Hillsborough, California

Hillsborough, California
Town in California
Town of Hillsborough
Carolands
Seal
Location of Hillsborough in San Mateo County, California.
Hillsborough, California Location in the United States
Coordinates: 37°33′37″N 122°21′23″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Mateo
Incorporated	May 5, 1910
Area
• Total	6.17 sq mi (15.97 km2)
• Land	6.17 sq mi (15.97 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation	322 ft (98 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	10,825
• Estimate  (2019)	11,387
• Density	1,847.04/sq mi (713.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	94010
Area code	650
FIPS code	06-33798
GNIS feature IDs	1659735, 2412752
Website	www.hillsborough.net

Hillsborough is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located 17 miles (27 km) south of San Francisco on the San Francisco Peninsula, bordered by Burlingame to the north, San Mateo to the east, Highlands-Baywood Park to the south, and Interstate 280 to the west. The population was 10,825 as of 2010.

History

Hillsborough is located on the Rancho San Mateo Mexican land grant which was purchased by William Davis Merry Howard, son of a wealthy Hillsborough, New Hampshire, shipping magnate, in 1846. Howard settled his family in this area, which attracted wealthy San Franciscans. In 1910, Hillsborough residents voted to incorporate. From the town's foundation until 1963, it was an exclusive community for wealthy whites. That all changed in 1963 when Jack and Betty Ken, the first-generation children of Chinese Immigrants, purchased land in the town. This made them the first non-white people to own land in the town, which effectively desegregated Hillsborough.

Geography and environment

Hillsborough is located at 37°33′37″N 122°21′23″W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16 km²), all of it land. The area's considerably winding, hilly topography, and impossibility of a grid layout make Hillsborough notoriously challenging to navigate. Many lots include fairly steep slopes, particularly the western side of the town, with the landscape generally flattening to the east as it descends from the 280 freeway to El Camino Real and the towns of Burlingame and San Mateo.

3 prominent streams drain the mostly wooded slopes of Hillsborough: San Mateo Creek, Cherry Canyon Creek, and Sanchez Creek. In all 3 cases the upper watersheds are closed-canopy California oak woodlands, with dominant trees of Coast Live Oak, Pacific Madrone and California Bay.

The upper drainage area of San Mateo Creek in Hillsborough contains significant serpentinite outcrops, which are known habitats for several rare plant species including the San Mateo woolly sunflower. Other common plants include toyon, gooseberry, lupine, monkeyflower and coffeeberry. Commonly observed mammals include California mule deer, raccoons, opossum, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, and skunks.

Hillsborough is bordered by Burlingame to the north, San Mateo to the east, Highlands-Baywood Park to the south, and Interstate 280 to the west.

Hillsborough's landscape is dominated by large homes; the town zoning and subdivision ordinances require a 2,500-square-foot (230 m²) minimum house size and minimum lot size of 0.5 acres (2,000 m²). As a result, there are no apartments, condominiums or townhouses in the city limits.

The town has no commercial zoning and thus no businesses within the town limits; the only non-residential properties are the town's four public and three private schools, town and county government facilities, a golf course, a country club, and small parks.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	931		—
1930	1,891		103.1%
1940	2,747		45.3%
1950	3,552		29.3%
1960	7,554		112.7%
1970	8,753		15.9%
1980	10,372		18.5%
1990	10,667		2.8%
2000	10,825		1.5%
2010	10,825		0.0%
2019 (est.)	11,387		5.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010

At the 2010 census Hillsborough had a population of 10,825. The population density was 1,748.9 people per square mile (675.3/km²). The racial makeup of Hillsborough was 7,178 (66.3%) White, 42 (0.4%) African American, 7 (0.1%) Native American, 3,044 (28.1%) Asian, 23 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 109 (1.0%) from other races, and 422 (3.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 373 people (3.4%).

The census reported that 10,825 people (100% of the population) lived in households, as no other type of residence exists in Hillsborough.

There were 3,693 households, 1,445 (39.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,804 (75.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 220 (6.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 114 (3.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 66 (1.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 34 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 451 households (12.2%) were one person and 309 (8.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93. There were 3,138 families (85.0% of households); the average family size was 3.18.

The age distribution was 2,877 people (26.6%) under the age of 18, 466 people (4.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,600 people (14.8%) aged 25 to 44, 3,667 people (33.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,215 people (20.5%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 47.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

There were 3,912 housing units at an average density of 632.0 per square mile, of the occupied units 3,490 (94.5%) were owner-occupied and 203 (5.5%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 10,206 people (94.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 619 people (5.7%) lived in rental housing units.

In 2019, a Bloomberg analysis ranked Hillsborough as the fifth richest town in the United States.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 10,825 people, 3,689 households, and 3,161 families in the town. The population density was 1,738.7 people per square mile (670.9/km²). There were 3,804 housing units at an average density of 611.0 per square mile (235.8/km²). Of the 3,689 households 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.6% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.3% were non-families. 11.1% of households were one person and 7.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.14.

The age distribution was 25.1% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median household income was $193,157 and the median family income was $200,000. Full-time male workers have a median income of $100,000+ versus $55,882 for full-time female workers. The per capita income for the town was $98,643. About 1.8% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over. According to The Best Places to Live 2007 in Money Magazine, Hillsborough's $263,456 median household income is the highest in the country.

Politics

According to the California Secretary of State, on February 10, 2019, Hillsborough had 7,802 registered voters. Of those, 2,638 (33.8%) were registered Democrats, 2,337 (30%) were registered Republicans, and 2,522 (32.3%) had declined to state a political party.

In the state legislature, Hillsborough is in the 13th Senate District, represented by Democrat Josh Becker, and in the 22nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Juan Alanis.

In the United States House of Representatives, Hillsborough is in California's 14th congressional district, represented by Democrat Eric Swalwell.

Hillsborough vote
by party in presidential elections

Year	Democratic	Republican
2016	63.0% 3,757	30.7% 1,831
2012	45.5% 2,667	53.2% 3,118
2008	56.3% 3,531	42.5% 2,668
2004	47.3% 2,796	52.0% 3,070
2000	40.3% 2,297	57.2% 3,259
1996	35.7% 1,932	57.9% 3,135
1992	30.7% 1,886	51.1% 3,138
1988	26.3% 1,592	72.7% 4,395
1984	21.3% 1,025	77.8% 3,749
1980	13.0% 662	75.6% 3,781
1976	17.2% 805	80.6% 3,766
1972	19.8% 927	77.6% 3,643
1968	23.0% 1,003	74.3% 3,233
1964	37.7% 1,507	62.3% 2,495

Schools

Hillsborough has its own highly regarded and -ranked public elementary and middle school system, but no public high school. High school-aged children can attend one of several schools in the San Mateo Union High School District, generally assigned by residential address. The town is also home to a small number of independent schools. The Hillsborough school district is ranked as the #1 school district in California and one of the top ten school districts in the country.

• The Nueva School, a nationally recognized independent school serving gifted and talented students.
• Crocker Middle School, a public middle school, located on Ralston Avenue, named after William H. Crocker,
• West Elementary School, a public elementary school, located on Barbara Way.
• South Elementary School, a public elementary, at 303 El Cerrito.
• North Elementary School, a public elementary, at 545 Eucalyptus Avenue.
• The Bridge School, a school serving students with physical and speech impairments.
• Crystal Springs Uplands School, a college preparatory middle and high school.

Landmarks

Primarily a residential suburb of San Francisco, Hillsborough has many mansions and other points of interest within the town's borders dating from the early 20th century.

• Arthur and Mona Hofmann House – Designed by Richard Neutra and is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Carolands — Built by Harriet Pullman Carolan, heiress to the Pullman railway. At 65,000 ft² (6,000 m²), it is one of the largest residences in the United States and is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Skyfarm — Built by William H. Crocker, namesake of Crocker middle school, and grandson of Charles Crocker of California's Big Four railroad magnates. Designed by Arthur Brown, Jr., and opened in 1930. Home since the 1960s to The Nueva School.
• Tobin Clark Estate – Originally designed by the noted architect David Adler for Mrs. Celia Tobin Clark, one of the Peninsula's most prominent families of the early 20th Century
• Uplands — Built by Templeton Crocker, as a gift to his fiancée Helène Irwin, heiress to the C&H Sugar family fortune. Designed by Willis Polk; opened in 1912, with interior of 35,000 ft² (3,250 m²). Home since the 1950s to Crystal Springs Uplands School.
• Western White House — Commissioned by George Randolph Hearst, son of William Randolph Hearst and now privately owned. It, like Hearst Castle was designed by Julia Morgan.
• Junípero Serra statue — Overlooking Highway 280, the statue was built in honor of Father Junípero Serra.
• Sidney Bazett Residence — Designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939, the Bazett Residence is a fine example from his "Usonian" period. Completed in 1940, the house remains largely in its original condition. Another notable feature of the house is that one of its former occupants was Joseph Eichler, whose tenancy in the house is said to have greatly influenced the eventual designs used in his successful housing developments of the 1950s-1960s.
• ′The Flintstone House′ (a.k.a. the Adobe/Dome/Bubble/Marshmallow/Gumby house) — designed by architect William Nicholson and built in 1976 using sprayed concrete over balloon-shaped forms, now painted a deep/burnt orange color reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge's distinctive hue. The house can be seen to the east from the Doran Memorial Bridge, northbound on Highway 280 between the Bunker Hill and Hayne/Black Mountain exits.

Climate

December is the coolest month with an average high of 60 degrees, and September is the warmest month with an average high of 78 degrees. Hillsborough has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa), with the vast majority of the precipitation from the months of November to April. On average, Hillsborough receives 17 inches (430 mm) of rain. With coastal mountains to the west of Hillsborough, it is blocked in the winter from much of the rainfall over Half Moon Bay, and in the summer it is blocked from virtually all the fog of the coast. Hillsborough receives an average of 307 days of sunshine annually, with 52 days of recordable precipitation per year.

Notable people

• Roxy Bernstein – sports broadcaster
• Pat Burrell – baseball player
• Alyssa Campanella – Miss California USA 2011
• Sam Chavez – professional golfer
• Jenny Craig – weight loss guru, founder of Jenny Craig, Inc.
• William H. Crocker – founder and president of Crocker National Bank, member of committee that built San Francisco Opera House and Veterans Building
• Bing Crosby – singer, actor, raised his second family in Hillsborough
• Nathaniel Crosby – U.S. Amateur golf champion, son of Bing Crosby
• Eric Dane – actor
• Andre Ethier—baseball player
• Kathy Garver – actress
• Marjorie Gestring – diver, youngest Olympian to win gold medal
• Michael Grimes – managing director at Morgan Stanley
• Patty Hearst – heiress of Hearst newspaper fortune
• William Randolph Hearst I – newspaper publisher, politician, builder of Hearst Castle
• Rickey Henderson – Hall of Fame baseball player
• Charles B. Johnson – former chairman at Franklin Templeton Investments
• Brigitte Lin – Taiwanese actress
• Phyllis Welch MacDonald - actress
• Greg Maddux – Hall of Fame baseball pitcher
• David Marquardt – co-founder of venture capital firm August Capital
• Timothy Francis McCarthy – Former President of Charles Schwab
• Larry Probst – chairman and former CEO of Electronic Arts (EA)
• Alicia Silverstone - grew up in Hillsborough actress
• J.T. Snow – baseball player
• Elon Musk - Entrepreneur
• Jackie Speier – U.S. Representative from 14th district
• Lucio Tan – businessman
• Bud Tribble – vice president of software technology at Apple Inc., among founders of NeXT, Inc.
• Marshall Tuck – politician
• Troy Tulowitzki – baseball player
• George Tupou V – King of Tonga
• Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita – Tongan princess, only daughter of former King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
• Siosa'ia Ma'ulupekotofa Tuita – Tongan diplomat and Consul General of San Francisco, husband of Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita
• Martin Yan – chef, star of TV show "Yan Can Cook," lives with family in Hillsborough
• Jimmy Kimmel – Comedian
• Jeremy Lin - Professional basketball player

Further reading

• Dwyer, Michael Middleton. Carolands. Redwood City, CA: San Mateo County Historical Association, 2006. ISBN 0-9785259-0-6

External links

• Official website