County of San Mateo | |||
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— County — | |||
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Location in the state of California | |||
California's location in the United States | |||
Country | United States | ||
State | California | ||
Region/Metro area | San Francisco Bay Area | ||
Incorporated | 1856 | ||
County seat | Redwood City | ||
Largest city | Daly City | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 1,919.2 km2 (741.01 sq mi) | ||
• Land | 1,163.1 km2 (449.07 sq mi) | ||
• Water | 756.1 km2 (291.95 sq mi) | ||
Population (2010) | |||
• Total | 718,451 | ||
• Density | 617.6/km2 (1,599.6/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) | ||
• Summer (DST) | Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) | ||
Website | www.co.sanmateo.ca.us |
San Mateo County ( /ˌsæn məˈteɪ.oʊ/ san mə-tay-oh; Spanish for "Saint Matthew") 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 Silicon Valley begins at the southern end. As of 2010 the population was 718,451. The county seat is Redwood City. It is strongly Democratic and ethnically diverse. The county's built-up areas are mostly suburban with some areas being very urban, and are home to several corporate campuses.
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San Mateo County was formed from parts of San Francisco County and Santa Cruz County in 1856.
The county bears the Spanish name for Saint Matthew. As a place name, San Mateo appears as early as 1776 and several local geographic features were also designated San Mateo on early maps including variously: a settlement, an arroyo, a headland jutting into the Pacific (Point Montara), and a large land holding (Rancho San Mateo). Until about 1850, the name appeared as San Matheo.
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 741.01 square miles (1,919.2 km2), of which 449.07 square miles (1,163.1 km2) (or 60.60%) is land and 291.95 square miles (756.1 km2) (or 39.40%) is water.[1] A number of bayside watercourses drain the eastern part of the county including San Bruno Creek and Colma Creek. Streams draining the western county include Frenchmans Creek, Pilarcitos Creek, Naples Creek, Arroyo de en Medio, and Denniston Creek.
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SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit District) provides local bus service within San Mateo County. Local and commuter bus routes also operate into San Francisco.
Caltrain, the commuter rail system, traverses the county from north to south, running alongside the Highway 101 corridor for most of the way. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains serve San Francisco International Airport and the northern portion of the county, terminating at Millbrae.
Caltrain, BART, and SamTrans converge at the Millbrae Intermodal station.
San Francisco International Airport is geographically located in San Mateo County, but it is owned by the City and County of San Francisco.
San Mateo County does own two general aviation airports: Half Moon Bay Airport and San Carlos Airport. [2]
The only deepwater port in South San Francisco Bay is the Port of Redwood City, situated along Redwood Creek, originally created as a lumber embarcadero in 1850.
Historical populations | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1860 | 3,214 |
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1870 | 6,635 | 106.4% | |
1880 | 8,669 | 30.7% | |
1890 | 10,087 | 16.4% | |
1900 | 12,094 | 19.9% | |
1910 | 26,585 | 119.8% | |
1920 | 36,781 | 38.4% | |
1930 | 77,405 | 110.4% | |
1940 | 111,782 | 44.4% | |
1950 | 235,659 | 110.8% | |
1960 | 444,387 | 88.6% | |
1970 | 556,234 | 25.2% | |
1980 | 587,329 | 5.6% | |
1990 | 649,623 | 10.6% | |
2000 | 707,161 | 8.9% | |
2010 | 718,451 | 1.6% |
The 2010 United States Census reported that San Mateo County had a population of 718,451. The racial makeup of San Mateo County was 383,535 (53.4%) White, 20,436 (2.8%) African American, 3,306 (0.5%) Native American, 178,118 (24.8%) Asian (9.8% Filipino, 9.0% Chinese, 1.9% Indian, 1.2% Japanese, 0.8% Korean, 0.5% Vietnamese, 0.3% Burmese, 0.1% Pakistani), 10,317 (1.4%) Pacific Islander, 84,529 (11.8%) from other races, and 38,210 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 182,502 persons (25.4%); 15.7% of San Mateo County is Mexican, 2.7% Salvadoran, 1.2% Guatemalan, 1.2% Nicaraguan, 0.7% Peruvian, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.2% Colombian, and 0.2% Cuban.[3]
Population reported at 2010 United States Census | |||||||||
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|
Population |
|
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
San Mateo County | 718,451 | 383,535 | 20,436 | 3,306 | 178,118 | 10,317 | 84,529 | 38,210 | 182,502 |
cities and towns |
Population |
|
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
Atherton | 6,914 | 5,565 | 75 | 7 | 911 | 45 | 95 | 216 | 268 |
Belmont | 25,835 | 17,455 | 423 | 72 | 5,151 | 198 | 964 | 1,572 | 2,977 |
Brisbane | 4,282 | 2,578 | 80 | 21 | 1,084 | 41 | 182 | 296 | 712 |
Burlingame | 28,806 | 19,510 | 360 | 74 | 5,841 | 139 | 1,451 | 1,431 | 3,966 |
Colma | 1,792 | 620 | 59 | 7 | 619 | 9 | 366 | 112 | 708 |
Daly City | 101,123 | 23,842 | 3,600 | 404 | 56,267 | 805 | 11,236 | 4,969 | 23,929 |
East Palo Alto | 28,155 | 8,104 | 4,704 | 120 | 1,057 | 2,118 | 10,694 | 1,358 | 18,147 |
Foster City | 30,567 | 13,912 | 576 | 29 | 13,746 | 189 | 575 | 1,540 | 1,995 |
Half Moon Bay | 11,324 | 8,580 | 82 | 71 | 490 | 9 | 1,710 | 382 | 3,563 |
Hillsborough | 10,825 | 7,178 | 42 | 7 | 3,044 | 23 | 109 | 422 | 373 |
Menlo Park | 32,026 | 22,494 | 1,551 | 156 | 3,157 | 454 | 2,776 | 1,438 | 5,902 |
Millbrae | 21,532 | 10,177 | 179 | 33 | 9,205 | 214 | 776 | 948 | 2,555 |
Pacifica | 37,234 | 24,166 | 976 | 206 | 7,230 | 315 | 1,703 | 2,638 | 6,243 |
Portola Valley | 4,353 | 3,960 | 12 | 5 | 242 | 1 | 29 | 104 | 175 |
Redwood City | 76,815 | 46,255 | 1,881 | 511 | 8,216 | 795 | 14,967 | 4,190 | 29,810 |
San Bruno | 41,114 | 20,350 | 942 | 246 | 10,423 | 1,377 | 5,075 | 2,701 | 12,016 |
San Carlos | 28,406 | 22,497 | 233 | 65 | 3,267 | 70 | 827 | 1,447 | 2,855 |
San Mateo | 97,207 | 56,214 | 2,296 | 505 | 18,384 | 1,998 | 12,264 | 5,546 | 25,815 |
South San Francisco | 63,632 | 23,760 | 1,625 | 395 | 23,293 | 1,111 | 9,598 | 3,850 | 21,645 |
Woodside | 5,287 | 4,717 | 23 | 4 | 332 | 4 | 63 | 144 | 243 |
places |
Population |
|
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
Broadmoor | 4,176 | 1,705 | 100 | 30 | 1,676 | 44 | 359 | 262 | 981 |
El Granada | 5,467 | 4,608 | 45 | 38 | 190 | 5 | 336 | 245 | 813 |
Emerald Lake Hills | 4,278 | 3,655 | 39 | 5 | 322 | 15 | 56 | 186 | 288 |
Highlands-Baywood Park | 4,027 | 2,657 | 53 | 9 | 1,017 | 17 | 47 | 227 | 306 |
Ladera | 928 | 811 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 68 | 69 |
La Honda | 1,426 | 1,269 | 3 | 1 | 98 | 0 | 5 | 50 | 33 |
Loma Mar | 113 | 101 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 |
Montara | 2,909 | 2,491 | 16 | 21 | 142 | 1 | 97 | 141 | 324 |
Moss Beach | 3,103 | 2,280 | 25 | 43 | 118 | 9 | 494 | 134 | 903 |
North Fair Oaks | 14,687 | 7,060 | 235 | 143 | 548 | 219 | 5,728 | 754 | 10,731 |
Pescadero | 643 | 314 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 294 | 25 | 402 |
West Menlo Park | 3,659 | 2,983 | 28 | 2 | 416 | 4 | 52 | 174 | 201 |
communities |
Population |
|
American |
American |
|
Islander |
races |
more races |
or Latino (of any race) |
All others not CDPs (combined) | 15,806 | 11,667 | 156 | 74 | 1,608 | 85 | 1,583 | 633 | 3,542 |
As of the census of 2009,[4] there were 714,936 people, 258,648 households, and 174,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,753/sq mi (825/km²). There were 284,471 housing units at an average density of 789/sq mi (432/km²). 7.4% were of Italian, 7.1% Irish, 7.0% German and 5.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 46.9% spoke English, 28.4% Spanish, 6.2% Tagalog, 4.0% Chinese or Mandarin and 1.1% Cantonese, and other language 4.2%, as their first language from estimate census 2009.
There were 258,648 households out of which 30% had children under the age of 18, 48.6% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.79 and the average family size was 4.44.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 21% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $69,306, and the median income for a family was $77,737. Males had a median income of $48,342 versus $45,383 for females. The per capita income for the county was $36,045. About 6.42% of families and 9.51% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.01% of those under age 18 and 8.52% of those age 65 or over.
Year | GOP | DEM | Others |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | 24.8% 75,006 | 73.6% 222,767 | 1.6% 4,963 |
2004 | 29.3% 83,315 | 69.5% 197,922 | 1.3% 3,620 |
2000 | 31.0% 80,296 | 64.3% 166,757 | 4.8% 12,346 |
1996 | 29.2% 73,508 | 60.6% 152,304 | 10.2% 25,720 |
1992 | 27.2% 75,080 | 54.0% 149,232 | 18.9% 52,196 |
1988 | 42.9% 109,261 | 55.7% 141,859 | 1.3% 3,360 |
1984 | 51.9% 135,185 | 46.9% 122,268 | 1.2% 3,178 |
1980 | 48.8% 116,491 | 36.6% 87,335 | 14.6% 34,811 |
1976 | 50.6% 117,338 | 44.4% 102,896 | 5.0% 11,507 |
1972 | 52.8% 135,377 | 42.8% 109,745 | 4.4% 11,175 |
1968 | 43.7% 98,654 | 47.2% 106,519 | 9.1% 20,495 |
1964 | 35.6% 77,916 | 64.3% 140,978 | 0.1% 297 |
1960 | 51.7% 104,570 | 48.0% 97,154 | 0.3% 528 |
1956 | 61.0% 100,049 | 38.8% 63,637 | 0.1% 217 |
1952 | 63.6% 92,279 | 36.0% 52,149 | 0.5% 651 |
1948 | 56.7% 48,909 | 39.7% 34,215 | 3.7% 3,148 |
1944 | 49.2% 33,590 | 50.6% 34,594 | 0.2% 158 |
1940 | 46.6% 26,539 | 52.4% 29,831 | 1.0% 581 |
1936 | 33.1% 13,650 | 65.7% 27,087 | 1.2% 511 |
1932 | 39.7% 13,442 | 56.4% 19,094 | 4.0% 1,343 |
1928 | 58.9% 14,360 | 40.0% 9,755 | 1.1% 277 |
1924 | 55.3% 8,126 | 5.2% 771 | 39.5% 5,805 |
1920 | 70.5% 7,205 | 19.2% 1,958 | 10.3% 1,054 |
San Mateo County has a five-member Board of Supervisors, representing five geographic districts, but elected at-large. The California Secretary of State, as of April 2008, reports that San Mateo County has 357,514 registered voters. Of those voters registered, 179,994 (50.4%) are registered Democratic, 82,189 (23.0%) are registered Republican, 13,648 (3.8%) are registered with other political parties, and 81,683 (22.8%) declined to state a political party preference. With the exceptions of Atherton, Hillsborough, and Woodside, every city, town, and the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County has more registered Democrats than Republicans.
San Mateo is a strongly Democratic county in presidential and congressional elections. The last Republican to win a majority in the county was Ronald Reagan in 1984.
San Mateo is part of California's 12th and 14th congressional districts, held by Democrats Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo, respectively. In the State Assembly, San Mateo is in the 12th, 19th, and 21st districts, which are held by Democrats Fiona Ma, Jerry Hill, and Rich Gordon, respectively. In the State Senate, San Mateo is in the 8th and 11th districts, which are held by Democrats Leland Yee and Joe Simitian, respectively.
On Nov. 4, 2008 San Mateo County voted 61.8 % against Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.[5]
San Mateo County straddles the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Santa Cruz Mountains running its entire length. The county encompasses a variety of habitats including estuarine, marine, oak woodland, redwood forest, coastal scrub and oak savannah. There are numerous species of wildlife present, especially along the San Francisco Bay estuarine shoreline, San Bruno Mountain, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and the forests on the Montara Mountain block. Several creeks discharge to the San Francisco Bay including San Mateo Creek and Laurel Creek and several coastal streams discharge to the Pacific Ocean such as Frenchmans Creek and San Vicente Creek.
The county is home to several endangered species including the San Francisco garter snake and the San Bruno elfin butterfly, both of which are endemic to San Mateo County. The endangered California clapper rail is also found on the shores of San Francisco Bay, in the cities of Belmont and San Mateo. The endangered wildflower Hickman's potentilla is found near the Pacific Ocean on the lower slopes of Montara Mountain. The endangered wildflowers White-rayed pentachaeta, Pentachaeta bellidiflora, San Mateo Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum latilobum, Marin Dwarf Flax, Hesperolinon congestum and the San Mateo Thornmint, Acanthomintha duttonii, are found in the vicinity of the Crystal Springs Reservoir.
Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area and Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area are two adjoining marine protected areas off the coast of San Mateo County. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.
The people of San Mateo county may use the services of the Peninsula Library System and its dozens of branches, bookmobile and Library-a-Go-Go machine at the Millbrae BART/Caltrain station.
The county is broken up into several public school districts in addition to the local Catholic diocese and many other private parochial and secular schools.
Some students in San Mateo County's public schools attend outdoor education in La Honda. San Mateo Outdoor Education is a residential school that teaches major concepts of ecology via exploration of forest, pond, garden, tidepool, wetland, and sandy shore habitats.[6] The center's mascot is the banana slug, a large yellow gastropod. The school uses songs from the famous Banana Slug String Band.
Prior to its dissolution, Pacific Air Lines had its corporate headquarters on the grounds of San Francisco International Airport in an unincorporated area in San Mateo County.[7] Prior to its dissolution, Hughes Airwest had its headquarters on the grounds of San Francisco International.[8]
There are a number of well known structures within San Mateo County:
See this county page for trail descriptions.
Source: http://www.sanmateocountyparks.org/
County Parks: http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/portal/site/parks
Source: http://www.parks.ca.gov/parkindex/default.asp?tab=3 State Parks, Choose San Mateo
San Francisco County | ||||
Pacific Ocean | Alameda County | |||
San Mateo County, California | ||||
Santa Cruz County | Santa Clara County |
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