Why Burlingame
Burlingame is a suburban city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County, California. Covering a total area of 6.1 square miles—which includes 4.4 square miles of land and 1.7 square miles of water along the shore of San Francisco Bay—the community is positioned between San Francisco to the north and Silicon Valley to the south. Local streams drain from the peninsula foothills across the urban area into the bay. The city experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate marked by warm, dry summers where average monthly temperatures remain at or below 71.6 °F.
Originally part of an estate owned by merchant William Davis Merry Howard, who planted numerous eucalyptus trees across the property, the land was acquired by banker William C. Ralston following Howard's death in 1856. In 1868, Ralston named the area after his friend Anson Burlingame, the United States Ambassador to China. Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, rapid land sales to displaced residents led to the city's incorporation in 1908, followed by the annexation of neighboring Easton in 1910. Known as the City of Trees, Burlingame protects more than 18,000 public trees under a municipal preservation ordinance established in 1908.
Visitors to Burlingame can explore two primary downtown shopping districts situated roughly one mile apart along Burlingame Avenue and Broadway. The city features several historic landmarks, including the Tudor-style Kohl Mansion. Completed in 1914 on a 40-acre estate, this 63-room brick residence has served as the home of Mercy High School since 1931 and was notably used as a filming location for the silent movie Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1921. Additionally, the Burlingame Public Library grounds host a bust of Anson Burlingame, which was created by Chinese sculptor Zhou Limin and unveiled in 2018 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Burlingame Treaty.
Burlingame is accessible by several major roadways, including U.S. Route 101 running along the bay, State Route 82 (El Camino Real), and State Route 35, which links to Interstate 280. Regional rail transit is provided by Caltrain at the historic Burlingame Station, while Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) tracks cross the city to reach its southern terminus in adjacent Millbrae. Local and regional bus services, along with dedicated shuttles and the municipally sponsored Burlingame Trolley, navigate the area. The city offers direct transit connections to San Francisco International Airport, as well as connections to regional transit networks reaching Oakland International Airport and San Jose International Airport.
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