About Redwood City

Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles (43 km) south of San Francisco, and 24 mi (39 km) north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for lumber and other goods, to its place as the county seat of San Mateo County. Today the city is known as the home of several technology companies such as Oracle and Electronic Arts. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,815. The Port of Redwood City is the only deepwater port on San Francisco Bay south of San Francisco.

Redwood City's sphere of influence includes the districts of Emerald Lake Hills and North Fair Oaks, which, however, are largely outside the city boundaries and are counted individually for the U.S. census. Palomar Park, just north of Emerald Hills and east of San Carlos' Crestview area, is another Redwood City neighborhood that is formally part of unincorporated San Mateo County. The neighborhood of Redwood Shores is part of Redwood City, although it is not possible to travel by road from one to the other without passing through the neighboring city of San Carlos, or through Belmont via unincorporated San Mateo County. Although Redwood City is mainly middle-class, the eastern section of Redwood City highly resembles working-class North Fair Oaks and East Palo Alto in demographic make-up and income level.

Redwood City is a heavily developed mixed city, from its huge dense urban in the east, north, north-east and central neighborhoods, to its very dense suburban in the west, south and central-south neighborhoods, to its less dense exurb in the deep south and south-west neighborhoods, and to its rural upscale hillside neighborhoods. It is a very diverse cosmopolitan city in the Bay Area, a newly popular destination in the peninsula and the Bay as a whole.

Redwood City's slogan, emblazoned on arches across Broadway at the east and west entrances to downtown, is "Climate Best By Government Test." This is based on a climatological survey conducted by the United States and German governments prior to World War I. The area centered on Redwood City tied for the world's best climate with the Canary Islands and North Africa's Mediterranean Coast.