Explore Palo Alto local geography, civic resources and voter guides, with dated official population and registration facts for Santa Clara County.
At a glance: Palo Alto is an incorporated city in Santa Clara County. Population: 69,004 (California Department of Finance estimate as of January 1, 2026). Registered voters: 43,904 (California Secretary of State, as of September 4, 2026).
Palo Alto reaches from tidal Baylands across the urban Peninsula into western foothill open space. University Avenue and California Avenue form separate commercial districts, while Stanford's nearby campus strongly shapes the surrounding geography without being synonymous with the city. Rinconada Park brings together recreation facilities near the Junior Museum and Zoo. Mitchell Park Library and Community Center provide another substantial civic campus, and the Baylands Nature Preserve offers a contrasting landscape of marshes and open water. Palo Alto incorporated on April 23, 1894, and is a charter city with a council-manager government. Its municipal identity includes city-operated utilities as well as conventional local services. The incorporation date and charter history appear in an official LAFCo service review.
No. Palo Alto is in Santa Clara County; East Palo Alto is in San Mateo County.
Mitchell Park Library and Community Center share a civic campus beside Mitchell Park.
The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters administers registration and voting services. Palo Alto's city clerk maintains municipal election records.
43,904 (California Secretary of State, as of September 4, 2026).
CA Slates began with shared voter guides in 2012 and expanded into its current publication family and connected program.