Redwood City is home to the only deepwater port in the Bay, south of San Francisco. The port was an important access point for wood and general merchandise shipped to the area during the Gold Rush, which caused the city to flourish in the mid 1800s. Redwood City was not only the first city on the Peninsula to incorporate in 1867, it also became the government seat for the entire county, and still is today.

The land had been part of a 35,000 acre land grant given by the Spanish governor of California to the Argüello family in 1795. Then after the Gold Rush drew hundreds of non-Mexican settlers to the area, and the Mexican-American war brought California under U.S. control, the Argüellos found they had to defend their land title in court.

Their family lawyer, Simon Mezes, who successfully defended the title, and who facilitated the sale of a great number of land parcels when the ranch was subdivided, bought the section of the estate that would later become Redwood City.

Through the first half of the 20th century and both World Wars, the area continued to grow in both commerce and manufacturing. In the 1960s and 1970s, the historically vibrant downtown began to decline so in the early 2000s the city began a revitalization project that continues today. 

As the seat of San Mateo County, which is in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Peninsula's primary port city now hosts global technology companies including Oracle, Evernote, Box, and Informatica. 

Redwood city covers a little over 34 square miles of land, capped by forested parks on the west side and the San Francisco Bay on the east. There are 24 official parks, as well an ecological preserve, a national wildlife refuge and a county park that is famous for its wildflowers. The city is transversed by a major watercourse called Redwood Creek, which helps to drains the city and connects to several deltas on the shoreline.

Peninsula cities have always been known for their inviting climate, but Redwood City’s slogan is actually based on the weather. Just before World War I, the US and Germany did a climatological survey and concluded the Redwood City area had the best climate in the world—along with the Canary Islands and North Africa’s Mediterranean Coast. So when the city newspaper held a contest for the best slogan in 1925, “By Government Test, Our Climate is Best” won the $10 prize, and it has remained the city slogan for almost a century.

The County Courthouse, period homes and other historic buildings still showcase the rich history of Redwood City dating all the way back to the post-Gold Rush era. A Historic Preservation Ordinance and a Residential Design Guide have been established by the city to preserve its unique charm.