Redwood City, California

Rivers & Roads in Song near Redwood City

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Redwood City.

68 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

• Redwood City, CA

  Redwood City, California, a place cradled between the Bay and the hills, has seen its share of notable figures. While not as star-studded as some other Bay Area towns, it boasts a legacy connected to individuals who’ve…

• San Mateo County History Museum · 0.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  These aren't your typical courtrooms! This grand building, now the San Mateo County History Museum, was once the San Mateo County Superior Court. Built in 1910, this courthouse was a product of the City Beautiful…

• Fox Theatre (Redwood City, California) · 0.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Catch a show at this beautifully restored 1929 theater, a landmark of Redwood City's entertainment history. The Fox Theatre opened its doors in 1929, quickly becoming a central hub for movies and live performances in…

• Lathrop House (Redwood City, California) · 0.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Ever wonder what life was like on the San Francisco Peninsula way back when? This spot offers a rare glimpse. The Lathrop House, also known as the Lathrop-Connor-Mansfield House, was built in Redwood City. Mary C.…

• Union Cemetery (Redwood City, California) · 1.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Step back in time at Union Cemetery, a silent city holding Redwood City's earliest secrets. This isn't just a burial ground; it's a living history book. Established in the mid-1850s, Union Cemetery became the final…

• San Carlos, CA · 1.9 mi · Local history

  Before the biotech campuses and the hum of Highway 101, before Lindsey Buckingham picked up a guitar or the Giants painted the Peninsula orange and black, San Carlos was a different place entirely. Imagine the marshy…

• Nathanial Brittan Party House · 2.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine the parties held at this historic house, built in the late 19th century as a social gathering spot. The Nathanial Brittan Party House, located on Dale Avenue in San Carlos, was built in 1872. It's also been…

• Atherton, CA · 2.8 mi · Local history

  Atherton's story is one of intentional cultivation, a deliberate turning away from the denser development that characterizes much of the Peninsula. The town's early connection to the Southern Pacific Railroad certainly…

• Ralston Hall · 3.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine hosting presidents and European royalty in your own personal palace. That was life for William Ralston at Ralston Hall. Ralston, a powerful San Francisco financier, began building this opulent country house in…

• Menlo Park, CA · 3.7 mi · Local history

  Menlo Park, California, began as a stop on the burgeoning railway line connecting San Francisco to the south. Its name, derived from two Irish immigrants who built adjacent estates, hinted at aspirations of genteel…

• Belmont, CA · 3.8 mi · Local history

  Belmont, California, a city nestled on the Peninsula between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, might seem like just another quiet suburb. But its history whispers of notable figures who have called it home. While…

• Woodside, CA · 3.9 mi

  Woodside, California, nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, exudes an understated elegance that has long attracted a particular kind of resident. The town's winding roads and sprawling estates, often hidden behind…

• Mortimer Fleishhacker House · 4.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Prepare to be transported to a world of Jazz Age elegance! You're approaching the Green Gables Estate, a place that whispers tales of lavish parties and a family's enduring legacy. Constructed between 1911 and 1935, the…

• Filoli · 4.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine a gilded age estate that survived earthquakes and became a movie star! That's Filoli. Built between 1917 and 1919 for William Bowers Bourn II, a wealthy owner of a gold mine and president of a water company,…

• Woodside Store · 4.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine buying supplies here in the 1850s, a time before cars or even reliable roads! That's exactly what folks did at the Woodside Store, also known as Tripp Store. This building is a preserved piece of California's…

• Hostess House · 4.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine saying goodbye to your loved one, not knowing if you'll ever see them again. That's the somber scene this site witnessed during World War I. Built in 1918 by the YWCA, the Hostess House offered soldiers…

• Palo Alto Stock Farm Horse Barn · 5.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Pull over here for a minute – this unassuming red barn played a huge role in the founding of Stanford University! Leland Stanford, the railroad magnate and former governor, established the Palo Alto Stock Farm here in…

• HP Garage – Birthplace of Silicon Valley · 5.2 mi · Historical Marker

  Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started Hewlett-Packard in this Palo Alto garage in 1938.

• HP Garage · 5.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Pull over here – you're looking at the unassuming spot where Silicon Valley as we know it was born. In 1938, fresh Stanford graduates Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started their company, Hewlett-Packard, right here in…

• Foster City, CA · 5.4 mi · Local history

  Foster City's placid surface belies a history of deliberate engineering. Before the 1960s, much of what is now this planned community was tidal marshland, part of the vast San Francisco Bay ecosystem. Then came T. Jack…

• Palo Alto, CA · 5.9 mi · Local history

  The name "Palo Alto" rolls easily off the tongue, a gentle Spanish phrase that belies the intense energy of the place. It means "tall stick" or "tall tree," a reference to a majestic redwood that still stands near the…

• Lou Henry Hoover House · 6.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine living in a house designed by a First Lady! This is the Lou Henry Hoover House, completed in 1920. It was home to Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, and his wife Lou Henry Hoover. But Lou…

• Stanford, CA · 6.1 mi · Wikipedia

  Stanford, California, is more than just home to a famous university. It's also been a launching pad for some notable figures. Think about Sam Bankman-Fried, a name that became widely known as a co-founder of the…

• Kee House (Palo Alto, California) · 6.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Step back in time at one of Palo Alto's oldest houses, a survivor from the bygone era of Mayfield village. The Kee House, located on Yale Street, dates all the way back to 1889. It's a tangible reminder of a time before…

• Junipero Serra High School (Tom Brady) · 6.9 mi

  Junipero Serra High School (451 W. 20th Ave., San Mateo, CA) launched Tom Brady — and it's the same all-boys school that produced Barry Bonds and Lynn Swann. Brady, class of 1995, didn't start out a star: he opened as…

• Our Lady of the Wayside Church · 7.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  This modest church stands as a testament to an unusual alliance. Our Lady of the Wayside Church was built in 1912 through the combined efforts of Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic members of a local group called The…

• San Mateo, CA · 7.3 mi

  San Mateo, California, a city nestled on the peninsula south of San Francisco, claims a surprising number of notable figures. While it might not be as widely known as a celebrity hotspot like Los Angeles, its history…

• Casa de Tableta · 7.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Pull over! You're driving past a piece of California history that's still pouring drinks today. This is the Alpine Inn, also known as Zott's, or Rossotti's, but originally called Casa de Tableta. It was built around…

• Portola Valley, CA · 7.5 mi · Local history

  Portola Valley, nestled in the folds of the Santa Cruz Mountains, owes its name to a pivotal moment in California history. In 1769, Gaspar de Portolá, a Spanish explorer and soldier, led an expedition north from…

• Carolands · 8.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine living in a 98-room mansion with 4.5 floors – this American Renaissance chateau is a sight to behold. Carolands Chateau was commissioned by Harriet Pullman Carolan, heiress to the Pullman railroad fortune.…

• Burlingame station · 8.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine waiting for a train in a building that’s seen over a century of California history. That's Burlingame Station. Built in 1894, this station wasn't just a place to catch a ride; it was a statement. The Southern…

• Burlingame, CA · 9.3 mi

  Burlingame, California, a town south of San Francisco, carries a certain understated prestige. Its manicured eucalyptus groves and quiet, residential streets belie the notable figures who once called it home.

• Los Santos, CA · 9.4 mi

  Los Santos, a sprawling metropolis hugging the Pacific coast, is more than just sun-drenched beaches and palm-lined boulevards. It's a crucible, a place where dreams are both forged and shattered, and where countless…

• Los Altos, CA · 9.4 mi

  Los Altos feels different than some other Peninsula towns. It’s quieter, almost reserved, nestled against the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its downtown, clustered around Main Street and San Antonio Road,…

• Kohl Mansion · 10.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Prepare to be transported back to the Gilded Age as you approach the magnificent Kohl Mansion. Built in 1914, this stunning estate was commissioned by Bessie and Charles Frederick Kohl. Charles was a prominent…

• Los Altos Hills, CA · 10.5 mi · Wikipedia

  Long before it was incorporated in 1956, this area was home to the Ohlone people. Later, the land was divided into two large Spanish-Mexican land grants. Rancho San Antonio de Padua was granted in 1839, and Rancho La…

• James Johnston House (Half Moon Bay, California) · 10.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Get ready to see the 'White House of Half Moon Bay'! It's a beautiful piece of California history, right here on the coast. James Johnston, a Scottish immigrant, built this impressive home between 1853 and 1855. He…

• Shenandoah Plaza National Historic District · 11.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Ever wonder about those enormous, almost otherworldly hangars dominating the landscape near Moffett Field? You're looking at Shenandoah Plaza National Historic District, a monument to early aviation and the age of the…

• Mountain View, CA · 11.4 mi

  Mountain View is a place built on innovation, literally and figuratively. The city’s name itself is a promise, a vista of the Santa Cruz Mountains rising to the west. But the view that truly defines Mountain View isn't…

• Moffett Federal Airfield · 11.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Look to your left! That massive structure isn't just any hangar; it's a monument to naval aviation history, built for giants of the sky. In the 1930s, Moffett Field, then a Naval Air Station, became the home of the USS…

• Half Moon Bay, CA · 11.5 mi

  Half Moon Bay offers a quiet beauty, a kind of charming simplicity that belies its place in the wider world. The crescent-shaped bay itself gave the town its name, finalized when it incorporated in 1959. But even before…

• Newark, CA · 11.8 mi

  Newark, California, might seem like just another quiet suburb nestled in the East Bay, a place defined by its proximity to the tech giants and manufacturing hubs that fuel the region's economy. The marshlands bordering…

• Millbrae, CA · 12.1 mi · Local history

  Millbrae, a city nestled on the San Francisco Peninsula, owes its name to a legacy of land and family. Darius Ogden Mills, a prominent banker and philanthropist in 19th-century California, acquired a large estate south…

• Union City, CA · 12.5 mi · Local history

  Before Silicon Valley, before the Warriors dynasty, Union City was defined by the soil under its feet. Imagine fields stretching as far as the eye could see, a patchwork of green and gold nourished by the bay's…

• Sunnyvale, CA · 13.7 mi

  Sunnyvale, California, a city now synonymous with tech, has roots that reach far beyond binary code. While the sleek campuses of Google and Apple loom large in the collective imagination, the city has also quietly…

• Fremont, CA · 14.0 mi · Local history

  Fremont, California, owes much of its modern identity to the auto industry, specifically the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., or NUMMI plant. This wasn't just any factory; it was a joint venture between General…

• San Bruno, CA · 14.3 mi · Local history

  San Bruno, California, reflects a layered history of settlement. Originally inhabited by the Ohlone people, the area transitioned to Spanish control in the late 18th century, becoming part of Rancho Buri Buri. This…

• Golden Gate National Cemetery · 14.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Pull over for a moment and pay your respects. Golden Gate National Cemetery is the final resting place for over 160,000 veterans and their families. Around 1937, San Francisco residents voted to prohibit new cemeteries…

• South San Francisco, CA · 15.3 mi

  South San Francisco smells faintly of yeast. Not because of a brewery, though there are plenty of those nearby, but because of what South City became: Biotech Bay. The city’s early identity was forged in steel and…

• Hayward, CA · 15.3 mi · Local history

  Hayward rises gently from the edge of the San Francisco Bay, a subtle incline that belies the dramatic forces simmering beneath the surface. This land owes its existence to the very fault line that threatens it: the…

• San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia · 15.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  This unassuming valley holds a story of clashing cultures and a changing California. In 1786, Franciscan missionaries established the San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia here, essentially a sub-mission to Mission Dolores…

• Santa Clara, CA · 15.8 mi · Local history

  Santa Clara, resting on the relatively flat landscape of the Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains ecoregion, pulses with a unique energy. Technology drives much of the local economy, but echoes of its past…

• Cupertino, CA · 15.9 mi

  Cupertino, California, nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, is known globally as the home of Apple, Inc. But the city’s history stretches back further than the tech boom, and its influence extends beyond the digital…

• Brisbane, CA · 16.2 mi

  Brisbane, California, a quiet spot tucked away with breathtaking views of the bay, might seem unassuming at first glance. But look closer, and you'll find a place touched by seismic shifts, both literal and cultural.…

• Pacifica, CA · 16.3 mi

  Pacifica, California, offers a peculiar mix. It's close enough to San Francisco that many residents make the daily commute for jobs in tech and elsewhere, yet it feels worlds away. The cool, salty air is a welcome…

• James Lick Mansion · 17.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine this land, once part of a vast Mexican land grant, becoming the heart of a self-made millionaire's empire. That millionaire was James Lick. He acquired this property, part of Rancho Ulistac, in the mid-1800s and…

• Castro Valley, CA · 17.3 mi · Local history

  Don Guillermo Castro's name is etched on the map for a reason. Back in the 1840s, before California even dreamed of statehood, he settled this land, setting the stage for what would become Castro Valley. It's easy to…

• Mission San José (California) · 17.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Pull over for a second and imagine life here over two centuries ago, because this spot was once the heart of a bustling Spanish mission. It wasn't just a church; it was a whole community. Founded in 1797 by Franciscan…

• Santa Clara, CA · 17.9 mi · Local history

  The scent of ripening fruit is long gone from Santa Clara, replaced by the sterile hum of server farms. Yet, beneath the veneer of Silicon Valley, whispers of its past linger. Founded by Franciscan missionaries and…

• Mountain Winery · 18.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine grand parties echoing through these hills – that's the legacy of Paul Masson and his Mountain Winery. Masson, a French immigrant, arrived in California during the Gold Rush era and recognized the potential for…

• Charles Copeland Morse House · 18.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Ever wonder where your garden seeds come from? You're near the historic home of the man who helped bring them to your backyard. This is the Charles Copeland Morse House. Morse founded the Ferry-Morse Seed Company, one…

• Dunsmuir House · 18.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Imagine a place where Gilded Age dreams came to life! That's Dunsmuir House, a stunning estate right here in Oakland. In 1899, Alexander Dunsmuir, son of a wealthy coal baron, began building this neoclassical mansion as…

• Milpitas, CA · 19.1 mi · Local history

  Milpitas sits low, almost level with the bay, a place where the land barely rises above the water. Its name, a nod to "little cornfields," hints at an agricultural past, a time before the tech boom reshaped the…

• Daly City, CA · 19.2 mi

  Daly City's story is one of resilience and reinvention, etched into its beige-painted hills. The 1906 earthquake, a devastating blow to San Francisco, inadvertently seeded Daly City's early growth. Refugees, displaced…

• Bayview Opera House · 19.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb

  Pull over for a second and check out this building – the Bayview Opera House! It's been a cornerstone of this neighborhood for over a century. Back in 1888, they built this place as the South San Francisco Opera House.…

• Saratoga, CA · 19.3 mi · Local history

  The creek whispers secrets as it cuts through the redwood groves, a cool, constant reminder of the earth’s patient work. Saratoga is cradled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a landscape sculpted by tectonic…

• Winchester Mystery House · 19.4 mi

  At 525 South Winchester Boulevard in San Jose stands the Winchester Mystery House, the sprawling former home of Sarah Winchester, widow of the rifle magnate William Wirt Winchester. She bought an eight-room farmhouse in…

• Alameda, CA · 19.8 mi · Local history

  Alameda’s story is one of transformation, shaped by big dreams and hard realities. Once a peninsula jutting from Oakland, it became an island thanks to the dredging of a shipping channel, forever altering its geography.…