The city of approximately 67,000 residents sits in northwest corner of Santa Clara County. It was established by Leland Stanford Sr. when he founded Stanford University on Stanford’s previous Palo Alto farm.

The city got its name from a tall coast redwood tree, named El Palo Alto, which still stands on the east bank of San Francisquito Creek near its intersection with El Camino Real. The name Palo Alto comes from the Spanish words meaning “tall tree.”

Known as a breeding ground for innovation because of its proximity to Stanford University, Palo Alto is home to such technology giants as Hewlett-Packard, Tesla Motors and Skype. It has also served as an incubator to such global brands as Facebook, Google and PayPal.

Due to its desirable location and sought after quality of life, Palo Alto is one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Its residents are also among the most educated in the country.