Welcome to Menlo Park

A leafy, walkable Peninsula city — home to Meta, Sand Hill Road, and a thriving downtown.

Menlo Park sits at the southern tip of San Mateo County, just north of Stanford University and Palo Alto. Today it's home to Meta's global headquarters in the Belle Haven area, the venture capital firms of Sand Hill Road, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and a fast-growing roster of restaurants, boutiques, and offices that have made downtown one of the most active on the Peninsula.

The city's name dates back to 1854, when two Irishmen from Menlough on Lough Corrib in County Galway purchased land along what is now El Camino Real and built a wooden gate at the entrance reading "MENLO PARK." When the railroad arrived in 1863, the depot adopted the name from the gate — and the station, still in continuous operation today, is California Historical Landmark No. 955, the oldest active rail station in the state.

Menlo Park grew slowly through the late 1800s as a farming and estate community for wealthy San Francisco families. The town incorporated in 1927 and expanded steadily through the 20th century. The arrival of Sun Microsystems and later Facebook (now Meta) on the bayfront, combined with the rise of Sand Hill Road as the world's leading venture capital corridor, transformed Menlo Park into one of the most economically influential cities in the United States — while preserving the small-town, leafy character that defines its residential neighborhoods.

What to Love

Local Lifestyle

Menlo Park has a strong community feel and a deliberately low-key downtown. Residents range from Stanford faculty and longtime Peninsula families to Meta employees and the venture capitalists of Sand Hill Road. Most homes are single-family residences, with neighborhood character ranging from the estate-sized lots of Central Menlo and West Menlo to the walkable, family-oriented streets of Allied Arts, the Willows, and Linfield Oaks. Saturday mornings revolve around Cafe Borrone, the Bon Marché farmers market, the Stanford Shopping Center, and the trails along the bay.

Dining, Entertainment, & Shopping

Menlo Park has one of the strongest dining scenes on the Peninsula, with both longtime institutions and a major wave of new openings in recent years. Local favorites include:

Downtown Santa Cruz Avenue is the city's main commercial corridor — a walkable strip of restaurants, boutiques, and specialty shops including Kepler's Books, Cheeky Monkey Toys, and Bon Marché. The Allied Arts Guild on Arbor Road is a historic Spanish Colonial complex with artist studios, a garden, and the Blue Garden Cafe.

The Stanford Shopping Center — just across San Francisquito Creek — is one of the most upscale outdoor malls in California, with Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Tesla, and Apple. Springline at 1300 El Camino Real is a 6.4-acre mixed-use development that has brought a new wave of San Francisco-pedigree restaurants and shops to the city.

Things to Do

Bedwell Bayfront Park covers 160 acres of open space along the bay with kite-flying meadows, walking trails, and panoramic views. The adjacent Menlo Park Baylands connect to a longer network of trails along the bay.

Holbrook-Palmer Park, just over the line in Atherton, offers 22 acres of gardens, tennis courts, and event facilities. Burgess Park and Nealon Park anchor the northern and central parts of the city, with playgrounds, swim facilities, and athletic fields.

The Guild Theatre is the city's restored historic theater on El Camino Real, presenting live music and concerts in an intimate setting. The Allied Arts Guild hosts weddings and seasonal events. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, on the western edge of the city, offers public tours of one of the world's leading particle physics facilities.

Schools

Menlo Park's school assignment depends on address — the city is served by three elementary districts, all feeding into the Sequoia Union High School District. Students may attend:

Public Schools

Private Schools