Palo Alto, California

Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA, named for a tree called El Palo Alto. The city is located at the northern end of Silicon Valley, and is home to Stanford University (which is technically located in an adjacent area, Stanford, California), and several successful high-technology companies, such as Hewlett-Packard. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,598.

Transportation

Palo Alto is served by two major freeways, US Highway 101 and Interstate 280, and is traversed by the Peninsula?s main north-south boulevard, El Camino Real (California State Highway 82).

Related Topics:
Freeway - US Highway 101 - Interstate 280 - Peninsula - El Camino Real - California State Highway 82

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The city is also served indirectly by California State Highway 84 which traverses the Dumbarton Bridge to the north. None of the highways on the Peninsula side of the bridge have been upgraded to freeway status due to opposition from residents of Palo Alto, Atherton and Menlo Park. The freeway opponents fear that upgrading Highway 84 will encourage more people to live in Alameda County (where housing is more affordable) and commute to jobs in the mid-Peninsula area, thus increasing traffic in their neighborhoods to the south of the bridge. Also, Palo Alto has only one major crosstown arterial, Page Mill Road/Oregon Expressway, which completely connects the two freeways. Because of these two defects in the regional road network, Palo Alto is notorious for severe traffic congestion at rush hour.

Related Topics:
California State Highway 84 - Dumbarton Bridge - Atherton - Menlo Park - Alameda County

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Palo Alto boasts a municipal airport, with IATA airport code PAO. The Palo Alto airport is one of the busiest single-runway general aviation airports in the country.

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Train service is available via Caltrain with service to San Francisco and San Jose. Caltrain has two regular stops in Palo Alto, one at University Avenue (local and express) and the other at California Avenue (local only). A third, located beside Alma Street at Embarcadero Road, is used to provide special services for occasional sports events (generally football) at Stanford Stadium.

Related Topics:
Caltrain - San Francisco - San Jose - Football - Stanford

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The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) provides primary bus service through Palo Alto with service to the south bay and Silicon Valley. The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) provides service to San Mateo County to the north. The Stanford University Free Shuttle (Marguerite) provides a supplementary bus service in and around Palo Alto.

Related Topics:
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority - VTA - Silicon Valley - San Mateo County Transit District - SamTrans - San Mateo County - Stanford University Free Shuttle (Marguerite)

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