Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a port for lumber and other goods.

The county seat of San Mateo County in the heart of Silicon Valley, Redwood City is home to several global technology companies including Oracle, Electronic Arts, Evernote, Box, and Informatica.

The earliest known inhabitants of the area that would become Redwood City were the Ohlone, who were present when the Spanish claimed the land and established missions.

[9] The land had been part of the Rancho de las Pulgas granted to the Argüello family in 1835 by the Mexican government.

The family lawyer, Simon M. Mezes, in 1854 defended the claim somewhat successfully and was allowed to buy the part of the estate that is now Redwood City.

Mezes sold some of the land to people already squatting on it along the banks of Redwood Creek and named the settlement "Mezesville".

[10] In 1907, Eikichi and Sadakusi Enomoto, Japanese immigrant brothers, grew what may perhaps have been the first commercially grown chrysanthemums in the United States in Redwood City.

The northern planned community of Redwood Shores, also to the northeast of Highway 101, is part of Redwood City, although it is not possible to travel by road from one to the other without passing through the neighboring city of San Carlos, or through Belmont via San Mateo County.

Carmel, Central and Palm then Canyon, Eagle Hill, Roosevelt, and Woodside Plaza.

As part of the revitalization, this addition was torn down and replaced with a large courtyard flanked by water fountains on either side, leading to the main steps of the courthouse.

In August 2006, a 20-screen theater and various shops opened in a prime downtown location.

The theater complex boasts restaurant and retail space at street level and a two-level underground parking structure.

There were 29,167 housing units at an average density of 1,501.9 per square mile (579.9/km2), of which 14,160 (50.6%) were owner-occupied, and 13,797 (49.4%) were occupied by renters.

Disposable income is relatively constant when Redwood City is compared with the rest of the country.

[30] According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Redwood City has 41,866 registered voters.

[31] The city's main Catholic church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was founded in 1887 with Fr.

Redwood City has a stop on Caltrain,[43] and local bus service is provided by SamTrans.

[44] Redwood City's slogan, emblazoned on arches across Broadway at the east and west entrances to downtown, is "Climate Best By Government Test".

This is based on a climatological survey conducted by the United States and German governments prior to World War I.

The area centered on Redwood City tied for the world's best climate with the Canary Islands and North Africa's Mediterranean Coast.

The local paper had a contest for a city slogan to attract new residents and Wilbur Doxsee entered "By Government Test, Our Climate is Best" which won the $10 prize money in 1925.

[45][46] Redwood City's Independence Day parade sponsored by the Peninsula Celebration Association,[47] held continuously since 1939, has been billed variously as 'The largest Independence Day Parade in California', 'West of the Mississippi', or 'in North America', claims which may or may not be accurate.

[citation needed] BroadVision, DPR Construction, Electronic Arts, GoFundMe, Informatica, iPass, Openwave, Shutterfly, Evernote, Equinix, and YuMe among others are based in Redwood City.

[citation needed] In addition to large tech companies, there is also a vibrant small business community in the town.