 122°12′00″W.
7. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km2), of which, 5.0 square miles (13 km2) of it is land and 0.03 square miles (0.078 km2) of it (0.63%) is water.
8. Atherton lies two miles (3.2 km) southeast of Redwood City, and 18 miles (29 km) northwest of San Jose.
9. The town is considered to be part of the San Francisco metropolitan area.
10. The town has a former Caltrain station which permanently closed in December 2020.
11. Atherton’s current land use goal is “To preserve the Town’s character as a scenic, rural, thickly wooded residential area with abundant open space.”
12. In the California State Legislature, Atherton is in the 13th Senate District, represented by Democrat Josh Becker, and in the 24th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Marc Berman.
13. In the United States House of Representatives, Atherton is in California’s 18th congressional district, represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo.
14. The city is served by the Atherton Public Library of the San Mateo County Libraries, a member of the Peninsula Library System.
15. In September 2010, Forbes magazine placed Atherton’s ZIP code of 94027 at #2 on its annual list of America’s most expensive zip codes.
16. In October 2013, 94027 moved to #1 on the list, where it remained through at least 2018, save for 2016 when it appeared at #3.
17. There are a number of active community organizations: the Atherton Heritage Association, the Atherton Arts Committee, the Atherton Tree Committee, the Friends of the Atherton Community Library, the Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation, the Atherton Dames, the Police Task Force, and the Atherton Civic Interest League.
18. There are also home owners’ associations in various neighborhoods. The Menlo Circus Club is a private club with tennis, swimming, stables and a riding ring located within the town.
19. There are also several tracts of contemporary Eichler homes, most notably in the Lindenwood neighborhood in the northeast part of the town.
20. The Holbrook-Palmer Estate, was once an active rural estate and gentleman’s farm.
