Portal:San Francisco Bay Area/Cities/Section 2

Selected Bay Area Cities

Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,914 at the 2010 census. It is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States.
Benicia is a waterside city in Solano County. It served as the state capital for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at the 2010 census
Calistoga in northern Napa County has a population of 5,000. It is known for its hot springs resorts and spas, a local specialty being immersion in hot volcanic ash known as a mud bath.
Colma is in San Mateo County. The population was 1,792 at the 2010 census, and is the least populated city in the Bay Area. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924, with the population of the dead outnumbering the living by over a thousand to one.
Cupertino is in Santa Clara County, population 58,302 at the 2010 census. Forbes ranked it as one of the most educated small towns in the US. It is home to the worldwide headquarters of Apple Inc.
East Palo Alto is located in San Mateo County, with its namesake city, Palo Alto, in Santa Clara County. The city was almost renamed Nairobi in 1968 to reflect its population's African roots.
Emeryville, in Alameda County, is home to Pixar Animation Studios, Peet's Coffee & Tea, and Jamba Juice. It is considered an edge city.
Gilroy in the southern reaches of Santa Clara County has longstanding ties to the garlic industry, hosting the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival. Rapid development and new construction since the 1990s have reduced the importance of agriculture and grown the city to 40,000.
Half Moon Bay is a coastal town with a prominent floriculture and fishing industry and is just south of the big wave surfing destination Mavericks. It has a population of around 11,000 and is located about 25 miles (40 km) south of San Francisco in San Mateo County.
Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, and is located on the south side of the Carquinez Strait. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings, including the John Muir National Historic Site.
Mill Valley is nestled beneath Mount Tamalpais in southern Marin County, about 4 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It has a population of 13,600 and a small town feel, and draws tourists, hikers, and shoppers.
Milpitas is a city in Santa Clara County, located within Silicon Valley. For over a century, Milpitas served as a popular rest stop for travelers on the old Oakland−San Jose Highway.
Palo Alto is the site of Stanford University and several successful high-technology companies, such as Hewlett-Packard and Xerox. Located at the northern end of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara County it has a population of 60,000.
Petaluma in Sonoma County has 55,000 residents. It once proclaimed itself the "Egg Capital of the World" and today boasts a telecom industry and a well restored historic town center.
Piedmont, population 10,000, is surrounded by the city of Oakland. During the 1920s, Piedmont was known as the "City of Millionaires" as it had the most resident millionaires per square mile of any city in the United States.
Rio Vista is in Solano County, on the Sacramento River It was visited by a lost humpback whale, nicknamed "Humphrey", in 1985, despite being 60 miles (100 kilometers) upriver from the Pacific Ocean, and has had other whale visitors since.
San Rafael developed around the Mission San Rafael Arcángel, founded in 1817. Today it is the county seat of Marin County and has 55,000 residents and the site of George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch.
Sausalito in Marin County lies at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge and a short ferry ride away from San Francisco. Though a town of only 7,000 residents, it receives a steady stream of tourists.
Sonoma is the site of the Mission San Francisco Solano, the last of the Spanish missions of California. The Bear Flag Revolt took place in its town plaza in June, 1846, leading to the American takeover of California. The Sonoma County town has 9,000 residents.
South San Francisco, dubbed "The Industrial City" lies in northern San Mateo County and is home to 60,000 residents. A growing biotech industry includes the corporate headquarters of Genentech.
Walnut Creek serves as the commercial and entertainment hub for central Contra Costa County. The city of 64,000 is situated in the shadow of Mount Diablo.
Yountville, in Napa County, had a population of 2,933 at the 2010 census, almost one third of them living on the grounds of the Veterans Home of California.