Palo Alto
City in Santa Clara County, California
Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County, California, with 68,572 residents (2020 Census). It sits at 30 ft (9 m) above sea level. The nearest town is Los Altos Hills, 2.1 miles S.
- 68,572residents (2020 Census)
- 30 ftelevation · 9 m
- 24.1 sq miland area · 62.3 km²
- 2,851 / sq mipopulation density
- 94304main ZIP code (6 in total)
About Palo Alto
Palo Alto ( PAL-oh AL-toh; Spanish for 'tall stick') is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States. Part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it is named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The population was 68,572 as of the 2020 United States census.
Palo Alto was incorporated in 1894 by the American industrialist Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Stanford, when they founded Stanford University in memory of their only child, Leland Stanford Jr. The city later expanded and now borders East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. Palo Alto has one of the highest costs of living in the United States, and its residents are among the most educated in the country. However, it has a youth suicide rate four times higher than the national average, often attributed to academic pressure.
As one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto is home to the headquarters of multiple tech companies, including HP, Space Systems/Loral, VMware, and PARC. Palo Alto has also served as headquarters or the founding location of several other tech companies, including Apple, Google, Meta, Logitech, Tesla, Intuit, IDEO, Pinterest, 23andMe, and PayPal. Ford Motor Company and Lockheed Martin each additionally maintain major research and technology facilities within Palo Alto.
Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Palo Alto weather: 7-day forecast
Loading the National Weather Service forecast…
Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).
Live webcams in Palo Alto
All 24 webcams near Palo Alto ›Living in Palo Alto
- Median household income
- $231,101
- Median home value
- $2,000,001
- Median rent
- $3,484/mo
- Median age
- 43.6
Do you know Palo Alto? Tell us about it
Help other travelers: share what makes Palo Alto special. We review every message before publishing it.
Map of Palo Alto
Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Palo Alto Street View
Drag the image to look around and tap the arrows on the ground to move. If it says there is no imagery, tap a nearby street on the map above.
Open in Google Maps ›Palo Alto, CA population
Palo Alto had 68,572 residents in the 2020 Census.
| 2020 Census | 68,572 |
|---|---|
| Density | 2,851 per sq mi (1,101 per km²) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.
Palo Alto at a glance
| State | California (CA) |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Type | City |
| Population | 68,572 (2020) |
| Land area | 24.05 sq mi (62.3 km²) |
| Water area | 1.91 sq mi (4.94 km²) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Coordinates | 37.3965° N, 122.1431° W |
| ZIP codes | 94304, 94022, 94040, 94301, 94305, 94306 |
| Census code (GEOID) | 0655282 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.
Towns near Palo Alto
- Los Altos Hills2.1 mi S
- Stanford2.5 mi NW
- Ladera3.1 mi W
- Los Altos3.2 mi SE
- Mountain View3.5 mi E
- Loyola4.0 mi SE
- West Menlo Park4.2 mi NW
- East Palo Alto5.0 mi N
- Atherton5.2 mi NW
- Portola Valley5.4 mi SW
- Menlo Park5.8 mi N
- North Fair Oaks6.4 mi NW
Straight-line distance between town centers.
Frequently asked questions about Palo Alto
What county is Palo Alto in?
Palo Alto is in Santa Clara County, California.
What is the population of Palo Alto, CA?
68,572 people lived in Palo Alto at the 2020 Census.
What is the ZIP code of Palo Alto, CA?
The main ZIP code is 94304. Other ZIP codes: 94022, 94040, 94301, 94305, 94306.
What is the elevation of Palo Alto?
30 feet (9 m) above sea level.
What towns are near Palo Alto?
Los Altos Hills (2.1 mi), Stanford (2.5 mi), Ladera (3.1 mi), Los Altos (3.2 mi), Mountain View (3.5 mi).
Last updated: