San Carlos

San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within the 650 area code.

The population was 27,718 at the 2000 census.

San Carlos, "The City of Good Living", aims for a "small town" feel. Its main downtown area is composed mostly of small shops and restaurants. San Carlos was the first city in California to open a charter school (San Carlos Charter Learning Center), and its schools rank consistently well in state-wide lists. San Carlos is home to San Carlos Airport and two museums. Located downtown, the San Carlos History Museum is dedicated to the display of the history of the town from early native American history to the space age. This museum is open every Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. The Hiller Air Museum, a museum specializing in helicopter and aviation history, which contains a replica of the first aircraft to fly, the aircraft with the longest recorded wingspan, and the nose section of a Boeing 747.

Transportation options include membership in the SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit) bus system and a CalTrain station. The administrative headquarters of both agencies are located at 1250 San Carlos Avenue. As of 2003[update], the city began experimenting with a free shuttle bus service named S.C.O.O.T to help with transportation difficulties for those living in the hills of the town, and especially to make up for a lack of school buses. However, voters rejected a parcel tax which placed 100% of the financial burden on property owners and the S.C.O.O.T program was dismantled on June 17, 2005.

City Hall was once located at 666 Elm Street. The address number was later changed to 600 Elm Street due to pressure from superstitious people.

San Carlos was also once home of the Circle Star Theater where everyone from Richard Marx to Richard Pryor performed. It was torn down and replaced by many now failed dot com companies. San Carlos also once boasted the 2,500 student San Carlos High School which was closed in 1982 due to declining enrollment. Today, students travel to Belmont's Carlmont High School or Redwood City's Sequoia High School to receive their public secondary education. Every May, the town hosts the "Hometown Days" carnival in Burton Park, the city's largest park.