Overview
Los Altos is in Santa Clara County, in the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The city means "The Heights" or "Foothills" in Spanish. It is mostly residential, but it does have several areas which could be considered business districts.
1 sights · 4 things to do · 17 places to eat · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Los Altos
Los Altos History Museum
Features exhibits related to the city's history and occasional special events.
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve
A small area that features short hiking trails and picnic areas. Class and special events are often held here. There is also a nature center, although it is closed due to renovations as of April 2021.
Downtown Los Altos Friday Movie Nights
Pretend you're a local and bring your chairs, blankets, and picnics to this summer outdoor film series, sponsored by the Los Altos Village Association.
Fine Art in the Park
An open-air art show featuring original works by over 100 artists. The event takes place in Lincoln Park in August.
Los Altos Arts and Wine Festival
Walk the streets of downtown Los Altos as artists and food vendors hawk their wares. There are rides, food stalls, and musical groups. The festival takes place the second weekend of July.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 80°F; winter lows dip to about 39°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan. (climate data from nearby Palo Alto)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SJC Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose — 9 mi away (major hub). Directions
- SQL San Carlos Airport, San Carlos — 13 mi away. Directions
If driving on El Camino Real, drive south on San Antonio Road, south on Los Altos Avenue, or south on Grant Road. Interstate 280 provides easy access to Los Altos. If coming in from the north (San Francisco), then use 280 South. If coming in from the south, use 87 North with connections to 280 North. If coming from the east, then 280 North is a simple method of entry. Foothill Expressway connects with southern Palo Alto and Stanford to the northwest, and with Cupertino and Sunnyvale to the southeast.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Los Altos History Museum, Redwood Grove Nature Preserve, Downtown Los Altos Friday Movie Nights
- Lunch Cafe Nur
- Afternoon Fine Art in the Park, Los Altos Arts and Wine Festival
- Dinner Chef Chu's
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
In the El Camino Corridor:
In the Downtown Triangle:
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
If driving on El Camino Real, drive south on San Antonio Road, south on Los Altos Avenue, or south on Grant Road. Interstate 280 provides easy access to Los Altos. If coming in from the north (San Francisco), then use 280 South. If coming in from the south, use 87 North with connections to 280 North. If coming from the east, then 280 North is a simple method of entry. Foothill Expressway connects with southern Palo Alto and Stanford to the northwest, and with Cupertino and Sunnyvale to the southeast.
If taking public transportation, VTA bus lines 40 and 52 go near downtown Los Altos and line 51 serves southern Los Altos.
Get around
Los Altos is a typical low-density California suburb where most people use private automobiles to get around.
The city's commercial areas and some arterial roads have sidewalks. However, many of the city's residential streets do not have sidewalks, which makes walking long distances rather inconvenient but supports the city's desired rural feel.
Valley Transportation Authority provides bus service along the El Camino Real commercial corridor and also provides buses which run through Los Altos to link the Caltrain line and light rail in adjacent Mountain View with the local community college, Foothill College, in adjacent Los Altos Hills. Line 22 and express line 522 on El Camino Real are key bus lines and therefore come quite frequently. Less frequent service is available on VTA lines 40, 52, and 51. The city has no train or light rail service.
See
Los Altos is mostly residential but there are some hotspots such as Loyola Corners, Downtown Los Altos, and the various borders between Los Altos and other close-by cities.
Los Altos is one of a small number of California cities with a true Main Street in the traditional sense, in that the downtown area is clearly centered on Main Street.
The city's western border is formed by Adobe Creek, the namesake of tech giant Adobe (now based in San Jose). The creek is largely hemmed in by residential subdivisions and is difficult to see at ground level. It is most visible from the Adobe Creek overpass on El Camino Real at the northwest corner of the city.
Adjacent to the city, Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve is a major destination where one can enjoy views of Los Altos, Cupertino, and the rest of Silicon Valley. The park is open daily from sunrise to sundown.
Do
Bicycling is popular, especially on the NE/SW route of Foothill Expressway. Peet's Coffee on State Street is a popular stop for bicyclists. A bicycle route from Los Altos Avenue to Arastradero road is a popular route to Stanford University that avoids much automobile traffic. During evenings in the summer, the Downtown Triangle shows a movie every evening, free of charge.
Buy
Los Altos has four main shopping areas, listed in order of size:
- the south side of El Camino Real
- the Downtown Triangle bordered on the Southwest by Foothill Expressway, on the North by Edith Drive, and on the East by San Antonio Road near its Southern terminus. This area is very suitable for walking and is much more peaceful than similar downtowns in nearby Palo Alto and Mountain View, but still has plenty of foot traffic.
- Rancho Shopping Center at the intersection of Springer Road and Foothill, primarily Andronico's grocery store
- Loyola Corners at the Southern end of Miramonte Road has a variety of shops including a very popular high-end bicycle shop.
Eat
In the El Camino Corridor:
Eat Chef Chu's
Chinese restaurant and take-out
Eat Esther's German Bakery
European bread and pastries
Eat A Good Morning
American Breakfast
Eat The Pasta Market
Italian American
Eat Dittmer's Meats
German meats
In the Downtown Triangle:
Eat Los Altos Grill
American; formerly Bandera's
Eat La Scala
Italian cuisine. Replaces the now-closed Bella Vita.
Eat Original Pancake House
Pancakes, waffles, and other breakfast items
In the Rancho Shopping Center:
Eat Main Street Bagel
For bagels and lunch sandwiches
In Loyola Corners:
Eat Tom's Depot
for breakfast and lunch
Eat Cafe Vitale
For upper-scale lunch/dinner
Sleep
Stay Courtyard Palo Alto Los Altos
Located very close to downtown Palo Alto. Features an on-site restaurant called Courtyard Long Bar and Bistro that opens until 10 p.m.
Stay Enchanté Boutique Hotel
French chateau-inspired boutique hotel in downtown Los Altos. Also features a restaurant called Campagne One Main Bistro that is open daily from 12 to 8 p.m.
Stay safe
Dial 911 for all emergencies.
Violent crime in Los Altos is relatively rare. For hikers, there are some obvious guidelines that should be followed. Bring water, food and a first aid kit if you decide to go hiking in Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve. The city's police department is located near the city hall.
For fire and medical services, Los Altos contracts with the Santa Clara County Fire District and has two fire stations:
Go next
There are several neighboring cities that are very similar, such as:
Nearby
Mountain View
City / town · 55 listings · 2 mi away
Los Altos Hills
City / town · 2 listings · 3 mi away
Sunnyvale
City / town · 28 listings · 3 mi away
Palo Alto
City / town · 53 listings · 4 mi away
Cupertino
City / town · 20 listings · 5 mi away
Santa Clara
City / town · 40 listings · 7 mi away
Menlo Park
City / town · 75 listings · 7 mi away
Portola Valley
City / town · 1 listings · 8 mi away
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