RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of California >> San Mateo County >> San Mateo >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
California

The Commemorative Quarter for California





Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about San Mateo (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for San Mateo. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

San Mateo is located in San Mateo County.

To see how the shape of California's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of San Mateo County: Alameda, San Francisco, Santa Clara & Santa Cruz.

Below are the counties that are near San Mateo. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to San Mateo:

  • San Mateo County     (The home county of San Mateo)
    • The following are listed by their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.
    • Burlingame
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Highlands - Baywood Park
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Laurel
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel
      • Laurel is located in San Mateo County
    • Foster City
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Highlands
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highlands
      • Highlands is located in San Mateo County
    • Belmont
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Hillsborough
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Millbrae
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • San Carlos
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • San Bruno
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • South San Francisco
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Emerald Lake Hills
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emerald Lake Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emerald Lake Hills
      • Emerald Lake Hills is located in San Mateo County
    • Redwood City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Alameda County
    • The following are listed by their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.
    • Mount Eden
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Russell City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Russell City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russell City
      • Russell City is located in Alameda County
    • Alvarado ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alvarado. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvarado
      • Alvarado is located in Alameda County
    • San Lorenzo
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Alameda
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Ashland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Brookfield Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookfield Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookfield Village
      • Brookfield Village is located in Alameda County
    • Cherryland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherryland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherryland
      • Cherryland is located in Alameda County
    • San Leandro
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Newark
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Castro Valley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Havenscourt
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havenscourt
      • Havenscourt is located in Alameda County
    • Hayward
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Contra Costa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.
    • Moraga
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moraga
      • Moraga is located in Contra Costa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,967 people
      • Former name for Moraga:
      • Willow Springs
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moraga <1>
    • Kensington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Orinda Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orinda Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orinda Village
      • Orinda Village is located in Contra Costa County
    • Orinda
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orinda
      • Orinda is located in Contra Costa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19,557 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Orinda <1>
    • Easter Hill Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Easter Hill Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Easter Hill Village
      • Easter Hill Village is located in Contra Costa County
    • El Cerrito
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • San Ramon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Atchison Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atchison Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atchison Village
      • Atchison Village is located in Contra Costa County
    • Nystrom Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nystrom Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nystrom Village
      • Nystrom Village is located in Contra Costa County
    • Point Richmond
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Alamo
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Danville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danville
      • Danville is located in Contra Costa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 44,883 people
      • Former name for Danville:
      • Inmanville
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Danville <1>
    • Lafayette
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Marin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.
    • Fort McDowell
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort McDowell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort McDowell
      • Fort McDowell is located in Marin County
    • Belvedere
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Tiburon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Sausalito
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Marin City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marin City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marin City
      • Marin City is located in Marin County
    • Manzanita
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manzanita
      • Manzanita is located in Marin County
    • Muir Beach
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Bel Aire
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bel Aire
      • Bel Aire is located in Marin County
    • Paradise Cay
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise Cay
      • Paradise Cay is located in Marin County
    • Strawberry
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strawberry have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strawberry
      • Strawberry is located in Marin County
    • Tamalpais - Homestead Valley
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tamalpais - Homestead Valley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tamalpais - Homestead Valley
      • Tamalpais - Homestead Valley is located in Marin County
    • Mill Valley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Corte Madera
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • San Francisco County
    • The following are listed by their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.
    • Stonestown
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonestown
      • Stonestown is located in San Francisco County
    • Friendship Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship Village
      • Friendship Village is located in San Francisco County
    • San Francisco
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Golden Gate Heights
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden Gate Heights
      • Golden Gate Heights is located in San Francisco County
    • Amanico Ergina Village
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amanico Ergina Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amanico Ergina Village
      • Amanico Ergina Village is located in San Francisco County
    • Chinatown
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chinatown
      • Chinatown is located in San Francisco County
    • Sydney Town ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sydney Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sydney Town
      • Sydney Town is located in San Francisco County
    • Doelger City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doelger City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doelger City
      • Doelger City is located in San Francisco County
  • Santa Clara County
    • The following are listed by their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.
    • Stanford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Escondido Village
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Escondido Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escondido Village
      • Escondido Village is located in Santa Clara County
    • Palo Alto
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Ventura
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ventura
      • Ventura is located in Santa Clara County
    • Castro City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Castro City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castro City
      • Castro City is located in Santa Clara County
    • Los Altos Hills
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Los Altos
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Mountain View
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Loyola
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loyola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyola
      • Loyola is located in Santa Clara County
    • Sunnyvale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Alviso
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Agnew
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Agnew
      • Agnew is located in Santa Clara County
    • Cupertino
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to San Mateo, see our County-by-County Page for San Mateo.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of San Mateo ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 55 newspapers that have been published in the area around San Mateo.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of San Mateo. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of San Mateo and those printed in the larger area surrounding San Mateo.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<4> of San Mateo.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to San Mateo:

Cemeteries Near San Mateo ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of San Mateo.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for San Mateo covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.

  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
  • Skylawn Memorial Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Golden Gate National Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Golden Gate National Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Golden Gate National Cemetery
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the IOOF Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF Cemetery
  • Pilarcitos Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pilarcitos Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pilarcitos Cemetery
  • Union Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
  • Orange Memorial Park
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Orange Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Orange Memorial Park
  • Oakwood Community Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • The Oakwood Community Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Convent Of The Sacred Heart Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakwood Community Cemetery
  • Golden Hill Memorial Park
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Hoy Sun Memorial Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Serbian Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Olivet Memorial Park
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (60 more) ...
    • Hills of Eternity Memorial Park
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Colma.
      • The Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Holy Cross Cemetery
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #8038 <5>
    • Home of Peace Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Home of Peace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Home of Peace Cemetery

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that San Mateo had a population of 1,016 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, San Mateo had a population of 102,398 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from San Mateo, with the one closest to San Mateo listed first.

  • Belmont
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Millbrae
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • San Carlos
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • San Bruno
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Redwood City
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Baden
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Baden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baden
    • Baden is located in San Mateo County
  • Half Moon Bay
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Fair Oaks
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fair Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Oaks
    • Fair Oaks is located in San Mateo County
  • Woodside
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Menlo Park
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Searsville ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Searsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Searsville
    • Searsville is located in San Mateo County
  • Mount Eden
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Mayfield
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mayfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayfield
      • Mayfield is located in Santa Clara County
    • Palo Alto
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Alvarado ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alvarado. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvarado
      • Alvarado is located in Alameda County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around San Mateo. See our List of 1890's Communities around San Mateo.

The official website for San Mateo: www.cityofsanmateo.org/

The official website for San Mateo County: www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/

The official website for State of California: https://www.ca.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- San Mateo) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in San Mateo. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.5630, Longitude: -122.3260    
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about San Mateo, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024