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Los Altos () is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 27,693 at the 2000 census. Los Altos is a quiet "bedroom community" suburb serving both San Jose and San Francisco. Most of the city was developed between the 1950s and 1970s. As a formerly agricultural town, Los Altos has several unique features. Commercial zones are strictly limited to the downtown area (referred to by local merchants as Los Altos Village) and a few shopping centers and office parks lining Foothill Expressway and El Camino Real. The adjacent town of Los Altos Hills has no commercial zones, post office, or public library, and is dependent upon Los Altos for such services.
Public education Los Altos is served by a K-8 school district, the Los Altos School District, and a separate 9-12 high school district, the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District. Students in parts of Los Altos attend schools in the Cupertino Union School District, a K-8 district including Montclaire Elementary School and Cupertino Middle School. Los Altos also hosts a K-6 charter school, Bullis Charter School. Both districts are highly regarded, and most graduates of Los Altos high schools continue their education at well-known universities throughout the United States. There is currently some debate as to whether or not Bullis School (located in Los Altos Hills, not to be confused with Bullis Charter School) will remain part of the Los Altos district. The decision to close Bullis was unpopular in Los Altos Hills, and that town is considering forming its own school district in order to take control of the school. Private education Los Altos is also served by highly regarded private and parochial schools. Library The Los Altos Library serves the entire city, and has an average of ten copies per book. Many students study at the library and use the internet service. Because of the low funding, Los Altos Library was closed on Mondays, but is now open again. Visit the library website at santaclaracountylib.org Design and planning Los Altos, by design, strives to maintain a semi-rural atmosphere. Los Altos has very few sidewalks except around the commercial zones mentioned above and along the most important arterial roads like San Antonio Road. Most roads have broad dirt shoulders and little or no street lighting. The civic center sits in the middle of an orchard, a tiny remnant of the large farms which once covered the entire area. The downtown is a triangle with arterials on all sides that allow most through traffic to bypass Main Street. In contrast, several nearby cities have downtowns that lack adequate bypasses (notably, Palo Alto and Menlo Park). Due to the city's strict low-density zoning, many Los Altos homes are now valued at $1 million and higher. From the mid-1990s onward, downtown Los Altos has experienced mild economic difficulties due to competition from shopping centers and chain stores in nearby Mountain View and Palo Alto, as well as its lack of a hotel or movie theater. The problem of how to revitalize the downtown area continues to be a major issue in city politics. Los Altos may have a legitimate claim to having the first scientifically designed sound baffle in the year 1970. Santa Clara County undertook a seminal study to mathematically calculate the effects of alternate soundwall designs along Foothill Expressway. The resulting design was built and successfully predicted reduction of seven to ten decibels in Noise pollution levels for adjacent homes. Neighboring Cities Sister cities Los Altos has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International: Famous residents Current well-known residents of Los Altos include: Others who are from/have inhabited Los Altos and have achieved fame include: Los Altos History Museum Located in one of the few remaining apricot orchards of Santa Clara Valley, the Los Altos History Museum explores the rich history of local people and how the use of the land over time has transformed the agricultural paradise once known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" into the high technology hub of today's Silicon Valley. Opened in spring of 2001 and nestled next door to the Los Altos Library, the Los Altos History Museum resides in an impressive three-level, 8,200-square-foot building – built entirely with private donations; building ownership was transferred to the City of Los Altos in 2002. The Museum features a changing exhibits gallery as well as the permanent exhibit, "Crown of the Peninsula," that describes the rich history of Los Altos. There's more history just across the lushly landscaped courtyard in the landmark J. Gilbert Smith House. Built in 1905, the home is nestled under majestic heritage oaks and has been meticulously refurbished to replicate a farmhouse of the 1930's. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the gardens and picnic tables even when the House and Museum are closed. With the mission to "collect, preserve and interpret the history of the Los Altos area," the Museum provides educational opportunities for children and adults to learn about the community via interactive exhibits and hands-on activities aligned with Museum objectives. Other programs include third and fourth grade tours and curriculum for local school children, oral history collections, the traveling Ohlone kit, and much more. Geography Los Altos is located at (37.36819, -122.097511). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.4 km² (6.3 mi²). All of it is land and none of it is covered by water. Demographics
Earthquakes 1998 tornado In 1998, a pair of tornadoes, one in Los Altos and one in Sunnyvale, touched down, causing some damage. * * * Parades/activities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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