ZIP Code Guide
94024
South Los Altos Residential ZIP
The southern half of Los Altos in one postal code: established single-family neighborhoods, creek corridors, and foothill-adjacent residential blocks
- South Los Altos
- Rancho San Antonio area
- Permanente Creek corridor
ZIP code 94024 covers the southern and eastern portions of incorporated Los Altos within Santa Clara County — a predominantly residential postal area distinct from the downtown village and Los Altos Hills addresses served by
- 1The code encompasses established neighborhood streets, areas near
Permanente Creek, and residential blocks that interface with Cupertino and Mountain View municipal boundaries.
Geographic Position
94024 extends southward from the central Los Altos civic area through residential neighborhoods toward the city's boundaries with Cupertino and Mountain View. Permanente Creek drains through portions of the ZIP's western reach, connecting to regional watershed systems. El Camino Real and Foothill Expressway provide major arterials along the ZIP's eastern and western margins.
Terrain within 94024 is gently rolling valley-floor topography with gradual elevation rise toward the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and southwest. The ZIP occupies the southern tier of Los Altos's six-and-a-half-square-mile incorporated footprint within the Santa Clara Valley.
Neighborhood Character
Orchard agriculture and early residential development fill southern Los Altos parcels; the area develops as a residential complement to the downtown village district in the north.
Los Altos incorporates as a city, formalizing municipal governance over the southern neighborhoods that would become 94024.
Postwar housing construction completes the city's residential fabric; population grows from roughly 7,000 at incorporation to more than 25,000 by 1980 across all Los Altos ZIP codes.
The city maintains predominantly residential land-use patterns in 94024, resisting large-scale commercial development in favor of single-family neighborhood preservation.
Southern Los Altos neighborhoods within 94024 display the street patterns and lot sizes typical of mid-20th-century suburban development on former orchard parcels. Areas near the Permanente Creek corridor and the Rancho San Antonio open-space preserve interface with Cupertino's western boundary, providing trail access and foothill views from residential blocks.
Economy & Employment
94024 functions as a residential community with limited commercial activity concentrated along corridor edges. The vast majority of residents commute to employers throughout Silicon Valley and the Peninsula — Palo Alto, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Stanford Research Park are common destinations accessible via Foothill Expressway and Interstate 280.
Local professional services, medical offices, and small businesses operate primarily in the downtown village district served by 94022 rather than within 94024's residential core. The ZIP's land-use pattern reflects Los Altos's deliberate prioritization of housing over employment uses throughout its incorporation history.
Market & Housing Context
According to U.S. Census Bureau data for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94024, the area had a population of approximately 23,051 and 8,447 housing units as of the 2020 Census. American Community Survey estimates for the 2019–2023 period indicate that roughly 87 percent of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13 percent are renter-occupied.
Single-family detached dwellings dominate the housing stock, with lot sizes generally larger than those in many contemporary South Bay subdivisions. A smaller share of attached townhomes and multifamily units appears near El Camino Real and Foothill Expressway corridors. The high owner-occupancy rate documented in ACS data reflects Los Altos's longstanding character as a single-family residential community with limited rental housing stock.
Living in 94024
Neighborhood parks throughout southern Los Altos provide green space and recreation for residents. The Rancho San Antonio Preserve, managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, lies adjacent to the ZIP's western boundary in Cupertino, offering miles of hiking trails through oak woodlands accessible from nearby residential streets.
Los Altos School District and Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District serve public school students within 94024, operating campuses including Mountain View High School, Springer Elementary School, and Blach Intermediate School. Pinewood School operates as a private institution in the broader Los Altos area. School assignments depend on specific address and district boundaries.
The Los Altos Civic Center, library, and History Museum in the northern portion of the city are accessible within a short drive from 94024 addresses. VTA bus routes serve El Camino Real and Foothill Expressway corridors.
94024 Today
23,051
Population (2020 Census ZCTA)
8,447
Housing Units (2020 Census)
6.5 sq mi
Los Altos City Land Area
87%
Owner-Occupied Units (ACS 2019–2023)
Government and Civic Life
94024 falls entirely within the City of Los Altos municipal boundaries and Santa Clara County. The city council and appointed city manager oversee planning, public works, and community services from the Civic Center on San Antonio Road. The council has historically emphasized preservation of residential character and fiscal conservatism.
Community Life
Southern Los Altos neighborhood associations and community groups organize local events and participate in city planning processes. The Thursday farmers market in downtown Los Altos draws residents from throughout the city's ZIP codes. The Greystone Meander and Hillview Community Center serve residents across Los Altos's residential areas.
Geography & Environment
94024 occupies gently rolling terrain on the southwestern edge of the Santa Clara Valley. Permanente Creek flows through the western portion, and the Mediterranean climate supports mature street trees and residential gardens that define the area's visual character. Proximity to Rancho San Antonio open space provides foothill views and trail access from residential neighborhoods.
Los Altos participates in regional water conservation and climate adaptation planning through Santa Clara Valley Water District programs affecting creek corridors within and near the ZIP.
Transportation & Connectivity
Foothill Expressway and El Camino Real provide primary surface arterials. Interstate 280 is accessible via Foothill Expressway, connecting residents to San Jose and Peninsula destinations. The nearest Caltrain stations are in Mountain View and Palo Alto. VTA bus routes serve corridor edges.
The city's residential street network emphasizes local traffic with traffic-calming measures on many neighborhood roads throughout 94024.
Looking Forward
Los Altos's housing element identifies potential development sites along El Camino Real and near transit corridors — planning activity that may affect portions of 94024 bordering major arterials. State-mandated housing allocations prompt ongoing discussion of increased density while preserving neighborhood character in established single-family blocks.
Regional sustainability efforts and urban forestry programs continue through city and county agencies serving Los Altos residents.
The ZIP's Character
94024 represents the residential heart of Los Altos south of the village district — a ZIP of tree-lined streets, single-family neighborhoods, and creek corridors where the city chose low-density residential development over commercial expansion. The area's orchard-era parcelization created lot sizes and street patterns that distinguish it from denser South Bay communities.
"94024 holds the quiet half of Los Altos — southern neighborhoods where Permanente Creek, orchard-era lots, and foothill proximity define a postal code built for residential life above all else."
From neighborhood walks to open-space trail access near Rancho San Antonio, 94024 offers a coherent residential slice of Los Altos within a single postal boundary. Buyers, sellers, and investors evaluating the area benefit from understanding its tenure patterns, housing stock, and relationship to the downtown 94022 ZIP.