San Mateo County sits between two big job centers, San Francisco to the north and Silicon Valley to the south. Where you should live depends a lot on how you'll get to work. Here's a practical breakdown by commute type. Always check current schedules, because service changes.

If you'll take Caltrain

Caltrain runs the length of the Bayside Peninsula, and electrified service since 2024 has made the ride quieter and, on many trips, faster. If you want to walk or bike to the station, look at:

  • San Carlos, Belmont, and Burlingame: stations next to walkable downtowns, with plenty of single-family neighborhoods within a short bike ride.
  • San Mateo: three stations (downtown San Mateo, Hayward Park, and Hillsdale), which spreads train access across more neighborhoods. Bay Meadows was built around the Hillsdale station.
  • Redwood City: a major stop with frequent service and a lively downtown right at the station.
  • Menlo Park: the station is a short walk from Santa Cruz Avenue and easy to reach from Stanford-area jobs.

Tip: check which trains stop at your station during commute hours. Express patterns mean some stations get faster trips than others.

If you'll take BART

BART's Peninsula stations are in the north county. Daly City has two (Daly City and nearby Colma), and South San Francisco has its own station with San Bruno next door. Those cities offer some of the shortest train rides into downtown San Francisco. Many Pacifica residents drive to Daly City BART too.

If you'll drive

  • Heading to Silicon Valley: the mid-Peninsula cities (Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Menlo Park) put you closer. Homes on the west side of those cities give you fast access to 280, which many drivers prefer to 101.
  • Heading to San Francisco: the north county and Burlingame/San Mateo are closer, with 101 and 280 both nearby.
  • Heading to the East Bay: Foster City and San Mateo sit right at the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge (Highway 92).

If you fly a lot

If you're at SFO often, look at Burlingame, South San Francisco, and San Bruno and Millbrae (just outside the cities I cover here). Many flights are a short drive, a quick BART ride, or even a short rideshare away. Just check flight paths when you tour homes, since some streets hear more airplane noise than others.

If you'll take the ferry

South San Francisco's Oyster Point ferry terminal connects to the East Bay, which is useful if you work in the biotech campuses east of 101 or live across the bay.

If you mostly work from home

If you only go into the office a couple of days a week, your options open up. The coast or the quieter hill neighborhoods become much more practical. Many of my clients are choosing more space and a longer commute two days a week over less space and a short commute five days a week.

Try the commute before you buy

Before you commit, do the commute at the real time of day, from the actual house. A 20-minute drive at noon can be 45 minutes at 8:15 a.m. If you tell me where you're going and how, I'll help narrow down which neighborhoods make the most sense. Get in touch.