Palo Alto

Palo Alto has served as a university town in California’s Santa Clara Valley since the late 19th century. The city developed beside Stanford University, which opened in 1891 just beyond its southern limits, and its streets later became closely associated with Silicon Valley’s growth. San Francisquito Creek marks much of Palo Alto’s boundary with Menlo Park before reaching the wetlands of San Francisco Bay. Its name comes from El Palo Alto, a coast redwood beside the creek, while the modest 1939 Hewlett-Packard garage on Addison Avenue recalls the city’s early role in the technology industry. Downtown cafés, bookshops and the Palo Alto Art Center add a civic counterpoint to nearby research campuses. Discover other points of interest through webcams across Palo Alto and the San Francisco Bay Area.

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