94022

ZIP code 94022 covers the northern and western portions of Los Altos along with residential areas of Los Altos Hills within Santa Clara County — a postal boundary that serves two incorporated municipalities with distinct governance and zoning policies. The code encompasses the walkable downtown village district, established neighborhood streets, and the highly restricted residential enclave of Los Altos Hills.

Geographic Position

94022 extends from the downtown Los Altos village along State Street and Second Street westward and northward into Los Altos Hills foothill terrain. Adobe Creek flows through the northern portion of the ZIP, and the Redwood Grove Nature Preserve protects a remnant stand of old-growth coast redwoods within Los Altos city limits. Foothill Expressway and Interstate 280 provide regional connectivity along the ZIP's western margins.

Elevations rise from the gently rolling valley floor near downtown toward the Santa Cruz Mountains in Los Altos Hills, where larger parcels and hillside topography characterize the residential landscape. The ZIP marks the transition zone between flat Santa Clara Valley neighborhoods and protected open space in the western foothills.

Neighborhood Character

Within 94022, downtown Los Altos forms a walkable village district of cafes, bookstores, and specialty shops. Loyola Corners provides a secondary commercial node at the intersection of Miramonte Avenue and Fremont Avenue. Los Altos Hills addresses within the ZIP feature exclusively residential uses on larger hillside parcels governed by separate municipal planning authority.

Economy & Employment

94022 functions primarily as a residential community rather than a major employment center. Downtown Los Altos supports restaurants, retail boutiques, professional services, and medical offices along State Street and Second Street. Los Altos Hills maintains no commercial zoning within its portion of the shared ZIP.

The vast majority of residents commute to employers throughout Silicon Valley and the Peninsula — campuses in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Stanford Research Park are common destinations. Local businesses serve the residential population and neighboring communities from downtown commercial spaces.

Market & Housing Context

According to U.S. Census Bureau data for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94022, the area had a population of approximately 20,027 and 8,144 housing units as of the 2020 Census. American Community Survey estimates for the 2019–2023 period indicate that roughly 82 percent of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18 percent are renter-occupied.

Single-family detached dwellings dominate the housing stock in both Los Altos and Los Altos Hills portions of the ZIP. Lot sizes in established neighborhoods tend to be larger than those in many contemporary South Bay subdivisions, reflecting orchard-era parcelization. Los Altos Hills properties typically feature the largest residential parcels in the shared postal area. Because the ZIP spans two municipalities, housing characteristics vary significantly by address.

Living in 94022

The downtown farmers market operates on Thursdays in the village district. Shoup Park, Hillview Community Center and Park, and the Redwood Grove Nature Preserve offer recreation within the ZIP. The Los Altos Civic Center campus houses city offices, the library, and the Los Altos History Museum in a former apricot packing house on Miramonte Avenue.

Los Altos School District and Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District serve public school students, operating campuses including Los Altos High School, Almond Elementary School, and Loyola Elementary School. Pinewood School and St. Nicholas School operate as private institutions in the area. School assignments vary by specific address within the shared ZIP.

VTA bus routes serve El Camino Real, Foothill Expressway, and San Antonio Road corridors near the ZIP's boundaries.

94022 Today

Geography & Environment

94022 sits on gently rolling terrain at the edge of the Santa Clara Valley, with elevations rising toward the Santa Cruz Mountains in Los Altos Hills. Adobe Creek flows through the northern portion, and the Redwood Grove Nature Preserve protects old-growth redwoods — a rare ecological feature within an urbanized South Bay landscape. The Mediterranean climate supports mature street trees and residential gardens throughout the ZIP.

Los Altos has invested in urban forestry and drought-tolerant landscaping programs as part of broader sustainability efforts visible in neighborhood streetscapes.

Transportation & Connectivity

Los Altos does not have a Caltrain station within 94022; the nearest stations are in Mountain View and Palo Alto. Interstate 280 is accessible via Foothill Expressway. VTA bus routes serve El Camino Real and San Antonio Road. Traffic-calming measures on neighborhood roads emphasize local traffic over regional through-movement.

Cycling routes connect the area to the Permanente Creek Trail and regional pathways in neighboring Cupertino and Mountain View.

Looking Forward

Los Altos and Los Altos Hills each maintain independent general plans addressing state-mandated housing allocations within their portions of

1. 1Los Altos's housing element identifies potential development sites primarily along El Camino Real and near transit corridors. Los Altos Hills continues restrictive residential zoning with limited commercial activity.

Downtown revitalization efforts in Los Altos focus on local business viability, pedestrian amenities, and parking management in the village district.

The ZIP's Character

94022 captures Los Altos's identity as a village within the metropolis — a postal code where a walkable downtown, preserved redwood groves, and Los Altos Hills estates coexist under shared mail delivery but distinct civic governance. From the railroad apricot stop of the 19th century to the garage where Apple Computer was founded, the ZIP's history reflects both pastoral valley rhythms and Silicon Valley transformation.

“"94022 unites Los Altos village and Los Altos Hills in one postal boundary — where State Street's shopfronts give way to redwood groves and hillside parcels governed by two towns with a shared address but separate civic visions."

From visiting the History Museum to walking through the Redwood Grove, 94022 offers a compact yet geographically varied slice of South Bay residential life. Buyers, sellers, and investors evaluating the area benefit from understanding which municipality governs a given address within this shared ZIP.