san jose · santa clara county

San Jose Neighborhoods: Willow Glen, Rose Garden, Almaden Valley & More

San Jose is the largest city in Santa Clara County, with more than a million residents and about 178 square miles, so "San Jose" covers very different places. This guide focuses on the neighborhoods we cover street by street: early-1900s residence parks near downtown, the former City of Willow Glen and its Lincoln Avenue main street, and the foothill communities of the south and east.

population, 2020 census

1,013,240

land area

178 sq mi

featured neighborhoods

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neighborhoods

Ten San Jose neighborhoods worth knowing

Historic districts near downtown, garden suburbs, and newer foothill communities. Tap a ZIP to search homes there, or a district for our school guide.

Southwest of downtown, centered on Lincoln Avenue

Willow Glen

Willow Glen was its own incorporated city from 1927 to 1936, when residents voted to join San Jose. The North Willow Glen Conservation Area is mostly small-lot homes built between 1885 and 1955, and Lincoln Avenue's tree-lined business district has shops, restaurants and the historic Garden Theater.

95125San Jose Unified

Street-level guides: Downtown Willow Glen · North Willow Glen & Gardner · Palm Haven · Willow Glen West · River Glen & The Willows · Dry Creek & Cherry Ave · Willow Glen South & Lincoln Glen · Fairglen · Canoas Garden & Willow Creek

Homes in Willow Glen →

West of downtown, around the Municipal Rose Garden at Naglee and Dana avenues

Rose Garden

Named for the Municipal Rose Garden, dedicated in 1937. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Rosicrucian Park are nearby, and The Alameda runs along the neighborhood's edge.

95126San Jose Unified

Street-level guides: Rose Garden · Hanchett & Hester Park · Shasta-Hanchett Park · College Park & The Alameda

Homes in Rose Garden →

The eastern part of the Rose Garden area, between The Alameda and Park Avenue

Shasta-Hanchett Park

Two residence parks laid out by John McLaren, designer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park: Hester Park (1893) and Hanchett Park (1907). The City describes homes from about 1906 to 1935 in Craftsman, Queen Anne and Spanish Revival styles, with several Prairie-style houses and the heritage palms of Martin Avenue.

95126San Jose Unified

Street-level guides: Rose Garden · Hanchett & Hester Park · Shasta-Hanchett Park · Midtown

Homes in Shasta-Hanchett Park →

Just east of downtown and San Jose State, bounded by Santa Clara Street, 11th Street, William Street and Coyote Creek

Naglee Park

Once the 140-acre estate of Gen. Henry M. Naglee, first subdivided in 1902. The City describes early-20th-century homes in an eclectic mix of styles, many architect-designed, and Naglee's own 1860s house still stands at 14th and San Fernando.

95112San Jose Unified

Street-level guides: Naglee Park & University · Downtown San Jose · Japantown & Hensley · Vendome & Hyde Park · Luna Park & Northside

Homes in Naglee Park →

Southern San Jose between the Santa Cruz Mountains foothills and the Santa Teresa Hills

Almaden Valley

Named for the New Almaden quicksilver mines, now a National Historic Landmark district inside the 4,163-acre Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Today the valley is mostly residential, with Almaden Lake Park and the Los Alamitos Creek Trail.

95120San Jose UnifiedUnion School District

Street-level guides: Crossgates · Montevideo · Almaden Meadows · Guadalupe Oak Grove · Almaden Lake & Sunrise Almaden · Almaden Country Club · Graystone · Almaden Foothills & New Almaden

Homes in Almaden Valley →

Southwest San Jose, centered near Camden and Union avenues

Cambrian

Closely tied to the Cambrian School District, with roots going back more than a century. Most of Cambrian is in San Jose, with a small unincorporated pocket; Cambrian Park Plaza's carousel sign is a county landmark.

95124 95118 Cambrian School District Union School District Campbell Union High

Street-level guides: Cambrian Park · North Cambrian · Doerr-Steindorf & Bagby · Branham–Kirk · Valley View–Reed · Union Ave & Lone Hill · Kooser & Dartmouth

Homes in Cambrian →

Southeast San Jose in the foothills east of US 101, near Silver Creek Road

Silver Creek Valley

A community planned in the late 1980s around the Silver Creek Valley Country Club, established in 1992, with single-family homes and townhomes on the hills.

95138Evergreen School DistrictEast Side Union High

Street-level guide: Silver Creek Valley

Homes in Silver Creek Valley →

East San Jose along the eastern foothills, around San Felipe, Yerba Buena and Quimby roads

Evergreen foothills

Largely farmland into the 1970s. Evergreen Valley College opened in 1975, and next to it Montgomery Hill is a California Historical Landmark marking John J. Montgomery's early glider flights.

95135 95148Evergreen School DistrictEast Side Union High

Street-level guides: Evergreen Village & Chaboya · Evergreen Estates & Meadowlands · Thompson Creek & Quimby · Cadwallader & Dove Hill · Norwood & Lake Cunningham

Homes in Evergreen foothills →

South San Jose below the Santa Teresa Hills, west of US 101

Santa Teresa and Blossom Valley

Named for Rancho Santa Teresa, granted in 1834. The 1,673-acre Santa Teresa County Park includes the historic Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch, and VTA's Blue Line ends at Santa Teresa Station.

95119 95123Oak Grove School DistrictEast Side Union High

Street-level guides: Santa Teresa Foothills · Blossom Valley · Cahalan & Chesbro · Oakridge & Foxchase · Thousand Oaks & Erikson · Communications Hill

Homes in Santa Teresa and Blossom Valley →

The west side, next to Cupertino, Saratoga, Campbell and Santa Clara

West San Jose

Several school districts cross city lines here, including Cupertino Union, Moreland and Campbell Union, with Fremont Union or Campbell Union High for high school. Landmarks include the Winchester Mystery House and Santana Row.

95129 95117 95130 95128 Cupertino Union Moreland School District Campbell Union Fremont Union High

West San Jose guide: 18 neighborhood guides →

Homes in West San Jose →

schools

San Jose is split among many school districts

Elementary districts include San Jose Unified, Union, Cambrian, Moreland, Campbell Union, Cupertino Union, Evergreen and Oak Grove; high schools come from San Jose Unified, East Side Union, Campbell Union High or Fremont Union. See our guides for Union, Cambrian, Moreland, Campbell Union, Cupertino Union, Campbell Union High and Fremont Union.

property nerd note

In San Jose, the same street name can cross two school districts, and ZIP codes don't follow district lines. Confirm any address with the district before you write an offer. Start with our Silicon Valley schools guide.

getting around

Getting around San Jose

VTA light rail

Three lines: the Blue Line runs from North San Jose through downtown to Santa Teresa, the Green Line through downtown and Diridon Station to Campbell, and the Orange Line from Mountain View through Milpitas to Alum Rock.

Caltrain

San Jose Diridon is the main station, with electric trains to the Peninsula and San Francisco; Tamien, Capitol and Blossom Hill serve South San Jose.

BART

Berryessa/North San Jose station connects to the East Bay and San Francisco; the extension to downtown and Diridon is in design.

Airport

Mineta San Jose International (SJC) is about 3 miles from downtown, reached from US 101, I-880 and Route 87.

Freeways

US 101 and Interstates 280, 680 and 880 cross the city, with Route 87 north-south through the center and Route 85 linking South San Jose with Los Gatos, Cupertino and Mountain View.

Highway 17 Express

Santa Cruz METRO's express bus connects downtown San Jose and Diridon Station with Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz.

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Buy or sell in San Jose with the Boyenga Team

Eric and Janelle Boyenga and the Property Nerds® at Compass have sold more than 2,520 Silicon Valley homes, $2.6+ billion in all, since 1996, from Willow Glen bungalows to Almaden Valley and Silver Creek.

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faq

San Jose neighborhoods FAQ

Is Willow Glen its own city?

Not today. Willow Glen was an incorporated city from 1927 until 1936, when residents voted to join San Jose for city services. It's now a San Jose neighborhood, and Lincoln Avenue still works as its main street.

Which San Jose neighborhoods are historic districts?

The City recognizes historic districts and conservation areas including Naglee Park, the Hanchett and Hester Park area (Shasta-Hanchett) and North Willow Glen. If you're planning exterior changes to a home there, check with the City's planning department first.

Which school district serves a San Jose address?

It depends on the street. San Jose is split among many elementary and high school districts, including San Jose Unified, Union, Cambrian, Moreland, Campbell Union, Cupertino Union, Evergreen, Oak Grove and East Side Union High. Use each district's locator for a specific home.

Is Cambrian part of San Jose?

Mostly. Most of Cambrian is in the City of San Jose, but a small unincorporated pocket remains in Santa Clara County.

What ZIP code is Almaden Valley?

Almaden Valley is in 95120.

Can you get downtown without a car from South San Jose?

Yes. VTA's Blue Line runs from Santa Teresa Station through South San Jose to downtown and on to North San Jose, and Caltrain's Blossom Hill and Capitol stations have weekday service.

More Property Nerd guides: West San Jose Palo Alto Los Altos Redwood City Morgan Hill Gilroy Menlo Park East Palo Alto Cupertino Sunnyvale Milpitas Los Gatos San Carlos Belmont San Mateo Foster City Burlingame Hillsborough San Francisco Daly City Millbrae San Bruno South San Francisco Brisbane Atherton Los Altos Hills Monte Sereno Silicon Valley schools Woodside Portola Valley

san jose by district

San Jose by district

Beyond Willow Glen, Cambrian, Almaden and West San Jose, the city's planning areas fall into four parts. Each card lists the street-level guides published so far.

Central San Jose

Central San Jose is the city's Central planning area in the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan, about 11.8 square miles on the city's map around downtown: from US 101 and I-880 on the north to the Tamien and Spartan Keyes blocks south of I-280, and from the Burbank blocks near S. Bascom Ave on the west to US 101 on the east. It holds the downtown towers and light rail transit mall, San Jose State University and City Hall, the Diridon station area, the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek corridors, and the city's Hensley, St. James Square, Naglee Park and Hanchett and Hester Park historic areas. San Jose Unified serves most of it.

North San Jose

North San Jose is the city's North, Alviso and Berryessa planning areas: about 43 square miles on the city's planning-area map, about 39 of them inside city limits. It runs from the bayside village of Alviso and its marshes south along the N. 1st St light rail corridor between the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek, then east across I-880 to the Berryessa tracts, which climb from the BART line to the eastern foothills. Highway 237, I-880, I-680 and US 101 frame it, with Berryessa/North San Jose BART, the light rail stops on N. 1st St, Tasman Dr and Capitol Ave, Penitencia Creek Park and the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek trails inside.

East San Jose

East San Jose covers the city's Alum Rock, Evergreen and San Felipe planning areas: about 92 square miles on the city's planning-area map, about 39 of them inside city limits, running from the valley floor east of US 101 up into the eastern foothills. The valley side is a grid of tract neighborhoods along Alum Rock Ave, Story Rd, Tully Rd, Capitol Expy and Quimby Rd; the foothill side holds Alum Rock Park, Lake Cunningham Park, Evergreen Valley College and Montgomery Hill, Evergreen Village Square and the Silver Creek hills, with unincorporated Santa Clara County land in the Alum Rock and East Foothills areas and along the ridges.

South San Jose

South San Jose here means the city's South, Edenvale, Coyote and Calero planning areas: about 79 square miles on the city's planning-area layer, about 53 of them inside city limits, from Kelley Park and the Story Rd corridor south past Blossom Hill Rd to Coyote Valley and the Santa Teresa Hills. The valley floor is post-war tract land crossed by US 101, Highway 85 and Highway 87, Monterey Rd and the Capitol and Almaden expressways, with Caltrain at Capitol and Blossom Hill and the Blue Line light rail along Highway 87 and Highway 85; the edges climb into county parkland at Santa Teresa, Almaden Quicksilver, Calero and Coyote Valley. The name 'Blossom Valley' is used loosely for much of the area around Blossom Hill Rd; the city's association map uses it only for the blocks between Blossom Hill Rd and Highway 85 from Snell Ave to Cottle Rd.

more san jose neighborhood guides

Neighborhood guides in San Jose

See every guide in the Nerd Portal.