Menlo Park, California
Encyclopedia
Menlo Park, California is a city
at the eastern edge of San Mateo County
, in the San Francisco Bay Area
of California
, in the United States
. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay
on the north and east; East Palo Alto
, Palo Alto
, and Stanford
to the south; Atherton
, North Fair Oaks
, and Redwood City
to the west. Menlo Park had 32,026 inhabitants according to the 2010 United States Census.
In the nineteenth century two Irish immigrants, Dennis J. Oliver and his brother-in-law D. C. McGlynn, purchased a 1700 acres (6.9 km²) tract of land on the former Rancho de las Pulgas
. In the 1850s they erected a gate with a wooden arch bearing the inscription "Menlo Park" at the entrance to their property (now the intersection of Middle Ave and El Camino Real
). The word "Menlo" derived from the owners' former home of Menlo in County Galway, Ireland. In 1863, the San Francisco and San Jose Rail Road
named a nearby station "Menlo Park" after the sign. The 1867 station building still stands on the platform of the current Caltrain station
, used by the local Chamber of Commerce. The town of Menlo Park grew up around this station, becoming a popular home for San Francisco businessmen. A post office arrived in 1870, and the city was incorporated in 1874. The original arch which gave its name to the stations and ultimately the city survived until 1922, when it was destroyed in an automobile accident. The origin of the name of Menlo Park, California (ca 1850) pre-dates any work done by Thomas Edison
(ca 1876) in Menlo Park, New Jersey
.
The city's library is run by the Peninsula Library System
.
, the city has a total area of 17.4 square miles (45.1 km²), of which 9.8 square miles (25.4 km²) is land and 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²) is water. The total area is 43.79% water.
The main street
in downtown
Menlo Park is Santa Cruz Avenue, with the Menlo Center situated at its intersection with
El Camino Real
. The Menlo Park Civic Center
is bounded by Ravenswood Avenue, Alma Street, Laurel Street and Burgess Drive. It contains the council
offices, library
, police station
and Burgess Park which has various recreational facilities.
was 1,839.0 people per square mile (710.0/km²). The racial makeup of Menlo Park was 22,494 (70.2%) White, 1,551 (4.8%) African American, 156 (0.5%) Native American, 3,157 (9.9%) Asian, 454 (1.4%) Pacific Islander, 2,776 (8.7%) from other races
, and 1,438 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,902 persons (18.4%). Among the Hispanic population, 4,303 (13.4%) are Mexican
, 78 (0.2%) are Puerto Rican
, 35 (0.1%) are Cuban
, and 1,486 (4.6%) are other Hispanic or Latino.
The Census reported that 31,181 people (97.4% of the population) lived in households, 599 (1.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 246 (0.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 12,347 households, out of which 4,112 (33.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,163 (49.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 1,039 (8.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 371 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 642 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 102 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,672 households (29.7%) were made up of individuals and 1,371 (11.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53. There were 7,573 families
(61.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.20.
The population was spread out with 7,805 people (24.4%) under the age of 18, 1,817 people (5.7%) aged 18 to 24, 9,563 people (29.9%) aged 25 to 44, 8,263 people (25.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,578 people (14.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
There were 13,085 housing units at an average density of 751.4 per square mile (290.1/km²), of which 6,927 (56.1%) were owner-occupied, and 5,420 (43.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 18,972 people (59.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 12,209 people (38.1%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2009, there were 33,690 people, 12,543 households, and 7,248 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3957.1 PD/sqmi. There were 14,026 housing units at an average density of 1,875.4 per square mile (603.9/km²). 64.2% spoke English
, 19.5% Spanish
, other Indo-European
4.2%, 4.6% Chinese
or Mandarin
, and other language 0.7%, as their first language from estimate census 2009.
There were 12,543 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.67% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
As of the 2000 estimate census, the median income
for a household in the city was $82,609. Males had a median income of $77,766 versus $59,101 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $51,341. About 5.9% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those over age 64. As of 2009 the median income for a family was $123,251.
Menlo Park is located in the 11th Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Joe Simitian
, and in the 21st Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Rich Gordon
. Federally, Menlo Park is located in California's 14th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +18 and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo
.
For over twenty years Menlo Park has had a well-defined local partisan split over environmental, traffic, and other issues, between many residents and business interests. This crosses traditional party lines (Republican/Democratic).
, consisting of venture capital, private equity, financial services, law firms, and other professional service companies and investment vehicles focusing on technology. Geron, Robert Half International
, Exponent
and SRI International
are among the companies based in Menlo Park.
California Historical Landmarks
National Historical Landmarks
National Register of Historic Places
lists:
at peak use hours owing to its proximity to Stanford University
, and existing traffic demand between Interstate 280
and U.S. Route 101 that exceeds built supply. Much of the city's arterial network consists of two-lane roads.
Since 1963, Menlo Park has had an ordinance that prohibits parking between 2 AM and 5 AM on all residential streets in the city. The city has cited a number of benefits from this rather strict policy including: easier street maintenance, reduced crime, and easier access for nighttime emergencies.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
at the eastern edge of San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
on the north and east; East Palo Alto
East Palo Alto, California
East Palo Alto is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States.-Overview:As of the 2010 census, the population of East Palo Alto was 28,155. It is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula, roughly halfway between the cities of San Francisco and San Jose...
, Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, and Stanford
Stanford, California
Stanford is a census-designated place in Santa Clara County, California, United States and is the home of Stanford University. The population was 13,809 at the 2010 census....
to the south; Atherton
Atherton, California
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,914 at the 2010 census. 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, with a median home price of $4,010,200...
, North Fair Oaks
North Fair Oaks, California
North Fair Oaks is a census-designated place and district for the purposes of the United States census in an unincorporated area of San Mateo County adjacent to Redwood City, Atherton, and Menlo Park. As of the 2010 census the area had a total population of 14,687. Because of the large number of...
, and Redwood City
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
to the west. Menlo Park had 32,026 inhabitants according to the 2010 United States Census.
History
Rancho de las Pulgas
Rancho de las Pulgas was a 1795 Spanish land grant in present day San Mateo County, California to José Darío Argüello. The name means "Ranch of the Fleas". The grant was bounded by San Mateo Creek on the north and San Francisquito Creek on the south, and extended about one league from San...
. In the 1850s they erected a gate with a wooden arch bearing the inscription "Menlo Park" at the entrance to their property (now the intersection of Middle Ave and El Camino Real
El Camino Real (California)
El Camino Real and sometimes associated with Calle Real usually refers to the 600-mile California Mission Trail, connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions , 4 presidios, and several pueblos, stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego...
). The word "Menlo" derived from the owners' former home of Menlo in County Galway, Ireland. In 1863, the San Francisco and San Jose Rail Road
San Francisco and San Jose Rail Road
The San Francisco and San Jose Railroad was a railroad incorporated on August 18, 1860 and consists of 49.5 miles of track running the San Francisco Peninsula from San Francisco, California to San Jose, California...
named a nearby station "Menlo Park" after the sign. The 1867 station building still stands on the platform of the current Caltrain station
Menlo Park (Caltrain station)
Menlo Park Station is a Caltrain station located in Menlo Park, California. The station was originally built in 1867 by the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad and acquired by the Southern Pacific Railroad. During the 1890s Southern Pacific added Victorian Ornamentation to the depot in order to...
, used by the local Chamber of Commerce. The town of Menlo Park grew up around this station, becoming a popular home for San Francisco businessmen. A post office arrived in 1870, and the city was incorporated in 1874. The original arch which gave its name to the stations and ultimately the city survived until 1922, when it was destroyed in an automobile accident. The origin of the name of Menlo Park, California (ca 1850) pre-dates any work done by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
(ca 1876) in Menlo Park, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
The city's library is run by the Peninsula Library System
Peninsula Library System
The Peninsula Library System is the public library organization serving San Mateo County, California, United States, which forms the bulk of the region within the San Francisco Bay Area known as "The Peninsula"...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 17.4 square miles (45.1 km²), of which 9.8 square miles (25.4 km²) is land and 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²) is water. The total area is 43.79% water.
The main street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
in downtown
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
Menlo Park is Santa Cruz Avenue, with the Menlo Center situated at its intersection with
El Camino Real
El Camino Real (California)
El Camino Real and sometimes associated with Calle Real usually refers to the 600-mile California Mission Trail, connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions , 4 presidios, and several pueblos, stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego...
. The Menlo Park Civic Center
Civic center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building...
is bounded by Ravenswood Avenue, Alma Street, Laurel Street and Burgess Drive. It contains the council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
offices, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
and Burgess Park which has various recreational facilities.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Menlo Park had a population of 32,026. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,839.0 people per square mile (710.0/km²). The racial makeup of Menlo Park was 22,494 (70.2%) White, 1,551 (4.8%) African American, 156 (0.5%) Native American, 3,157 (9.9%) Asian, 454 (1.4%) Pacific Islander, 2,776 (8.7%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1,438 (4.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,902 persons (18.4%). Among the Hispanic population, 4,303 (13.4%) are Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, 78 (0.2%) are Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
, 35 (0.1%) are Cuban
Cuban
Cuban may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent. For more information about the Cuban people, see Demographics of Cuba and Culture of Cuba...
, and 1,486 (4.6%) are other Hispanic or Latino.
The Census reported that 31,181 people (97.4% of the population) lived in households, 599 (1.9%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 246 (0.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 12,347 households, out of which 4,112 (33.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,163 (49.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 1,039 (8.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 371 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 642 (5.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 102 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,672 households (29.7%) were made up of individuals and 1,371 (11.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53. There were 7,573 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(61.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.20.
The population was spread out with 7,805 people (24.4%) under the age of 18, 1,817 people (5.7%) aged 18 to 24, 9,563 people (29.9%) aged 25 to 44, 8,263 people (25.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,578 people (14.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
There were 13,085 housing units at an average density of 751.4 per square mile (290.1/km²), of which 6,927 (56.1%) were owner-occupied, and 5,420 (43.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 18,972 people (59.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 12,209 people (38.1%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2009, there were 33,690 people, 12,543 households, and 7,248 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3957.1 PD/sqmi. There were 14,026 housing units at an average density of 1,875.4 per square mile (603.9/km²). 64.2% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 19.5% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, other Indo-European
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
4.2%, 4.6% Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
or Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, and other language 0.7%, as their first language from estimate census 2009.
There were 12,543 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.67% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
As of the 2000 estimate census, the median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $82,609. Males had a median income of $77,766 versus $59,101 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $51,341. About 5.9% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those over age 64. As of 2009 the median income for a family was $123,251.
Politics
The city is mostly Democratic, with 47% being registered Democrats and 32% being Republicans. In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Menlo Park is located in the 11th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Joe Simitian
Joe Simitian
Saren Joseph Simitian is a Democratic California State Senator elected in 2004. Simitian represents the 11th Senate District, which encompasses all or part of 13 cities in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties....
, and in the 21st Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Rich Gordon
Rich Gordon
Richard S. Gordon is an American politician from Menlo Park, California who currently serves in the California State Assembly representing the 21st district...
. Federally, Menlo Park is located in California's 14th congressional district
California's 14th congressional district
California's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It is located between San Francisco and San Jose. The district includes portions of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties and most notably contains part of Silicon Valley. Major cities in...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +18 and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo
Anna Eshoo
Anna Georges Eshoo is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, which includes part of Silicon Valley, includes the cities of Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Palo Alto...
.
For over twenty years Menlo Park has had a well-defined local partisan split over environmental, traffic, and other issues, between many residents and business interests. This crosses traditional party lines (Republican/Democratic).
Economy
Much of Menlo Park's economy centers around the companies on Sand Hill RoadSand Hill Road
Sand Hill Road is a road in Menlo Park, California, notable for its concentration of venture capital companies. Its significance as a symbol of private equity in the United States may be compared to that of Wall Street in the stock market...
, consisting of venture capital, private equity, financial services, law firms, and other professional service companies and investment vehicles focusing on technology. Geron, Robert Half International
Robert Half International
Robert Half International , based in Menlo Park, California, is an American staffing firm, and a member of the S&P 500. Founded in 1948, Robert Half International is the world's first and largest accounting and finance staffing firm, with over 400 locations worldwide...
, Exponent
Exponent (consulting firm)
Exponent is an engineering and science consulting firm with 19 offices in the United States and 4 offices overseas. Until 1998, it was known as Failure Analysis Associates and its holding company, The Failure Group, Inc., was traded as the symbol FAIL...
and SRI International
SRI International
SRI International , founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in Menlo Park, California, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later...
are among the companies based in Menlo Park.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oracle America | 3,114 |
| 2 | SRI International SRI International SRI International , founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in Menlo Park, California, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later... |
1,350 |
| 3 | Tyco Electronics Tyco Electronics TE Connectivity, Ltd., previously known as Tyco Electronics, Ltd., and formerly a segment of Tyco International, is a leading global provider of engineered electronic components, network solutions, undersea telecommunication systems, and specialty products for customers in more than 150 countries... |
1,057 |
| 4 | Intuit | 417 |
| 5 | Pacific Biosciences Pacific Biosciences Pacific Biosciences is a biotechnology company founded in 2004 that develops and manufactures systems for gene sequencing and some novel real time biological observation. They describe their platform as single molecule real time sequencing , based on the properties of zero-mode waveguides... |
406 |
| 6 | Safeway Safeway Inc. Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern... |
291 |
| 7 | SHR Hotel | 250 |
| 8 | City of Menlo Park | 241 |
| 9 | United Parcel Service United Parcel Service United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the... |
224 |
| 10 | Randtron Systems | 222 |
Features
- Home to the Western Region office of the United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological SurveyThe United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
. - Sand Hill RoadSand Hill RoadSand Hill Road is a road in Menlo Park, California, notable for its concentration of venture capital companies. Its significance as a symbol of private equity in the United States may be compared to that of Wall Street in the stock market...
, location of many Silicon ValleySilicon ValleySilicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
venture capitalVenture capitalVenture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
firms. - Home to SRI InternationalSRI InternationalSRI International , founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in Menlo Park, California, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later...
, formerly Stanford Research Institute. - Home to the SLAC National Accelerator LaboratorySLAC National Accelerator LaboratoryThe SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford University under the programmatic direction of the U.S...
. - Corporate offices and show gardens of Sunset Magazine.
- Google Inc. was founded here on September 7, 1998
- Adjacent to Menlo CollegeMenlo CollegeMenlo College, often referred to as Menlo, is a private, four-year baccalaureate college specializing in business located in the Silicon Valley town of Atherton, California.-Campus:...
. (Famous alums include Prince Al-Waleed bin TalalAl-Waleed bin TalalPrince Al-Waleed bin Talal is a Saudi Arabian billionaire and member of the Saudi royal family. He is the nephew of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. An entrepreneur and international investor he has amassed a fortune through investments in real estate and the stock market.He is founder and CEO of...
.) - Adjacent to Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and Stanford Shopping CenterStanford Shopping CenterStanford Shopping Center is an upscale open air shopping mall located on El Camino Real at Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto, California. It is on the campus of Stanford University although the university only owns the land and not the actual buildings or stores...
. - Home to Saint Patrick Archdiocesan Seminary and UniversitySaint Patrick Seminary, Menlo ParkSaint Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California is a Roman Catholic post-graduate seminary whose primary mission is the formation of clergy for Western and Pacific Rim dioceses, orders, religious congregations and secular institutes...
. - Home to Fuller Northern CaliforniaFuller Northern CaliforniaFuller Seminary Northern California is one of Fuller Theological Seminary's seven regional campuses. Fuller Seminary has two campuses where students can earn a degree – one in Menlo Park, which serves those living in the San Francisco Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, and the other in Sacramento,...
- Home to Menlo Park Presbyterian ChurchMenlo Park Presbyterian ChurchMenlo Park Presbyterian Church, or MPPC, is an evangelical church in Menlo Park, California. The church was officially organized November 30, 1873. Its congregation had over 4,500 members in 2007...
since 1873. - Home to Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company focusing on telomereTelomereA telomere is a region of repetitive DNA sequences at the end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes. Its name is derived from the Greek nouns telos "end" and merοs "part"...
and stem cellStem cellThis article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research. - Home to the original store of the Round Table PizzaRound Table PizzaRound Table Pizza is a large chain of pizza parlors in the western United States. The company's headquarters are located in Concord, California.The company slogan for many years has been "The Last Honest Pizza".- History :...
chain.
Historic Landmarks
- Campsite and terminus point of the de Portolá Expedition from November 6, 1796 through November 10, 1796.
- Home to the oldest continually operating train stationTrain stationA train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in California, making it State Historical Landmark #955. - Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments, State Historical Landmark #939.
- Camp Fremont, 1917 - 1919. Training camp for the 8th Division, U.S. Army before their planned deployment to France in World War I, and for the 41st Division of the California National Guard. Covering more than 7000 acres (28.3 km²) in Menlo Park and Palo Alto, Camp FremontCamp FremontCamp Fremont was a World War I-era military base located near Palo Alto, California. Construction started in July, 1917 and the post closed in September, 1919.-Location:...
had 27,000 men and 10,000 animals at its peak. Historical California Posts: Camp Fremont
National Historical Landmarks
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
lists:
- Barron—Latham—Hopkins Gate Lodge #8600195
- Church of the Nativity (Menlo Park, California) #80000855
- Menlo Park Railroad Station #74000556
- Rock Magnetics Laboratory(USGS) #94001647.
- 460 Cotton Street, Home to many Famous People
Notable residents
- Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, folk singer - Brandon CrawfordBrandon CrawfordBrandon Michael Crawford is an American professional baseball player for the San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball . The shortstop was the sixth player in MLB history to hit a grand slam in his first Major League game...
, San Francisco Giants shortstop - Sergey BrinSergey BrinSergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the largest internet companies. , his personal wealth is estimated to be $16.7 billion....
, Google founder - Lindsey BuckinghamLindsey BuckinghamLindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...
, musician - Henry CowellHenry CowellHenry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...
, composer - Jeanne DuPrauJeanne DuPrauJeanne DuPrau is an American writer, best known for The Books of Ember, a series of novels for young people. She lives in Menlo Park, California.-Home life:...
, author - Michael William "Mike" Eggleston, musician/bass
- Nancy FarmerNancy Farmer (author)Nancy Farmer is a prominent children's book author from the United States.Farmer was born in Phoenix, Arizona. She earned her B.A. at Reed College and later studied chemistry and entomology at the University of California, Berkeley...
, author - John Vesely, musician/songwriter
- Chris GulkerChris GulkerChristian Frederick Gulker was an American photographer, programmer, writer, and pioneer in electronic publishing....
, photographer, writer - Vince GuaraldiVince GuaraldiVincent Anthony "Vince" Guaraldi was an Italian American jazz musician and pianist noted for his innovative compositions and arrangements and for composing music for animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip...
, jazz musician - Ken KeseyKen KeseyKenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
, author - Milton LathamMilton LathamMilton Slocum Latham was an American politician, and served as the sixth Governor of California and as a member of the federal U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Latham holds the distinction of having the shortest governorship in California history, lasting for five days between...
, railroad baron/politician/California Governor (shortest term – five days) - Josie MaranJosie MaranJohanna Selhorst "Josie" Maran is an American model and actress.-Early life:Maran was born in Menlo Park, California. She attended Castilleja School, an all-girls' school in Palo Alto, California. She is of Russian-Jewish descent on her paternal side. Her first cover was Glamour in 1998...
, supermodel - Fred MooreFred Moore (activist)Fred Moore was a political activist who was central to the early history of the personal computer. He was an active member of the People's Computer Company and one of the founders of the Homebrew Computer Club, urging its members to "bring back more than you take."Moore is prominently featured in...
, political activist - Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, musician - Kathleen Rand Reed, anthropologist
- Ariel RittenhouseAriel RittenhouseAriel Rittenhouse is an American diving athlete. Rittenhouse won a silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Rittenhouse placed 4th in the synchronized springboard...
, Olympic diver - Courtney Thorne-SmithCourtney Thorne-SmithCourtney Thorne-Smith is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Alison Parker on Melrose Place, Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal, and Cheryl Mabel in According to Jim, as well as her recurring role in Two and a Half Men as Lyndsey McElroy.-Early life:She was born in San Francisco,...
, actress - Isaac BaronIsaac BaronIsaac Baron an American professional poker player from Menlo Park, California. He was the winner of the first Card Player Magazine Online Poker Player of the Year Award in 2007.-Online poker:...
, professional poker player - Thorstein VeblenThorstein VeblenThorstein Bunde Veblen, born Torsten Bunde Veblen was an American economist and sociologist, and a leader of the so-called institutional economics movement...
, sociologist known for "Theory of the Leisure Class" - Jack HerrickJack HerrickJack Herrick is an American entrepreneur and wiki enthusiast. His entrepreneurial projects include wikiHow, eHow, Luminescent Technologies, and BigTray.In January 2005, Mr...
, Founder of wikiHow.
Traffic and parking
Menlo Park suffers from traffic congestionTraffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
at peak use hours owing to its proximity to Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and existing traffic demand between Interstate 280
Interstate 280 (California)
Interstate 280 is a 57-mile long north–south Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It connects San Jose and San Francisco, running along just to the west of the cities of San Francisco Peninsula for most of its route.I-280 from its northern end at King...
and U.S. Route 101 that exceeds built supply. Much of the city's arterial network consists of two-lane roads.
Since 1963, Menlo Park has had an ordinance that prohibits parking between 2 AM and 5 AM on all residential streets in the city. The city has cited a number of benefits from this rather strict policy including: easier street maintenance, reduced crime, and easier access for nighttime emergencies.
See also
- Menlo Park City School DistrictMenlo Park City School DistrictThe Menlo Park City School District is a public school district in the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily serving the communities of Menlo Park and Atherton...
- German-American International SchoolGerman-American International SchoolThe German-American International School in Menlo Park, California, often referred to as GAIS, is an International Baccalaureate World School serving approximately 300 students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Through 5th grade, the program is a German/English bilingual program...
- Menlo Park, New Jersey
- Menlo Park (Pretoria, South Africa)Menlo Park, PretoriaMenlo Park is a suburb in the city of Pretoria, South Africa. It borders other upmarket areas Waterkloof, Brooklyn and Lynnwood. When it was first established between the 1950s and 1970s, it was the most eastern suburb of Pretoria, but the city has since considerably expanded eastwards...