From The Peninsula Letter
Foster City is one of the few master-planned communities on the Peninsula — built on landfill in the 1960s and laid out around interconnected lagoons. The Treasure Isle, Schooner Bay, and Mariners Island neighborhoods all offer waterfront-adjacent living; the lagoon paths and Bay Trail run continuously for miles.
What makes Foster City specific: it's the only Peninsula city designed around water — every neighborhood is steps from a lagoon path or the Bay Trail, schools rank consistently in the top tier, and the planned-community DNA means every block was laid out with families in mind. Buyers comparing Foster City to San Mateo's Baywood often pick Foster City for the lagoon access alone.
August 2026, from the KW Advisors San Mateo County market report: single-family supply, the condo and townhome market, and the countywide benchmark.
Source: MLS Listings Inc., InfoSparks and Trend Graphix via KW Advisors Peninsula Estates — single-family homes, condos and townhomes closed in August 2026. Sale counts are small, so the median reflects which homes happened to close that month; sale-to-list and days on market are the steadier signals. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Ask Elaine for a property-specific analysis.
Four things I tell buyers about a city built on a plan.
Every neighborhood is steps from a lagoon path or the Bay Trail. It’s the only Peninsula city laid out that way, and it shows in how people spend weekends.
The San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District covers K-8; Aragon and San Mateo High serve 9-12. Audubon and Brewer Island are the standouts.
There’s no traditional main street. Paths wind through the city for runners and paddleboarders, Leo J. Ryan Park handles summer concerts and the Fourth of July, and Edgewater covers daily errands.
East of San Mateo along the Bay. Highway 92 and the San Mateo Bridge connect straight to the East Bay; the Hillsdale Caltrain stop is five minutes inland.
Foster City sits in two strong districts: the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District for K-8, and the San Mateo Union High School District for 9-12.
For families relocating, the question isn't whether Foster City schools are good — it's which specific attendance zone matches your home search. I can walk you through the differences before we tour homes.
Foster City sits east of San Mateo along the Bay — about 23 miles south of San Francisco and about 14 miles north of Palo Alto. Highway 92 (the San Mateo Bridge) connects directly to the East Bay; the Hillsdale Caltrain station is 5 minutes inland.
I preview homes in person before I recommend them, and I pay attention to which streets feel different at 8 a.m. school drop-off vs. 6 p.m. commute. That on-the-ground knowledge is what separates a buyer who pays median from a buyer who pays $80,000 under list.
Whether you're buying, selling, or just exploring the market — let's have a focused 15-minute conversation about your specific goals and what's actually possible in Foster City right now.
