Palo Alto Live Cam

Palo Alto is located on the San Francisco Peninsula about 30 miles south of San Francisco, and 15 miles north of San Jose. It is the northernmost city in Santa Clara County, occupying an area 25.98 square miles, spreading from the southwest shore of the San Francisco Bay on the east to the Coast Range mountains on the west. Palo Alto boasts 4,133 acres in dedicated parkland and 30 miles of bike lanes. A major topographic feature is the San Francisquito Creek. It is located at 37º 27' N latitude, 122º 9'30" west longitude.

Mild; average temperatures range from 39º to 77º F. Summer average high is 77º, low is 54º. Winter average high is 58º, low is 39º. Annual precipitation is approximately 16 inches. The relative mean humidity is 68%.

There are approximately 91,000 jobs in the labor force in Palo Alto. The local economy is primarily based on manufacturing, research and development, printing and publishing, educational employment, real estate, banking, insurance and the wholesale, retail and service industries. The City of Palo Alto has 1 main and 5 branch libraries. The city has 34 parks and other recreational facilities. The Palo Alto Unified School District system has 11 elementary (K-5) schools, 2 middle (6-8) and 2 high schools. Special facilities are provided for the hearing and vision impaired, and for mentally, physically and emotionally handicapped children.

Downtown Palo Alto is where you can enjoy the Bay Area sunshine while strolling tree lined blocks of unique stores filled with clothing, shoes, gifts, home furnishings and more. Stroll down the streets of downtown Palo Alto and into any of our many restaurants for an array of tasty treats that span many cultures and cuisines. Stay healthy and feel great by visiting one of downtown Palo Alto's salons, spas or health clubs.

It’s hard to summarize the Palo Alto community in just a few words. Diverse, educated, innovative, responsible; all of these words and more apply to Palo Alto. Our community features some of the biggest moves and shakers in the technology industry, and Palo Alto area schools consistently rank among California’s tops in academics.

Palo Alto’s diverse demographics illustrate our celebration of all cultures introduced to our community. It’s a perfect fit for both families and businesses. With a mean household income of over $150,000, Palo Alto maintains a healthy economy that features a synergistic mix of internationally recognized corporations, growing commercial districts for community shopping and recreation, and non-profit groups leading the way in philanthropic contributions.

For technology enthusiasts, Palo Alto is the birthplace of the Silicon Valley, the world’s technology hub. The explosive growth of technology companies has expanded the boundaries of Silicon Valley, which now spans both the east and west sides of the San Francisco Bay and as far south as Gilroy, 35 miles south of Palo Alto. It is hard to know where to draw boundary lines for the Silicon Valley, but one defining aspect remains crystal clear. The Silicon Valley embodies innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, constant change and evolution.

Today, Palo Alto is home to research and development trailblazers and innovative, fledgling companies alike. The city’s name is synonymous with many high-profile international corporations: Hewlett-Packard, Space Systems/Loral, Agilent Technologies, Roche Bioscience and Varian. You will find the corporate headquarters of these companies in Palo Alto in addition to offices of the New York Stock Exchange, Genencor International, and Xerox Research Center. To serve the appetite of this voracious technology community, you will find high-tech law firms such as Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP and Cooley Godward LLP.

Sales tax is the largest income producer for the city, generating 22% of the total General Fund revenue, followed by property taxes and utility user taxes.

An integral component of the city’s development and technology focus is Stanford Research Park, while the East Bayshore and the San Antonio Road/Bayshore Corridors are key locations for start-ups and other entrepreneurial enterprises.

Palo Alto has some of the most outstanding healthcare facilities in California. Most prominent in the community is Stanford Hospital & Clinics, which is part of Stanford University Medical Center. With 611 beds for in-patient treatment, emergency care and major surgeries, Stanford Hospital is well known for its cancer treatment, oncology and transplant services.

Medical groups affiliated with Stanford Hospital & Clinics are Stanford Family Practice, Stanford Medical Group and Menlo Medical Clinic, and also includes the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

The range of clinics provide specialized outpatient treatment weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System provides general medical, surgical and psychiatric care to veterans. Veterans Affairs has three inpatient divisions, the main campus in Palo Alto, a second campus in Menlo Park and a third campus in Livermore.

The Palo Alto Health Care System has 913 operating beds including three nursing homes and a 100-bed homeless domiciliary on the Menlo Park campus. The Health Care System is affiliated with the Stanford University School of Medicine.

In its ongoing mission to provide support for families of children with life-threatening illnesses receiving treatment at local hospitals, The Ronald McDonald House at Stanford broke ground in June 2002 to expand from 24 to 47 rooms.

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation is a full-service health-care clinic and research institute. Nearly 250 physicians provide a range of diagnostic and treatment services in primary care and most medical specialties. Specialized services include sports medicine, travel medicine, cosmetic plastic surgery, allergy immunization services and others. PAMF also operates satellite clinics in Los Altos, Fremont, Portola Valley and Redwood Shores.

When Leland Stanford bought 650 acres of peninsula land to start a horse farm, he probably didn’t know that he was setting agricultural roots that would last well into the 21st century. Today, Silicon Valley may be best known for our technological innovations and businesses, but the Palo Alto area still supports a thriving agriculture industry, ranging from crops and wine to Leland Stanford’s beloved horses.

Organic grocery stores, such as Whole Foods Market, Piazza’s Market, and Trader Joe’s, share the marketplace with traditional grocery outlets and fresh fruit and vegetable stands. If you’re in the mood for a refreshing beverage, you can find fresh-roasted coffee as well as a pint of local-brewed beer. Famous California wines, such as Thomas Fogarty and Page Mill, start right here in the Palo Alto community with local vineyards and wineries.

In the same tradition of Leland Stanford’s horse farms, the Palo Alto community also provides equestrian fans with a number of horse farm and training facilities. The Dixon Stables, Portola Valley Training Center, and Webb Ranch are just a few of the facilities that live up to the area’s rich equestrian history. Whether you’re an expert rider or just looking for a fun afternoon on horseback, you’ll find horses and riding instructors that would make Leland Stanford proud.

Local greenhouses and florists provide a diverse selection to help residents and businesses beautify their yards and homes, and the area even features a number of machinery and equipment outlets to make any agriculture-related job feasible. In short, Palo Alto is the best of all words: a diverse blend of different agricultural industries to complement the thriving local business and technology sectors.

Palo Alto's rich and diverse business community means that there are job opportunities available in all areas of industry. Whether you’re looking to change fields, find a new job, or simply want to give your own a business a try, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce can help you get started on your way. The Chamber’s resources and knowledgeable staff can walk you through Palo Alto’s different employment options to find the right fit for your situation.

Palo Alto gracefully blends a burgeoning business community, tree-lined residential neighborhoods, excellent educational facilities, and a low crime rate with a nearly limitless selection of recreational, cultural, and social pursuits. Our community is built by and for people who value a high quality of life.

Palo Alto’s high living standard trickles down to every facet of our community, from education to health care to social and religious facilities. Our public schools serve over 9,000 K-12 students in an academic year and have earned an international reputation for excellence. For those with hungry appetites for reading, Palo Alto has six public libraries and more than a dozen local bookstores. More than 50 churches and houses of worship serve the citizens’ spiritual needs, and world class medical institutions such as Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Stanford University Medical Center tend to the city’s health issues.

Palo Alto encompasses an area of approximately 26 square miles, one-third of which is dedicated to open space such as the Baylands Nature Preserve and Foothills Park. Palo Alto is ideally situated between cosmopolitan San Francisco (35 miles to the north) and downtown San Jose (14 miles to the south). For those with an adventurous spirit, countless natural and man-made attractions are within driving distance of Palo Alto, and the city boundaries extend from the San Francisco Bay to the Skyline Ridge of the coastal mountains.

With our beautiful climate, strong history of education, and high living standards, Palo Alto is the ideal place to grow a family or a business – or both! If you have any questions about our wonderful city, please contact the Chamber of Commerce today.

Fans of history and visual arts can consider Palo Alto their playground with the multitude of options for perusing pieces of the past, or simply strolling among the galleries in the community to find the perfect piece for your collection.

The museums in our community range from celebrating the ingenuity of America's most treasured minds, to our fine art exhibitions which feature around a dozen new art exhibits each year - many featuring Bay Area artists. For your aspiring young geniuses, the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo gives visitors a hands-on experience that combines the delights of the animal kingdom with the wonder of art.

At neighboring Stanford University, the highest standards of education are echoed in the halls of the Cantor Arts Center featuring stunning permanent collections of photography, antiquities, 18th and 19th century art and Rodin sculpture garden, plus featured exhibitions throughout the year.

A variety of art galleries can be found in downtown Palo Alto, on California Avenue and the neighboring Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. The Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, our annual art and wine festival, literally lines University Avenue with gallery exhibits.

The community is priveliged to have some of the Bay Area's most dynamic and established theater companies in it's midst. The West Bay Opera Company performs both popular and lesser-known operas in Palo Alto, and is the 2nd oldest opera comany in California. TheatreWorks, performing a combination of drama, comedy and musicals for over 30 years, also performs in Palo Alto. Dragon Productions is host to a charming, intimate black-box theater in downtown Palo Alto with a repertoire of rare works for the stage. Stanford Lively Arts features a wide vareity of performing arts productions, everything from dance to music, providing educational arts opportunities at the caliber of excellence synonymous with Stanford University.