Discovering San Mateo County

Sunshine, Mild Temps, Scenic Beauty, and Silicon Valley!

San Mateo is one of the more interesting Northern California counties to spend time exploring, if only because it is so diversified in terms of landscape, scenery, and communities.

The county is surrounded by San Francisco City and County to the North, Santa Cruz County to the South, the Pacific Ocean to the West, San Francisco Bay to the East, and Santa Clara County to the Southeast.

In between is 450 square miles that consist of parts of Silicon Valley (shared with Santa Clara County); suburban communities, industrial cities, and ginormous tech campuses; 30 miles of bayfront property on one side and 60 miles of oceanfront property on the other;  San Francisco International Airport sits on the Bay of the county (although it's owned by San Francisco City and County); parts of the San Bruno Mountains, the Coastal Range, and the Santa Cruz Mountains; plus numerous lakes, state parks, beaches and beach towns, preserves, golf courses, shopping venues, and recreational areas.

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Discovering San Mateo County Today

With cities as diverse as Redwood City, Foster City, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, and Princeton-by-the-Sea, it's certainly true that there's something for everyone!

The county boasts some of the best shopping venues in the Bay Area, whether you're looking for vast shopping centers and malls, or genuinely unique small shops and boutiques.

Outdoor activities include golfing, camping, beaches for romantic strolls, sand castle building, and surfing (ever heard of Mavericks?), parks and recreational areas, hiking trails, lakes, and more.

Art venues and museums abound, spas wait to pamper you, wineries and breweries offer tours and tastings, and amazing restaurants prepare masterful dishes just for you.

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Discover San Mateo County Attractions

At the top of the the County's attractions list has to be its location. The interior of the county is in great proximity to all things Bay Area.

San Francisco and Marin, the airport, Santa Clara County with Palo Alto, Stanford, and the new Levi Stadium,  plus Berkeley, Oakland, and Hayward just across the Bay. Nothing is a more than a short drive, a BART ride, or a ferry away.

The interior is an exciting place to be, electrified with the energy of Silicon Valley and the people and companies that bring their grand ideas and creative juices to charge up the atmosphere, keeping everyone on their toes.

On the quieter side, visit the Pacific Coast for seaside towns like Half Moon Bay (a former farm town that's growing into its new half quaint, half trendy identity, but still has lots of farms), Montara with its lighthouse and Devil's Slide Coast, Princeton-on-the-Sea, a little fishing village with a big set of waves and the jump-off spot for the Titans of Mavericks monster-wave surfing contest, charming Pacifica sharing its Victorians, wide boulevard, and annual FogFest...

There's a lot to discover in this surprising Bay Area county!

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We'll have more to share with you about San Mateo County in the coming
weeks - things like:

• Attractions
  From North to South and West to East!
• Beaches
  All along the Bay and beyond!
• Communities
  From the biggest to the smallest!
• Events & Festivals
  More than you would suspect!
• Farmers Markets
  Farm to fork fresh produce & products!
  
• Parks and Preserves
  State Parks, Nature Preserves, Marshes and Bogs!

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And thanks for coming!