Portola Valley is on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The city is in San Mateo County and is south of Woodside and west of Menlo Park.

Get in

There is only 3 main ways to enter Portola Valley, Highway 280, taking Sand Hill Road, or taking highway 35.(Skyline BLV)

There's no public transit to speak of, just a couple of once-a-weekday bus routes from the local schools.

Get around

Portola Valley is a smaller town, and typically has less crosswalks or public transportation. There is 3 shopping centers in Portola Valley, and able to reach them from Portola Road, or Woodside Road. Sam Trans also runs routes to Portola Valley, though mainly used for Corte Madera School.

See

There is many hikes around Portola Valley, including Portola Redwoods State Park.

Do

Hiking is one of the main activities you can do within Portola Valley.

Drink

• 1 Alpine Inn, 3915 Alpine Rd, ☏ +1 (650) 954-4004. The only Bar in Portola Valley, and able to be reached from San Hill Road, and Portola Valley. (updated Dec 2023)

Alcohol is also available at other restaurants (except Portola Valley Deli) And also available at Roberts Market (On Portola Road.)

Sleep

There are no hotels in Portola Valley. However, lodging is available in nearby Menlo Park and Woodside.

Go next

Going onto Highway 280 is your best bet of leaving Portola Valley. Highway 280 leads to bigger towns and cities, such as San Francisco. You can also use Highway 84 to reach the coast, but usually takes longer.