Four people sitting on a stone bench against a wall with memorial plaques - disaster history sites

Self-guided · city, California

Disaster History Sites in San Mateo, CA

Sites tied to floods, fires, storms and wrecks, and to the way the area rebuilt afterwards.

San Mateo has a population of about 101,128. The record for this chapter of history is uneven, and some of it is hard to read. That is a reason to go and see it, not a reason to skip it.

A group of people working on a project - disaster history sites — Photo: Brad Weaver on Unsplash

A group of people working on a construction project - disaster history sites — Photo: Jonathan Caliguire on Unsplash

A vintage red fire truck at an outdoor event - disaster history sites — Photo: Fr0ggy5 on Unsplash

On the record near San Mateo, CA

The 12 nearest

There are no disaster history sites on the record within 300 miles of San Mateo, CA. These are the 12 listed historic sites of any kind closest to it, out of 472 within 30 miles.

US Post Main Office--San Mateounder a mile from the center of San Mateo · Building · San Mateo · listed 1988National Register of Historic Places
National Bank of San Mateounder a mile from the center of San Mateo · Building · San Mateo · listed 1997National Register of Historic Places
De Sabla, Eugene J., Jr., Teahouse and Tea Gardenunder a mile from the center of San Mateo · District · San Mateo · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Coxhead, Ernest, Houseunder a mile from the center of San Mateo · Building · San Mateo · listed 2000National Register of Historic Places
Hotel St. Matthewunder a mile from the center of San Mateo · Building · San Mateo · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
Yamanouchi, Yoshiko, Houseunder a mile from the center of San Mateo · District · San Mateo · listed 2023National Register of Historic Places
Vollers, Amelia, Houseunder a mile from the center of San Mateo · Building · San Mateo · listed 2015National Register of Historic Places
Hofmann, Arthur and Mona, House1.5 miles from the center of San Mateo · Building · Hillsborough · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
Burlingame Railroad Station1.6 miles from the center of San Mateo · Building · Burlingame · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
Newhall Estate2.3 miles from the center of San Mateo · Building · Hillsborough · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
Carolands, The2.6 miles from the center of San Mateo · Building · Hillsborough · listed 1975National Register of Historic Places
X-1003.0 miles from the center of San Mateo · Building · San Mateo · listed 2016National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of San Mateo, CA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Disaster History in San Mateo, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in San Mateo, CA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in San Mateo, CA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near San Mateo, CA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in San Mateo

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In San Mateo, CA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in San Mateo, CA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.