City of Palo Alto, CA - Home Located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 14 miles north of San Jose, Palo Alto is a community of approximately 63,000 residents. Part of the San Francisco Metropolitan Bay Area and the Silicon Valley, the City‘s boundaries extend from San Francisco Bay on the east to the Skyline Ridge of the coastal mountains on the west. The City encompasses an area of approximately 26 square miles, one-third of which is open space.