San Mateo from above

San Mateo is a town on the Peninsula in the Bay Area of California.

Get in

By plane

San Mateo is near 1 San Francisco International Airport (SFO ^IATA). The Bay Area's other airports, 2 Oakland (OAK ^IATA) and 3 San Jose (SJC ^IATA), are less convenient.

By rail

The CalTrain calls at three stations in San Mateo: 4 San Mateo, 5 Hayward Park, and 6 Hillsdale.

By car

US-101 and I-280 run through the city. It is also connected to the East Bay via the San Mateo–Hayward Bay Bridge ($7 toll as of 2022).

Get around

The most convenient way is by car. If you're using public transit, check out the trip planner on http://www.511.org.

Cycling and walking are also popular ways of getting around. There are two downtown shopping areas: the primary downtown is between 2nd and 5th streets, bordered by El Camino Real and the train tracks. The big, new San Mateo Public Library is also downtown. The "other" downtown is south about 15 blocks, at 25th ave on the West side of El Camino Real. Continuing south on El Camino Real is the Hillsdale Mall.

See

Central Park is off of El Camino Real between 5th Ave and 9th Ave. Inside the park is a beautiful 1 Japanese Tea Garden. There is also a 2 miniature railway for children that runs daily in summer and at weekends all year. During the winter, there is an outside ice rink that is open to the public daily (including holidays).

North of the park, downtown San Mateo runs along 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue (spilling somewhat onto 2nd Avenue) between El Camino Real and the Caltrain train tracks; it's one of the more successful urban downtowns left on the Peninsula. The streets with the most restaurants and other establishments are B Street, 3rd Avenue, 4th Avenue and 2nd Avenue.

San Mateo used to be home to Bay Meadows, the only horse racing track on the San Francisco Peninsula. It's being redeveloped. The grounds are also home to the San Mateo County Events Center, where the annual county fair is held and various other events (including the 2010 Bay Area stop of Maker Faire. Take the Delaware Street exit off of Highway 92 and head south; the Event Center parking lot is directly off Delaware. What part of Bay Meadows remains visible are best viewed on foot from this area.

For fans of the local mid-century modern architecture, San Mateo is home to two Eichler neighborhoods - 19th Avenue park is a very early tract group of Eichlers, and The Highlands is a later neighborhood of custom Eichlers.

Coyote Point is a park in the north-east corner of San Mateo off of Highway 101 at Peninsula Avenue. A small boat harbor is there as well as a natural history museum. There is also a public shooting range, open weekday evenings.

Poplar Creek Golf Course, a municipal course, is there as well. A hiking trail allows easy access to San Francisco Bay.

Crystal Springs Reservoir is in the watershed area off of Highway 280 on the western edge of San Mateo. Crystal Springs dam is just south of Crystal Springs off of Skyline Boulevard.

• Veil Parasol Temple (雲傘雷藏寺), 217 North Grant Street, ☏ +1 650 455-8136, mhung@veilparasol.org. A temple of the True Buddha School, a new religious movement with deities and practices from Taoism, among other things. (updated Apr 2024)

Do

Along with shopping and dining, there is a medium-size movie theater (12 screens, none of them huge) just off B-street between 3rd and 2nd Avenues.

• 1 CuriOdyssey, 1651 Coyote Point Dr, ☏ +1 650-342-7755, info@curiodyssey.org. Small family–oriented science museum and zoo, featuring rescued local animals. (updated Sep 2023)

Buy

• 1 Hillsdale Mall. A large enclosed mall with mid- to high-end shops. Features Macy's and Nordstrom. 
• The area of downtown San Mateo around the intersection of 3rd Avenue and B street has a large number of local shops. There are also smaller shopping streets around 25th Avenue and 41st avenue, in both cases just west of El Camino Real.

Eat

Asian

• 1 Yumi Yogurt, 3955 S El Camino Real, ☏ +1 650 341-0939. Amazing flavors of soft serve frozen yogurt and a huge topping bar. Also serve hand scooped ice cream. 
• 2 Little Shanghai, 17 E. 25th Ave, ☏ +1 650 573-7161. Cheap, authentic Shanghainese place. Always seems to be filled with local Chinese families getting their fill. 
• San Mateo has a large Japanese community, and has a number of Japanese restaurants. A few that stand out are:
  • 3 Santa Ramen, 1944 S El Camino Real. 
  • 4 Ramen Dojo, 805 South B St. A restaurant by the same owner as Santa Ramen, and these days more popular than the original one. Much smaller than Santa Ramen and harder to get into (people start lining up half an hour before opening time), no reservations taken. 
  • 5 Ramen Parlor, 901 South B St. Another restaurant by the same owner as Santa Ramen and Ramen Dojo. A block away from Ramen Dojo, and easier to get into. 
  • 6 Himawari, 202 2nd Ave. Another popular ramen shop in San Mateo. 
  • 7 Sushi Sam's, 218 East 3rd Ave. Probably the most highly regarded sushi restaurant in San Mateo. The other candidate is 8 Yuzu (54 37th Avenue). 
  • 9 Hotaru, 33 E 3rd Ave, ☏ +1 650 343-1152. Authentic Japanese with an excellent all-around menu including sushi and cooked favorites. Very busy for weekday lunches, quieter at other times. Good value for lunch; prices go up on the dinner menu. 
  • 10 Shabuway, 145 E 3rd Ave, ☏ +1 650 548-2483. One of only a few shabu-shabu restaurants on the Peninsula. 
  • 11 Kaz Teriyaki Grill, 71 East 4th Ave. Very popular corner takeout Japanese food restaurant in Downtown, fairly authentic. 

Mexican

• 12 Taquería Pancho Villa, 365 South B St, ☏ +1 650 343-4123. The line out the door should give a clue to the quality inside. Well-roasted meats, tacos and real Mexican food made to order, and inexpensive. Their horchata is good, but their smoothies are better (and made with fresh fruit.). 
• 13 La Cumbre Taquería, 28 N B St (next to the Caltain station), ☏ +1 650 344-8989. Pancho Villa's main competition. Excellent, huge burritos. 
• There are two branches of the Bay Area-wide Celia's family of restaurants, one up in the hills (14 3190 Campus Dr. +1 650-349-0165) and one north of downtown on the border with Burlingame. Both serve excellent home-style California-Mexican food in a comfortable, sit-down atmosphere. Great for families.

American

• 15 Heidi's Pies, 1941 S. El Camino Real, ☏ +1 650-574-0505. A local diner; solid rather than distinguished food in general. 
• 16 Jeffrey's Hamburgers, 42 South B St, ☏ +1 650-348-8698. Regarded by some as the best hamburger places in town, although fans of Jack's Prime(3723 S. El Camino) would disagree; you can't go wrong with either. 

Pizza

• While there are a lot of pizza places in downtown, none of them are very good. Most of the local Bay Area chains (Amicis, Mr. Pizza Man, Pizza My Heart) are represented. For decent Chicago-style thick crust you will have to go further (Little Star in San Francisco; Patxhi's in San Francisco or Palo Alto; Zachary's in Oakland/Berkeley/San Ramon).
• If you're willing to go outside of downtown, 17 Rainbow Pizza up in the hills (112 De Anza Boulevard #112, ☏ +1 650 571-1848) serves a delicious California-Greek take on pizza as well as delicious Greek food.

Other

• 18 Espetus Churrascaria, 710 South B St, ☏ +1 650-342-8700. A great choice if you're looking to indulge your carnivorous side. 

Drink

Many of the restaurants in downtown have full bars - good for a pre- or post-movie drink, but many close relatively early and there is no urban nightlife scene to speak of. There are a few local bars (1 The Swinging Door on 25th, another on Pacific a few blocks south of Hillsdale) and a small nightclub at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in neighboring Foster City.

Sleep

• 1 Hampton Inn & Suites San Mateo-San Francisco Airport, 2940 S Norfolk St, ☏ +1 650 341-3300, fax: +1 650 341-9999. 
• 2 Holiday Inn, 330 Bayshore Blvd, ☏ +1 650 344-3219. 
• 3 Residence Inn San Francisco Airport/San Mateo, 2000 Winward Way, ☏ +1 650 574-4700, fax: +1 650 572-9084. 
• 4 San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport, 1770 South Amphlett Blvd, ☏ +1 650 653-6000, fax: +1 650 573-0533. Near two major freeways, it's a good option for those in transit. Nice lobby for hanging out and a convenience store just 1 block away. Pool and exercise room. Abundant parking, but you have to pay for it (and it's controlled with gates). 

Go next

• Public transport is best for traveling to San Francisco; Caltrain has three stops in San Mateo, although BART (a short drive north at the Millbrae station/terminal) is quicker, more frequent, and will take you to a part of downtown SF more interesting to most tourists.
• Drive east to the East Bay via the San Mateo-Hayward Bay Bridge or further south down US-101 to Silicon Valley.
• Some points of interest on the lower Peninsula and in Silicon Valley are reachable by Caltrain as well; notably the downtowns of Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Jose.

Routes through San Mateo

San Francisco ← Burlingame ←	N  S	→ Belmont → San Jose
Ends at ← Half Moon Bay ←	W  E	→ Foster City → Hayward
San Francisco ← Burlingame ←	N  S	→ Belmont → San Jose