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San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan 285 SECTION 2 - Chapter 15 City of Redwood City  Location and Description—The City of Redwood City is located in the State of California on the San Francisco Peninsula approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco and 27 miles north of the City of San Jose. The City is located in San Mateo County and is approximately 19 square miles in land area with a mean elevation of 15 feet above sea level. Redwood City is bordered by Menlo Park to the east, North Fair Oaks to the south, Foster City to the north, and San Carlos to the east. The City additionally wraps partially around Emerald Lake Hills to the west. The San Francisco Bay borders Redwood City to the east. The City hosts a section of U.S. Route 101 along to the east and provides easy access to Highway 280. Additionally, California’s historic thoroughfare, the El Camino Real (as California State Route 82), passes through central Redwood City. Redwood City is considered densely populated, with an estimated 3,955 persons per square mile compared to the California state average of 239 persons per square mile. Redwood City contains natural geographical features along its border with the East Bay. Specifically, the City contains Redwood Shores, a community located on a San Francisco Bay lagoon. In addition to the developed Redwood Shores Lagoon, Redwood City contains Bair Island, a marsh area consisting of three islands – Inner, Middle, and Outer. The California Department of Fish and Game ‘s Bair Island Ecological Reserve consists of approximately 2,000 acres of the Middle and Outer Island while the remainder of the area are part of the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge9. Bair Island represents the largest open space island in the San Francisco Bay and is home to a variety of animal species 10. Redwood City’s location on the San Francisco Bay serves as key factor in water transportation. The Port of Redwood City is the only deep water port in south San Francisco Bay with inland transportation access to the Union Pacific Railroad and U.S. Highway 10111.  Brief History—Redwood City is rich in history and local lore. As the oldest city on the San Francisco Peninsula, Redwood City has a long and varied history. Originally a port town during the Gold Rush, Redwood City became the County Seat of the newly formed San Mateo County in 1856. Downtown grew into a vital center for commerce, government, and manufacturing in the early 20th Century, before declining in the 1960s and 1970s. During the late 1900s and early 2000s Downtown Redwood City began revitalizing, and this revitalization continues today. The land that eventually became Downtown Redwood City was once part of a vast Spanish rancho owned by the Arguello family, which was used for grazing cattle and horses and for providing missions in the area with supplies of food and animal hides. When California became part of the United States, the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains were logged for use in construction to the north in rapidly growing San Francisco. Initially, the logs, cut from the redwood forests along the peninsula skyline, were dragged overland by oxen teams. Soon, however, a deep-water channel off the bay was discovered in what is now Downtown Redwood City. A wharf or “embarcadero” was established at the point furthest inland which was still navigable for shipping lumber to San 9 https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Bair-Island-ER 10 http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/NEW-LIFE-FOR-BAY-SANCTUARY-Once-farmland-salt-2570542.php 11 http://www.redwoodcityport.com/p7iq/html/Overview.html 6.3.B. - Page 12