County Executive’s Office

North Fair Oaks is one of the oldest communities in San Mateo County, with settlement dating to the early 1850s. Much of the area was developed during two boom eras, one following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and another occurring just before World War II. North Fair Oaks was originally part of a larger area known as Fair Oaks that included much of present-day Atherton, but when Menlo Park and Atherton incorporated in 1923, the area between the two communities that is now North Fair Oaks remained unincorporated. North Fair Oaks is bounded by the cities of Redwood City to the north, west and southwest; Atherton to the east; and Menlo Park to the northeast. Highway 82 (El Camino Real) runs along the southwest boundary of North Fair Oaks. Highway 101 (Bayshore Freeway) runs just along the eastern border and Highway 84 (Woodside Road) runs just northwest of the community.

While Caltrain runs directly through this community and the Southern Pacific Railroad Dumbarton Spur line transects North Fair Oaks, the closest access to rail transit is more than a mile away.

The North Fair Oaks community, approximately 1.2 square miles in size, has a diverse mix of land uses and is comprised of multiple areas of very different character. As of the 2010 census, the unincorporated area of North Fair Oaks has a total population of 14,687. Hispanic of any race represent over 73% of the population, 43% are female and 57% are male. 

North Fair Oaks is a small area in south San Mateo County. As of the 2010 census, the unincorporated area of North Fair Oaks has a total population of 14,687. Hispanic of any race represent over 73% of the population, 43% are female and 57% are male. 

The County of San Mateo has adopted an updated North Fair Oaks Community Plan. North Fair Oaks is an unincorporated part of San Mateo County comprising approximately 798 acres, bounded by the cities of Redwood City to the north, west and southwest, Atherton to the east, and Menlo Park to the northeast. 

To access and review The Plan in detail (chapter by chapter) please CLICK HERE. A summary of The Plan is also available HERE.https://planning.smcgov.org/north-fair-oaks-community-plan

Environmental Impact Report- The County has also undertaken an environmental analysis of the Plan, in the form of a Final Environmental Impact Report, which was certified by the Board of Supervisors on November 15, 2011.

The North Fair Oaks Community Plan incorporates a broad range of policies intended to meet the community’s needs and goals. A key component of the Plan is changes to allowed land use and development in specifically designated areas of the community. In order to implement these revised land use regulations, the zoning regulations for these areas must also be revised. The rezonings are proceeding in four phases. The first phase of the rezoning, along Middlefield Road between First and 8th Avenues, was completed and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2015. The second phase, along El Camino Real and 5th Avenue, was adopted in 2017. The County is now working on the next two phases. Phase 2B includes the area along Middlefield between First Avenue and Douglas, and nearby streets, and Phase 3 is the industrial areas between Fair Oaks Avenue and Bay Road and along a portion of Edison Avenue.

For more info, please CLICK HERE

In June of 1987, the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, as part of the Community Development Block Grant Program, authorized the development of a special committee to study the Economic Strategies in North Fair Oaks. Two task forces were formed to develop a number of action-oriented strategies that could be implemented within 1-2 years. In February of 1988, the Board of Supervisors accepted the committee's final report and acted on the recommendation to form a permanent entity to develop long-term economic strategies by active partnerships among community members and the private sector. Resolution #54597, passed on December 11, 1990, established a Municipal Advisory Council for the unincorporated North Fair Oaks Community. That council is now known as the North Fair Oaks Community Council. The Council's initial resolution #63547 was revised in 2002 and again on February 10, 2009 through resolution #039914.

The North Fair Oaks Community Council provides recommendations on the issues of community health, safety, welfare, public works and planning for the North Fair Oaks geographic area. It holds regular monthly meetings to address the needs of the community, act as a forum, and serve as an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors. The Council has nine members and one non-voting youth member. All members must be residents or business owners in the North Fair Oaks area. Council members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors for three-year terms with a maximum of 12 years. Regular meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of the month at the Fair Oaks Community Center, 2600 Middlefield Road, Redwood City from 7-9 p.m. Meetings are publicly noticed, comply with the Brown Act, and are televised on PenTV on Monday nights at 10 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 26. Regular meetings can be viewed online anytime - on this website

For more info, please visit bnc.smcgov.org

Coming in Spring/Summer of 2019:

In July of 2013, the Board of Supervisors approved $12.5 million from Measure K funding to redesign Middlefield Road from Pacific to 5th Avenue. The design will include the undergrounding of utilities, new street lights, and other streetscape changes. Streetscape changes approved by the North Fair Oaks Community Council and Board of Supervisors include a 3-lane roadway, wider sidewalks, and the addition of bike lanes. To learn more about this project, please CLICK HERE.

Check out the fly-over animation of the future Middlefield Road (Construction tentative to begin in Spring/Summer 2019)