The population of the town was 5,309 at the 2020 census.[4] The town's population has a median household income above $250,000 and median home price above $5 million. The town is known for its quaint and small town feel despite being close to Silicon Valley, and is home to many venture capital and investment firms.
History
The Woodside area was originally home to the Ohlone tribe. In 1769, led by Gaspar de Portolá, Spanish explorers searching for San Francisco Bay camped at a site near Woodside. Woodside is said to be the oldest English-speaking settlement in the southern part of the San Francisco Peninsula. The first English-speaking settlers arrived in the early 19th century to log the rich stands of redwoods. Charles Brown constructed the first sawmill in Woodside on his Mountain Home Ranch around 1838. Brown's adobe house, built in 1839, still stands today.[7] By mid-century, the Woodside area had a dozen mills producing building materials for a booming San Francisco.
In 1849, during the California Gold Rush, 20-year-old Mathias Alfred Parkhurst purchased 127 acres (0.5 km2) of timberland and named it “Woodside"; of course, this name was kept. By the late 19th century, Woodside was home to country estates. The Sequoia Redwood trees in Woodside are currently 3rd generation growth. The first generation of the Redwood trees were used to build San Francisco's original homes. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the loggers returned to Woodside to cut the second growth of redwood so they could be used for the rebuilding of San Francisco.
In 1909, the Family, a private club, set up camp facilities and rustic buildings in Woodside at the Family Farm, a rural retreat used by club members for recreation. Gatherings at the Family Farm include an annual Farm Play, written and performed by members. In 1912, the Family pooled funds to build Our Lady of the Wayside Church in Portola Valley, designed by 19-year-old Timothy L. Pflueger, his first commission.[8] The historic building was repaired at a cost of US$600,000 after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.[9]
In early 2022, the town drew nationwide attention for initially declaring itself a mountain lion habitat to circumvent state affordable housing requirements and then subsequently retracted that position.[10] It backed down after California Attorney General Rob Bonta denied this claim.[11] Bonta wrote, "There is no valid basis to claim that the entire town of Woodside is a habitat for mountain lions. Land that is already developed — with, for example a single-family home — is not, by definition, habitat. (...) Our message to local governments is simple: act in good faith, follow the law, and do your part to increase the housing supply."[12]
Geography
Woodside is located on the San Francisco Peninsula, midway between San Jose and San Francisco, just north of Silicon Valley, in San Mateo County. The San Andreas fault runs through portions of Woodside. Much of Woodside is wooded, with redwoods and Douglas fir dominating in the western hills and more oaks and eucalyptus in the lower areas. San Francisco Bay lies to the east, while Pacific Ocean beaches lie to the west. The Santa Cruz mountains separate Woodside from the ocean and extend down to Monterey Bay about forty miles south.
As is true of most of the California coastal areas, weather in Woodside is usually mild during most of the year. Summers are dry and can be hot; winter temperatures rarely dip much below freezing. Average January temperatures are a maximum of 60 °F (16 °C) and a minimum of 36 °F (2 °C). Average July temperatures are a maximum of 88 °F (31 °C) and a minimum of 51 °F (11 °C). Snowfall is extremely rare except in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains, where several inches falls every several years. Annual precipitation averages 30.9 inches (785.4 millimeters) and falls on an average of 61 days annually.
The record maximum temperature was 114 °F (46 °C) on July 22, 2006, and the record minimum temperature was 17 °F (−8 °C) on February 6, 1989. Temperatures reach 90 °F (32 °C) or higher on an average of 48.4 days annually. Temperatures drop to freezing on an average of 10.0 days annually. The maximum rainfall in one year was 59.86 inches (1,520 mm) in 1983. The maximum rainfall in one month was 20.50 inches (521 mm) in December 2002 and the maximum in 24 hours was 4.64 inches (118 mm) on December 1, 2002. On February 5, 1976, 3.0 inches of snow fell at the fire station.
Hills and mountains between Woodside and the Pacific coast make fog much less prevalent than in nearby San Francisco. As well, during the summer, Woodside's climate is hotter than that of San Francisco.
At the 2010 census Woodside had a population of 5,287. The population density was 450.6 inhabitants per square mile (174.0/km2). The racial makeup of Woodside was 4,717 (89.2%) White, 332 (6.3%) Asian, 144 (2.7%) from two or more races, 63 (1.2%) from other races, 23 (0.4%) African American, 4 (0.1%) Native American, and 4 (0.1%) Pacific Islander. There were 243 residents of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (4.6%).[14]
There were 1,977 households. The average household size was 2.67. There were 1,487 families (75.2% of households); the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 48.8 years. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%.
Economy
Woodside is home to many venture capital and investment firms including: Benchmark Capital Partners, Crosslink Capital, Defy.vc, GSV Asset Management, ND Capital, Redpoint Ventures, and Ridgelink Ventures.[citation needed]
Parks and recreation
Numerous residents keep horses, and the town government maintains a network of horse trails. Some residents live on farmland used for business. The town is also popular among local cyclists and draws them in large numbers on weekends. The most popular road cycling routes include Old La Honda Road, King's Mountain Road, Cañada Road, Southgate Drive, Skyline Boulevard and Highway 84. The Tour of California bicycle race includes several roads along and adjacent to CA-84 and Skyline Boulevard.
Woodside is home to a number of open space preserves, including the Purisima Open Space (part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space), where both horseback riding and bicycling are allowed. For mountain biking, the famous Skeggs Point is located in Woodside along Skyline Boulevard.
Wunderlich Park is extremely popular with both hiking and horse enthusiasts. The trails in this park are shared by those on foot and on horse and span almost 1000 acres.
Arts and culture
Dr. Carl Djerassi founded an artists' colony south of Woodside in memory of his late daughter Pamela.[15] The Djerassi Artists Residency is one of several Bay Area programs that houses artists.
Funding for public schools in Woodside are supplemented by grants from private foundations set up for that purpose and funded by local residents that enables Woodside to have one of the highest per pupil funding rates for elementary school and middle school students in the Bay Area.[18]
Margaret Keane, artist who produced popular paintings of "big eye" waifs, and Walter Keane, her husband, who falsely claimed he had painted them.[20][21]
Business and entrepreneurs
Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza-Time Theater
Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation, who spent nine years building an architecturally authentic, $200+ million Japanese feudal castle and man-made lake in Woodside;[24]
Kenneth Fisher, founder of Fisher Investments, Forbes columnist, author, and local historian
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. owned the Jackling House in Woodside, but had it demolished and was in the process of replacing it with a modern home on the same parcel before his death.
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