Portola Valley

 

Named for Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá, who led the first party of Europeans to explore the San Francisco Peninsula in 1769, Portola Valley is home to just over 4,000 residents. The town is ranked as one of the 40 wealthiest towns in the country, where many of the homes have spectacular views of the mountains to the west, and the Bay/Silicon Valley to the east and south. The area has a rural feel and is part of the Mid Peninsula Open Space District offering miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails with magnificent views and abundant wildlife. Situated near Stanford University and the venture capital community on Sand Hill Road, Portola Valley is also just 30 minutes south of San Francisco.