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USA LAND OFFERS · CA LAND BUYERS

Sell my land in
San Mateo County.

San Mateo County has 448.6 square miles of land in California. 6 mapped landscape regions meet across San Mateo County: Santa Cruz Mountains, San Mateo Coastal Hills, Leeward Hills, among others.

A local understanding of the land. A straightforward conversation about what comes next.

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Larry G · “The Land Buyer”40+ years in real estate
Natural-color aerial photograph of land around San Mateo County, California
THE LAND FROM ABOVE

A closer look at San Mateo County, California · USDA NAIP aerial photography

Photo & credit
Land around San Mateo County, California from above

USDA Farm Service Agency · National Agriculture Imagery Program, served by the USGS National Map

Public domainAbout our local imagery →
THE SETTINGSanta Cruz Mountains
COMMUNITIES IN THE ATLAS33 listed localities
YOUR STARTING POINTOpen San Mateo County on the map

THE SAN MATEO COUNTY LAND BRIEF

Land in the
Santa Cruz Mountains setting.

San Mateo County has 448.6 square miles of land in California. 6 mapped landscape regions meet across San Mateo County: Santa Cruz Mountains, San Mateo Coastal Hills, Leeward Hills, among others.

Pacific-facing coastal mountains support moisture-loving conifers, with marine terraces, dunes and beaches along the ocean edge. Inland slopes and the immediate coast have different vegetation patterns.

Regional context: Coast Range ↗ · Regional mapping across the county footprint

Where the landscape changes

San Mateo County intersects 6 mapped regional units. The largest mapped shares are:

  1. Santa Cruz Mountains41.7%
  2. San Mateo Coastal Hills24%
  3. Leeward Hills12.6%
  4. San Francisco Peninsula10.6%
  5. Bay Terraces/Lower Santa Clara Valley5.8%
Percent of the county footprint covered by the regional layer, which covers approximately 99.1% of its cartographic area. Regional units do not define individual parcels.

Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains in San Mateo County

Oak woodland, chaparral and grassland occupy foothills and low coastal mountains around the Central Valley. Narrow agricultural valleys interrupt this landscape of dry summers and wetter winters.

Read the regional source ↗

Finding your parcel within San Mateo County

The atlas lists 33 cities, towns, townships, and Census communities associated with San Mateo County, including Redwood City, Pacifica, San Mateo. The list includes overlapping geography types and does not divide the county into exclusive service areas.

San Mateo County

San Mateo County by land and water

The Census records 292.4 square miles of water within San Mateo County, or 39.5% of its total area. That share is close to San Mateo County’s 39.5%. This is geographic context; waterfront status and usable land must be checked at the parcel.

For scale, San Mateo County has 71.9 times the land area of nearby Half Moon Bay city (6.24 square miles). These areas describe boundaries, not comparable property prices.

The Census boundary meets Alameda County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County within California. A tract near one of these lines should be matched to the county identifier on its own records.

FROM LOCAL CONTEXT TO YOUR PARCEL

Three questions for
San Mateo County land.

These starting questions follow this location’s jurisdiction, regional setting, and nearby geography. The answers come from the property itself.

01

Locate the parcel within San Mateo County

Use a tax bill, deed, or assessor’s parcel number to pin down the land in San Mateo County. The county includes 33 listed community geographies; a nearby community name does not prove the parcel is inside its limits.

02

Read the Santa Cruz Mountains setting

Santa Cruz Mountains belongs to Coast Range. Does the parcel lie on a coastal terrace, a valley floor or a forested slope, and how does the access route cross that terrain? The wider county also reaches Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains; use the parcel’s location to choose the relevant setting.

03

Check the route, beyond Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay is 5.2 miles northwest of the San Mateo County reference point. That geographic proximity does not establish a drivable route or legal access. Which road reaches your land, and is the right to use it recorded?

OPEN THE RIGHT MAP. FIND THE RIGHT RECORD.

San Mateo County resources,
ready to explore.

The topographic link opens at this location’s reference point. Government links identify the actual named jurisdiction in the Census directory.

MAP CENTERED ON SAN MATEO COUNTY

USGS National Map

Begin at 37.4147° N, 122.3715° W. Locate your parcel and inspect the available terrain and geographic layers.

Explore San Mateo County ↗CENSUS-LISTED GOVERNMENT WEBSITE

County Of San Mateo

Use this county government’s site to identify the relevant office and its current instructions. Confirm that it administers the record or land-use question for your parcel.

Open County Of San Mateo ↗THIS GEOGRAPHY’S CENSUS PROFILE

San Mateo County data

View Census information selected by this county’s geographic identifier. Available statistics depend on the geography and survey.

View the geography profile ↗THE REGIONAL MAP SOURCE

Santa Cruz Mountains

Explore the agency mapping behind the Coast Range context in this guide. Use the detailed map to identify the unit at your actual property.

View regional mapping ↗
Additional California landowner resources

California State Geoportal

Official state geospatial datasets for land, water, boundaries, and environmental research.

California fire-hazard maps

State Fire Marshal information and map access for current Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

FEMA flood mapsUSDA Web Soil SurveyWetlands mapper

PLACES, DISTANCES & CONNECTIONS

The communities of San Mateo County.

Half Moon Bay lies about 5.2 miles northwest of San Mateo County by reference-point distance. The diagram locates nearby community reference points within the county geography.

WITHIN THE COUNTY GEOGRAPHY

San Mateo County in context

NSEWHalf Moon Bay · 5.2 miles1Woodside · 6.2 miles2Emerald Lake Hills · 6.8 miles3Highlands · 7.4 miles4Baywood Park · 8.1 miles5Belmont · 8.1 miles6OUTER RING: 8.1 MILES
  1. 1
    Half Moon Bay5.2 mi · city
  2. 2
    Woodside6.2 mi · town
  3. 3
    Emerald Lake Hills6.8 mi · census-designated place
  4. 4
    Highlands7.4 mi · census-designated place
  5. 5
    Baywood Park8.1 mi · census-designated place
  6. 6
    Belmont8.1 mi · city
Positions are calculated from Census reference points. Crowded labels use a leader line to their exact dot. Straight-line distances within California; no roads, travel times, or service boundaries are implied.
Athertontown
Baywood Parkcensus-designated place
Belmontcity
Brisbanecity
Broadmoorcensus-designated place
Burlingamecity
Colmatown
Daly Citycity
East Palo Altocity
El Granadacensus-designated place
Emerald Lake Hillscensus-designated place
Foster Citycity
Half Moon Baycity
Highlandscensus-designated place
Hillsboroughtown
La Hondacensus-designated place
Laderacensus-designated place
Loma Marcensus-designated place
Browse all 33 communities
Explore CaliforniaSearch another location

QUESTIONS GROUNDED IN THIS PLACE

Your San Mateo County
land questions.

Have a tax bill, an inherited deed, or simply a map pin? Start with what you have.

What should I send for land in San Mateo County?+

Send the parcel number or legal description, approximate acreage, and a map pin showing the property in San Mateo County. San Mateo County’s 448.6 square miles of land include many different property situations; the exact parcel is what we review.

Does Santa Cruz Mountains describe all of San Mateo County?+

The county’s mapped footprint intersects 6 regional units; Santa Cruz Mountains is the largest mapped share. County-scale information cannot establish the soil, slope, drainage, or development potential of one tract.

Can I use Half Moon Bay as a reference for my land?+

It can help explain the location: its Census point is about 5.2 miles northwest of San Mateo County’s. That distance is not a driving route, utility connection, or comparable-sale adjustment. Share the actual access road and parcel records so we can review your property on its own facts.

Can I request an offer without being near San Mateo County?+

Yes. Begin online with the property location and ownership details. Tell Larry G and the team what you know about the land, access, and any co-owners. We review the parcel before deciding whether to propose a purchase; if a sale moves forward, the closing company can explain remote signing arrangements.

Sources for this guide. 2025 U.S. Census geography supplies local names, area measurements, reference points, and map boundaries. Regional context uses EPA Level IV ecoregions mapping. Government links come from the Census 2026 Government Units Listing and are not individually certified by USA Land Offers. Read the mapping methods, coverage, and source details →

This guide describes a service area, not a local office. Maps and regional facts do not establish an individual parcel’s boundaries, permitted use, risk, or value.

GREAT LAND. GOOD PEOPLE.

Your land in San Mateo County.
Your next chapter.

Tell Larry G and the team what you own and what you have in mind. Start with a free property review and a straightforward conversation.

No obligation to sell 40+ years in real estate
Request my cash offer(855) 956-2650