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Woodside was first settled as a lumber town in the 1840s. By the late 19th century, Woodside was home to country estates. The town was incorporated in 1956 to prevent urbanization, and it still retains a rural residential character, though it is a short commute to Silicon Valley.
Today Woodside is among the wealthiest small towns in the United States. Affordable housing is unavailable; vacant lots, were any to be found, would sell for over a million dollars. Several famous rich people live here, including Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation; Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of Intel and originator of Moores Law; Neil Young, rock singer; and Joan Baez, folk singer. Woodside is also home to Koko, the gorilla who was taught sign language.
The very small business district includes two restaurants, a grocery store, hardware store, and nursery. The town is also home to the famous "Buck's of Woodside" restaurant, which is well known among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs as the location where many VC investment deals have been signed. The inside of the restaurant is decorated with historic Silicon Valley artifacts.
Horses are part of the local culture. Many residents keep horses, and the town government maintains a network of horse trails.
Woodside is located at 37°25'15" North, 122°15'35" West (37.420704, -122.259777).
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 infamous San Andreas Fault runs through town. This fault is a major source of earthquake activity in California, including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake .
Much of Woodside is wooded, with redwoods dominating in the western hills and more oaks and eucalyptus in the lower areas.
As is true of most of the California coastal areas, weather is mild during most of the year. Summers are dry and can be hot; winter temperatures rarely dip much below freezing. Snowflakes are extremely rare. Hills between Woodside and the Pacific coast make fog much less prevalent than in nearby San Francisco.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.5 km˛ (11.8 mi˛). 30.5 km˛ (11.8 mi˛) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
The nearest cities and towns are Redwood CityRedwood City is the county seat of San Mateo County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 75,402. It is one of the cities that make up Silicon Valley. The headquarters of Oracle Corporation is located here, as is Electroni, Menlo ParkMenlo Park is a city located in San Mateo County, California in the United States of America. It is located at latitude 37°29' North, longitude 122°9' West. Menlo Park has 30,785 inhabitants, according to the 2000 U. Geography Menlo Park is located at 37°, Portola ValleyPortola Valley is a town located in San Mateo County, California. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 4,462. Geography Portola Valley is located at 37°22'30" North, 122°13'7" West (37. 375023, -122. According to the United States Cen, AthertonAtherton is a town located in San Mateo County, California. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 7,194. Geography Atherton is located at 37°27'31" North, 122°12'0" West (37. 458615, -122. According to the United States Census Bureau,, San CarlosSan Carlos is a city located in San Mateo County, California on the San Francisco Peninsula. It is a small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP Code is 94070, and it is within the 650 area, and Palo AltoPalo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA. Palo Alto is located at the northern end of the Silicon Valley, and is home to Stanford University (which is technically located in an adjacent area — Stanford, C.