Mosques and Muslim community centers near Palo Alto

Palo Alto does not have a large mosque of its own, but Muslim residents are well served within a short drive. A neighborhood musalla in Mountain View offers daily prayers close to home. Bigger Islamic centers in Santa Clara, San Jose and the West Valley run two Friday sessions, weekend schools, youth programs and community services. Many Palo Alto families use more than one: the nearest for daily prayers and a larger center for Jumu'ah, Ramadan and Eid.

This page lists mosques and Muslim community centers we could confirm with a current website showing 2026 activity. It describes each as it describes itself. Prayer times shift with the sun and many centers change Jumu'ah times when daylight saving time begins or ends, so check the center's own prayer schedule before you go. For other traditions, see our places of worship guide.

Reading a prayer schedule

Muslims pray five daily prayers at times set by the position of the sun, plus the congregational Friday prayer, Jumu'ah, at midday. Mosque websites usually list two times for each prayer. The athan, or adhan, is the call to prayer and marks when the prayer time begins. The iqamah is when the congregation actually stands to pray, often 10 to 40 minutes later. If you want to join a congregational prayer, go by the iqamah time.

Jumu'ah includes a sermon, the khutbah, before the prayer. Larger centers hold two or more sessions to fit everyone. Times usually move when daylight saving time begins in March and ends in November.

MVPA Musalla, Mountain View

MVPA Musalla, short for Mountain View Palo Alto Musalla, is at 849 Independence Avenue, Unit C, in Mountain View, in the business district north of Highway 101. It describes itself as a neighborhood mosque serving the Muslim community of Mountain View and Palo Alto, reviving the idea of a "mohalla masjid" in an American setting. It provides space for daily prayers, community gatherings, learning and service. It says it also fosters relationships with other faith and non-faith communities nearby.

The musalla posts prayer times and events through its own app and website and streams some programs. Its website loads these times dynamically, so we could not read them directly. Download the app or email the musalla for the current Jumu'ah time. It is the closest prayer space to most of Palo Alto, about 4 miles from downtown.

Muslim Community Association (MCA), Santa Clara

MCA is one of the largest Islamic centers in the Bay Area. It runs two mosques in Santa Clara:

• MCA main campus: 3003 Scott Boulevard, Santa Clara.
• Masjid Al-Noor: 1755 Catherine Street, Santa Clara.

Its prayer schedule for November 2, 2026 listed two Jumu'ah sessions at each site. At the main campus they were at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. At Al-Noor they were at 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., with new Jumu'ah times announced from Friday, November 6. The schedule notes that there is no outside overflow space for some sessions. Daily iqamah times are posted for both mosques, along with a full month and full year view.

Visitors' Hour

MCA runs a Visitors' Hour for non-Muslims who want to learn about the community. It offers weekly drop-ins and custom tours for schools, companies and other groups, arranged by email. MCA says visitors can hear Quran recitation and the call to prayer and observe the evening prayer. It describes a congregation drawn from more than 30 ethnicities and over 50 countries.

Programs

MCA runs full-time and weekend Islamic schools, youth and sports programs, social services, a funeral service and matrimonial events. Its November 2026 calendar included a seniors' social, a women's art night and a class on the history of Islamic law. It is also planning a campus expansion. Our Santa Clara guide covers the city.

South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA), San Jose

SBIA was founded in 1980 and calls itself one of the oldest mosques in the San Jose area. Its masjid is at 2345 Harris Way in north San Jose, about 12 miles from Palo Alto. Its website listed Jumu'ah at 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. in early November 2026, with daily prayer times and upcoming iqamah changes. Its November events included a showcase of Bay Area Islamic schools, a college application workshop and a weekend class on the life of the Prophet. It sends a newsletter twice a week. Our San Jose guide has more on the city.

West Valley Muslim Association

West Valley Muslim Association (WVMA) serves Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino and nearby towns. It lists three locations:

WVMA's site posts daily athan and iqamah times and a resident imam. It says everyone is welcome to visit. The association is raising funds to buy a permanent masjid site in Cupertino. It is the farthest center on this page, about 15 miles from downtown Palo Alto.

Muslim life at Stanford

Stanford's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life has an associate dean and advisors who support Muslim students and staff. Its religious calendar marks Ramadan and Eid. Prayer space on campus is in the CIRCLE Multi-Faith Center on the third floor of Old Union. Our religious life at Stanford page describes the center and its hours.

Visiting a mosque

Ramadan, Eid and community meals

Stanford's religious calendar estimates Ramadan 2027 from about February 8 to March 9. Exact dates depend on the moon and each center announces them. During Ramadan, many centers host nightly iftar meals and taraweeh prayers. Eid prayers draw very large crowds and are sometimes held in rented halls or parks. Check each center's site in January for its plans.

For halal restaurants and markets in town, see our halal food guide. For services in other languages across traditions, see our page on worship in other languages.

Getting there from Palo Alto

MVPA Musalla is about 10 minutes by car from south Palo Alto, or roughly 25 minutes by bike. MCA and Masjid Al-Noor are 20 to 30 minutes by car via Central Expressway or Highway 101. SBIA in north San Jose is a similar drive. WVMA's Los Gatos and Saratoga sites are 25 to 35 minutes via Interstate 280 or Highway 85. Midday Friday traffic on 101 can be slow, so leave extra time for Jumu'ah.

Frequently asked questions