North Fair Oaks

Drive north on Middlefield Road from Palo Alto, through Menlo Park and past the big lots of Atherton. Within a few blocks the scene changes. Taquerias, panaderías, fruit stands, tire shops and small markets line the road, with signs in Spanish and families walking to errands. This is North Fair Oaks, an unincorporated neighborhood of about 14,000 people that most maps simply label Redwood City.

For Palo Alto residents it is one of the closest places to eat regional Mexican food, buy fresh tortillas and shop at Latino markets. It is also a revealing piece of Peninsula history: a community left outside city limits a century ago that built its own identity. This guide covers where it is, how to get there, why it is unincorporated, Middlefield Road, food, parks, the community festival and what to know before you go.

Where North Fair Oaks is and how far

North Fair Oaks covers about 1.2 square miles between Redwood City to the north and west, Atherton to the south and Menlo Park to the east. El Camino Real runs along its western side and Middlefield Road through its center. The 2020 census counted 14,027 residents.

From downtown Palo Alto it is about 5 miles. The drive takes 10 to 15 minutes on Middlefield Road or El Camino Real outside rush hour.

Getting there from Palo Alto

By car or bike

The simplest route is Middlefield Road north from Palo Alto, straight through Menlo Park and Atherton. Street parking is tight in North Fair Oaks, a problem the county itself names as a top community issue. It has bought parcels at Middlefield Road and 2nd Avenue and at Berkshire and Huntington avenues to add public parking. Middlefield is also a pleasant bike ride from Palo Alto's bike boulevards; our bike boulevards guide covers the Palo Alto end.

By Caltrain and bus

Atherton's Caltrain station no longer has regular service, so use Redwood City or Menlo Park. Menlo Park is in the same zone as Palo Alto, a one-zone fare of $4.00 in October 2026. Redwood City is two zones. From Redwood City station, the heart of Middlefield Road is about a mile and a half south. SamTrans Route 296 links the Redwood City Transit Center with Atherton, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto; check its map for stops. See our Redwood City station guide.

How it came to be unincorporated

A century ago, Fair Oaks was the name of a residential area north of Menlo Park, with large country estates. In 1923 Menlo Park moved to annex it. Fair Oaks residents responded by incorporating on their own as the Town of Atherton. The land just north, with smaller lots and working families, was left out of any city. It became North Fair Oaks and has stayed under county government ever since. Our Atherton guide tells the other side of that story.

One of San Francisco's two Hetch Hetchy water pipeline corridors on the Peninsula cuts across the neighborhood on a diagonal, ignoring the street grid. Over the late 20th century, many Mexican families settled here, especially from the state of Michoacán, which earned the area the nickname Little Michoacán. With nearby parts of Redwood City, it is also known locally as Little Mexico. San Mateo County reports that 69.9 percent of residents identified as Hispanic or Latino in 2020. North Fair Oaks, East Palo Alto and Pescadero are the only majority-Latino communities in the county. Read more in our Latino history page.

Who runs it

Because North Fair Oaks is unincorporated, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors acts as its city council. The area sits in District 4, represented by Supervisor Lisa Gauthier. An elected North Fair Oaks Community Council advises the board. The Sheriff's Office provides police services. Children attend elementary schools in the Redwood City School District, then Menlo-Atherton High School in the Sequoia Union High School District. A county North Fair Oaks Community Plan guides land use and new projects.

Middlefield Road

Middlefield Road is the neighborhood's main street. Through the heart of the neighborhood it is lined with family businesses: taquerias, bakeries, butcher shops, produce markets, money transfer offices, salons and repair shops. The county launched a $25 million Middlefield Road Improvement Project in May 2021 to reconfigure the street for safety, with new sidewalks and street lights; most of the work was scheduled to wrap up at the end of 2022.

The Fair Oaks branch library at 2510 Middlefield Road is a community anchor and the traditional meeting point for the neighborhood festival. A small neighborhood park at Edison Way and Fair Oaks Avenue, built on the Hetch Hetchy right of way, was planted and is maintained largely by volunteers from the Fair Oaks Beautification Association.

Food and shopping

Food is the main reason most Palo Alto residents visit. Expect regional Mexican cooking, from tacos al pastor and carnitas to birria, tortas and seafood cocteles, plus Central American spots. Panaderías sell pan dulce by the tray. Markets stock dried chiles, fresh masa, Mexican cheeses and produce that is hard to find in Palo Alto supermarkets. Most places are casual, inexpensive and family run. Restaurants change often, so check a current map. Our guides to Mexican and Latin American food and Redwood City food cover specific places.

The North Fair Oaks Festival

The North Fair Oaks Community Festival is a free one-day summer event with a parade, two music stages, food and craft stands, information booths and a Queen of the Festival scholarship for local young women. The first festival in 2000 drew about 1,500 people. The next year more than 10,000 came. Attendance later reached tens of thousands. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has hosted it, with proceeds supporting scholarships and youth programs. It paused in 2020 and returned in 2022, starting in front of the library on Middlefield Road. Dates vary from year to year, so check the county's North Fair Oaks pages each spring.

Parks nearby

North Fair Oaks has little park space of its own, one of the issues the community plan addresses. Red Morton Park in Redwood City is close by. Flood Park, a San Mateo County park a few minutes east in Menlo Park, has a new playground; the county scheduled its ribbon cutting for November 10, 2026. For bigger open space, the bay trails at Bedwell Bayfront Park are a short drive away.

Why a Palo Alto visitor might go

1. Food. Some of the best and most affordable Mexican food near Palo Alto.
2. Groceries. Latino markets for ingredients you will not find on University Avenue.
3. Peninsula history. It shows how city lines drawn in the 1920s still shape who lives where.
4. Close by. It is a 10-minute drive or an easy bike ride. If family is visiting and you need rooms nearby, you can compare Redwood City hotels a mile or two away.

Frequently asked questions