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Mountain View, in short
Which trees in Mountain View need a permit to remove?
A permit is needed to remove a Heritage tree or a Street tree. A tree counts as a Heritage tree at 48 inches around, measured 54 inches above natural grade, or at just 12 inches for an oak, redwood or cedar, and the City Council can designate a grove. Other trees at a single-family home need no City permit.
The story of Mountain View
Mountain View, a stage stop on El Camino Real in 1850 and a city since 1902, by the Historical Association’s account.
The Historical Association says a stage coach service began on El Camino Real in 1850, “leading to the establishment of a settlement soon to be named Mountain View.” When the railroad came in 1864, it says, “Castro Street becomes the new community’s downtown.” Local residents voted to incorporate in 1902, and the Prune & Apricot Exposition, first held in 1915, grew to a six-day event that drew 25,000 people in 1927.
The Historical Association says the Mexican government granted the 8,800-acre Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas, “ranch of the lambs pasture”, to Francisco Estrada and his wife, Inez Castro, in 1842, and that Estrada built “the first permanent home in what is now Mountain View, near what is now Central Expressway and Rengstorff Avenue”.
In 1850, the Association says, a stage coach service began on El Camino Real and “a stop is established near Grant Road, creating a center of activity for the surrounding area”.
The Association says the store keeper and first postmaster Jacob Shumway “is credited with the naming of Mountain View” in 1854, the year the Mountain View School District was formed; the City’s 2022 report says the town “takes its name from the views of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south and west that are available throughout the City”.
In 1860, the Association says, the bay shoreline “becomes a center of local economic activity”, with landings on land now part of “Shoreline Park, the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Moffett Field”.
The railroad began service in 1864 “with a station one mile from the original town of Mountain View on El Camino Real”, the Association says, and “The town of New Mountain View, also known as Mountain View Station, is established near the train stop and Castro Street becomes the new community’s downtown.”
In 1902, the Association says, local residents voted to incorporate and “the City of Mountain View is officially established”; “Electric street lights, telephone service, and municipal water system begin operating.”
In 1904 the Seventh Day Adventist Pacific Press Publishing Association moved to Mountain View, “bringing with it about 100 Adventist families employed by the press who settle in the neighborhood south of its plant on Villa Street (now known as Shoreline West)”, the Association says.
In 1911, the Association says, California male voters passed Amendment #8, which “grants women in California the right to vote”, and “Local women, led by Mary Gates, work hard to ensure passage in Santa Clara County”.
The Association says the Mountain View Prune & Apricot Exposition was first held in 1915 and “grows to become a six-day event that attracts 25,000 people in 1927”.
From 1920, the Association says, “Hoping to establish Mountain View as a deep water port, the South Shore Port Company begins dredging the tidal slough at Jagels Landing at the end of Whisman Road.” Ferry and freight service began in 1923 and ended in 1927, when “the company declares bankruptcy”.
In 1926, the Association says, Mountain View’s Portuguese community celebrated a Holy Ghost festa (festival) on a dairy farm on Charleston Road, “leading to the establishment of two Portuguese Halls”.
In 1946, the Association says, four engineers from Hendy Iron Works in Sunnyvale “establish Arrow Development Company” in Mountain View, and in 1953 Walt Disney “contracts with Arrow to engineer and manufacture Disneyland’s original rides”.
In 1956, the Association says, William Shockley “opens the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory on San Antonio Road”, and employees from the lab “break away to form Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957”.
The Association says the Jobs family, including Steve Jobs, “moves to the Monta Loma neighborhood” in 1959; in 1967 the family “relocates to Cupertino”.
At the Association’s urging in 1966, the old Mountain View cemetery, established in 1861 and owned by the city since 1930, “is saved from plans to run a street through it and instead is converted into Pioneer Memorial Park”.
In 1967, the Association says, the City bought excess freeway land to develop “a park chain along Stevens Creek, which eventually results in the construction of the Stevens Creek Trail in the 1990s”.
The Association says “The Intel corporation is formed by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore” in 1968.
Shoreline at Mountain View, “a 750 acre park, golf course, and wildlife reserve”, opened in 1983 “on land formerly used as a landfill”, and the amphitheatre beside it opened in 1986 “as partnership between the City of Mountain View and well-known Bay Area impresario, Bill Graham”, the Association says.
From 1988 to 1990 the City’s downtown project “includes the complete reconstruction of Castro Street between Central Expressway and El Camino Real”, the Association says, and changed the four-lane road into “a two lane pedestrian friendly street with wide sidewalks and landscaping, including tree planting”.
The new Civic Center opened on Castro Street in 1991: “The four story complex, which includes a new City Hall and 600 seat Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (MVCPA), is designed by the William Turnbull firm.”
Next to the city, on 1 July 1994, NAS Moffett Field “closes as a naval air station and is turned over to the NASA Ames Research Center”, the Association says.
The Association says the Adobe Building, built in 1934 as a New Deal Civil Works Administration project, was closed in 1987 because “new seismic building regulations forced the city to close it”; a community campaign called Save the Adobe began in 1995, and “the building is restored to its 1935 appearance and reopened for public use on September 29, 2001”.
In 1997 the Public Library reopened in a new building on Franklin Street, the Association says, with “a larger space for the Mountain View History Center on its second floor, home to the combined archives of the City of Mountain View and the Mountain View Historical Association”.
The Association says “Google moves to Mountain View” in 1999, and that in 2006 Google purchases the former Silicon Graphics headquarters on Amphitheatre Parkway, “which becomes known as the Googleplex”.
The City celebrated the 100th anniversary of its incorporation in 2002 with events “culminating in the dedication of Centennial Plaza and a replica of Mountain View’s Southern Pacific Depot, originally built in 1888 and demolished in 1959”, the Association says.
The last working farm in Mountain View, a 15-acre farm on Grant Road, lost its lease in 2007, the Association says; “The property is developed in 2010 with 53 single family homes and the farm’s historic windmill is relocated next to the Rengstorff House.”
In 2020, the Association says, “Four blocks of Castro Street close to automobile traffic to accommodate outdoor dining”, and on October 25, 2022, “City Council adopts an ordinance to establish a pedestrian mall on Castro Street between the West Evelyn Avenue and California Street”.
Fire safety
Fire sprinklers
The City’s guide for single-family homes says, “A residential fire sprinkler system is required with: (1) any new construction home, (2) any addition that results in a total size of 4,100 sq. ft. (new + existing sq. ft.), and (3) any addition which doubles the size of an existing home.”
City page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter guards
Mountain View this month
Storm season: Valley Water says its sandbag sites and sandbags are “only available from November 1 through April 15 of each year”. Its own sites are in Alviso, Morgan Hill, Palo Alto and San Jose, and none is in Mountain View. The City gives sand and sandbags free to Mountain View residents at its Municipal Operations Center on North Whisman Road, and asks you to bring a shovel. Its page gives no season dates, so check back.
The Mountain View blog starts when there is enough local news to keep it current.
Culture and history
Shoreline at Mountain View
The City’s Shoreline page says, “Shoreline at Mountain View is a 750-acre wildlife refuge and recreation area with the majority of that acreage being located over a closed landfill.” It adds, “Shoreline is open from 6:30 a.m. until 30 minutes after sundown, seven days a week.”
City page undated, read Oct 27 2026 (refresh before use)
Computer History Museum
The museum’s visit page gives its hours as “Wednesday-Sunday”, “10 a.m.-5 p.m.”, and says “Monday and Tuesday: Closed”. The Historical Association says it “reopens in a former Silicon Graphics building on Shoreline Boulevard.”
Museum page read Oct 27 2026 (its footer reads 2025; check the hours before a visit)
See 3 more
Heritage Park and the Immigrant House
The Historical Association says Heritage Park opened on Rengstorff Avenue in 2016, and that “The park features the historic Immigrant House, a circa 1880 cottage originally located in Downtown Mountain View.” The cottage “is restored to commemorate the many immigrant farmworkers that came to Mountain View during its agricultural heyday.”
Association’s page undated, read Oct 27 2026
A stage stop and a railroad
A stage coach service began on El Camino Real in 1850, and the railroad of 1864 moved the town’s center to Castro Street, by the Historical Association’s account. More in The story of Mountain View, below.
Association’s page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Prunes, apricots and a laboratory
The Prune & Apricot Exposition began in 1915, and in 1956 William Shockley opened a semiconductor laboratory on San Antonio Road, the Historical Association says. More in The story of Mountain View, below.
Association’s page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Community
Mountain View Historical Association
The Association says, “Founded in 1954, the Mountain View Historical Association is dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of Mountain View, California.” It says its meetings “are open to the General public.”
Association’s pages undated, read Oct 27 2026
Neighborhood associations
The City’s Neighborhood Programs page says, “Mountain View has 18 active neighborhood associations and eight of these associations began with financial assistance from the Neighborhood Grant Program.”
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
City rules and regulations
Re-roofs
A re-roof takes a permit and inspections. The City’s guide for single-family homes says, “permits are required for work that involves installing/replacing equipment and upgrading or replacing structural or building components of the home, such as, but not limited to, reroofing”.
City page undated, read Oct 27 2026
The same-day re-roof permit
The City’s Same-Day Building Permits page lists a re-roof permit for an existing single-family home or duplex, “issued online without a set of building plans”. It is not available if a new roofing material’s total weight “exceeds 7.5 lbs. per square foot”, if “You are adding a new roof as part of a home remodel or addition”, or if “You are modifying the roof structure/framing or adding skylights.” The City’s fee page lists “Reroofing Permit” at the “building permit fee”, which is set by construction valuation, and has the amounts.
City pages undated, read Oct 27 2026
See 9 more
Re-roof inspections
The City’s page lists an initial inspection that depends on the roofing material, an in-progress inspection for “covering existing roof” or “Replacement without sheathing inspection.”, and a final inspection “after all of the work is complete including the following:” a checklist that includes “Overflow drains cleaned” and “Skylights secured”.
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
The building code
The City’s code page says, “Effective January 1, 2026, all applications submitted for Building and Fire permits will be required to comply with the following California Building Standards Code (State Code or Title 24) and certified standards, which are adopted by reference with local amendments by the City of Mountain View.”
City page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Historic homes
The City’s guide says the Planning Division requires a permit for “Any exterior changes or additions to a historic home”.
City page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Heritage trees
The City’s Heritage tree page says, “A permit is required to remove a Heritage tree.” It counts a tree as a Heritage tree with a trunk circumference of 48 inches or more, measured 54 inches above natural grade, and “Multi-trunk trees are measured just below the first major trunk fork”. An oak, redwood or cedar counts at a circumference of 12 inches, measured the same way, and so does a grove the City Council designates. Twelve inches around is about four across, by our own arithmetic.
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
Street trees
The City’s trees page defines a Street tree as “A tree located typically within the first 5′ of a front yard area, behind the sidewalk, or a tree located between the sidewalk and street.” It says, “A permit is required to remove a Heritage tree or Street tree with either the Planning Division or the Urban Forestry Division.”
City page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Other trees
The City’s guide says, “Most trees located at a single-family home are private trees, which are not regulated by the City.” Its list of permits puts “Removing a tree on a single-family or duplex property that is not a Heritage tree or Street tree” under “No permit is required.”
City pages undated, read Oct 27 2026
Applying to remove a Heritage tree
The page says, “Submit your application online as in-person submissions are no longer accepted.” If a building permit at your home needs a Heritage tree removed, “you need to apply for a Heritage Tree Removal Permit with Urban Forestry at the same time as you submit for your building permit.” Its typical timeline is “Up to 45 days after permit fee payment or fee waiver confirmation, no public hearing required.”
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
Replacing a Heritage tree
The page says, “All Heritage Tree Removal Permits require the replanting of two new tree(s) per one Heritage tree removed, or payment of an in-lieu fee if one can not be accommodated on the same site.” The fees are on the City’s page.
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
Appealing a Heritage tree decision
The page says a decision on a Heritage Tree Removal Permit by the City Arborist “can be appealed within 10 calendar days of the decision (during the 10-day posting on the tree)”, with a letter giving the reasons and a fee.
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
Need a hand with this? Roofing
Storms, flood and drainage
Check back Sandbags
The City’s flood page says sand and sandbags “are available at no charge to Mountain View residents” at its Municipal Operations Center on North Whisman Road, and tells you to “Bring a shovel to fill the sandbags.” The City’s page gives no season dates, so check back. Valley Water’s page says, “Sandbag sites and sandbags are only available from November 1 through April 15 of each year.” Its sites are in Alviso, Morgan Hill, Palo Alto and San Jose, and it adds, “Be aware, some sites require proof of residency.”
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026; Valley Water page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Leaves in the street
The City’s flood page says, “Help prevent street flooding and storm drain clogs by removing leaves.” and asks you to “Place leaves that fall on your property in your compost cart for curbside collection.” It adds, “Keep debris and trash out of the storm drain system”; that is the street’s drain, not a roof gutter. It also says, “Street sweepers can pick up leaves that fall in the roadway if they are no more than 3 inches deep and 3 feet wide.”
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
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The creeks
A draft environmental report of July 2022 says, “Stevens Creek and Permanente Creek, both of which originate in the Santa Cruz Mountains and flow north to San Francisco Bay, are the primary watercourses within the Mountain View City limits”.
Draft of July 2022, read Oct 27 2026
The Permanente Creek project
Valley Water says the project “Provides flood protection to a minimum of 1,664 parcels (1,378 homes, 160 businesses and 4 schools/institutions)” “downstream of El Camino Real from a 1% (or 100-year) flood”.
Valley Water page undated, read Oct 27 2026
How much of the city is in a flood hazard area
The City’s flood page, which prints no date, says, “Twelve percent of the City of Mountain View is located within special flood hazard areas. Flooding in these areas is caused by tidal flooding from the Bay and flooding from Permanente Creek.”
City page undated (it prints no date), read in Chrome Oct 27 2026
Check the flood status of your address
The City’s flood page says, “Upon request, the City will provide the public, lending institutions, real estate agents and insurance agents with certain flood map information,” including “Classification of whether a property is in or out of the Special Flood Hazard Area”. Valley Water says, “You don’t have to live next to a creek to be impacted by flooding.”
City page undated, read in Chrome Oct 27 2026; Valley Water page undated, read Oct 27 2026
Need a hand with this? Gutter cleaning
Programs, loans and insurance
Check back No-cost home repairs: Rebuilding Together Peninsula
Rebuilding Together Peninsula’s apply page lists Mountain View among the places it serves: “Your home is in San Mateo County, or in the cities of Palo Alto, Mountain View, or Los Altos*.” The City’s Community Service Providers page lists the program as the “Safe at Home Program” under “CDBG/HOME Capital Projects”, “Minor home repairs for low income homeowners and accessibility modifications for low income homeowners and tenants”, citywide. The program says, “Let us help you address your home repair needs at no cost to you.” Your home must be your primary residence, and “Your total household gross income is not higher than San Mateo County’s current ‘low’ income limit (80% AMI).” Its page says, “Also, certain larger repairs such as foundation work, roof replacement, and major plumbing or electrical system repairs are typically not covered by our funding.” Once you apply, “your application will be reviewed by RTP staff, generally within two weeks.”
Program pages undated, read Oct 27 2026
Check back Silicon Valley Clean Energy: rebates, with an extra from the City
Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s rebate page says, “Customers of Mountain View can receive higher rebate for a Heat Pump Water Heater.” and “The extra incentive (on top of SVCE’s standard rebate for a Heat Pump Water Heater) comes from funding from the City of Mountain View.” It says, “Money will be available until it runs out.” and “Make sure to apply for your rebate before the appliance is installed.” “Each dwelling unit is eligible for one rebate per appliance type.” Its home rebates page says, “If you are a customer from Los Altos, Milpitas, Mountain View, or Sunnyvale, you can find your core rebate amounts on the City Rebates tab.”
SVCE page and City page undated, read Oct 27 2026
See 6 more
County-wide Check back Roof repairs: Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley
Habitat’s Home Repair page says, “Services are currently available in select cities in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara counties.”, and its list of cities includes Mountain View. Its critical repairs include “roof repairs”, and “All home repairs are performed by licensed contractors and overseen by our skilled construction staff.” You start with a Request for Service form. It lists a Home Repair Orientation on Tuesday, November 10 and another on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, at 1 p.m., each a “30-minute, online presentation”. The event page says Habitat offers “affordable or sometimes free home improvements to low-to-moderate income homeowners”, and that the presentation covers “What cities we currently have capacity to serve homeowners in”, “The basics of what is offered in each city from grants to payment-free loans” and “Who qualifies and what kinds of repairs can be covered”.
Habitat’s pages read Oct 27 2026; the year of the orientation sessions is in the addresses of their event pages
County-wide Rain barrels, cisterns and rain gardens: Valley Water
Valley Water’s Rainwater Capture Rebate is for a home with “an existing gutter or downspout system not currently capturing rainwater”: “Valley Water will help you install rain barrels, cisterns, and rain gardens.” Its page says, “Current program funding lasts until June 30, 2027, or until depleted.” As we read it, Valley Water’s page names no town. Residents and business owners in Santa Clara County are eligible. Applications are accepted “in the order received as long as funds remain available.”
Valley Water pages (undated) as read for the county sheet of Oct 14 2026
County-wide Weatherization: BayREN and PG&E
BayREN’s EASE Home program, which lists Santa Clara County, is for households that “Are a PG&E customer,” “Have a household income under or at 120% AMI,” and “Live in a single-family home (four or fewer units) built before 2010.” It says, “BayREN covers 80% of the cost for essential weatherization upgrades, including insulation and duct sealing,” with your portion “capped at 20% of the project cost,” and “Households can only benefit once from CPUC incentives for the same improvement, product, equipment or service.” PG&E’s Energy Savings Assistance Program offers to “Improve the energy efficiency of your home at no cost to you” in a house, mobile home or apartment “at least five years old”, with furnace and water heater repair or replacement for eligible homeowners “if PG&E determines that existing natural gas units are inoperable or unsafe.” Neither program’s page says whether it is open now, and PG&E’s page names no county, so it is not known whether a given Mountain View home qualifies.
Program pages (undated) as read for the county sheet of Oct 14 2026
Solar and battery discounts: Bay Area SunShares
Bay Area SunShares says, “Currently, single-family homeowners living in any of the nine Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma) are eligible to participate in SunShares program.” Its pages say, “The Bay Area SunShares 2026 Fall Campaign is now open!” with the dates “September 1 – November 15”, and that after you receive your proposals, “you’ll have until December 15th, 2026 to sign a contract with your preferred installer.” The program says its discount “is specifically for solar systems and battery storage” and that its installers “offer an average discount of about 15%.”
Program pages read Oct 27 2026
State-wide LIHEAP and the Weatherization Assistance Program
LIHEAP, the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, is run in California by the Department of Community Services and Development through local service providers, and the household applies to the local provider. The Department’s page says, “Eligibility for LIHEAP services can vary depending on income, household size, place of residence, and other factors.” It describes one-time help with a utility bill, help in an energy crisis and free weatherization upgrades. The Department also works with local providers on the federal Weatherization Assistance Program for low-income homeowners and renters, and says, “Use the Find Services in Your Area function to locate the agency in your area, then contact them to apply for assistance.” Its toll-free help line is (866) 675-6623. The pages do not say whether LIHEAP is open or closed, and no page we read names the provider for Mountain View.
Pages read Oct 20 2026
State-wide Check back Earthquake Brace + Bolt: check back
Earthquake Brace + Bolt is a program of the California Residential Mitigation Program, a joint body. Its page says, “An EBB seismic retrofit is only done on wood-framed, pre-1980 homes with a raised foundation.” The program’s 2025 Northern California ZIP list names Mountain View with the ZIP codes 94040, 94041 and 94043: “Eligibility based on ZIP Code only, city provided as reference.” It says, “EBB program registration is open for a limited time each year.” When the registration page was read on Oct 20 2026, it said, “The EBB Program is currently closed.”
Program pages and ZIP list of 2025; registration page as read Oct 20 2026
Who serves your home in Mountain View
- Fire: The City’s own Mountain View Fire Department. The department says it is an “all risk and service” fire department, on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Water and sewer: The City’s page says, “The City of Mountain View provides water and wastewater (sewer) services to residents and businesses through the Public Services Division.” California Water Service’s Los Altos Suburban District says it serves “portions of Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale”, and the City of Los Altos’s page says its sewer service also reaches “a small portion of the City of Mountain View”. Check your bill to see which one serves your address.
- Garbage and recycling: Recology Mountain View “is the resource recovery company for the Mountain View community”, and says it provides “Recycling, Organics, and Garbage collection services”.
- Electricity: Silicon Valley Clean Energy names Mountain View among the communities it serves as “the official electricity provider”, and says “PG&E delivers it on their existing power lines.”
- Schools: The Mountain View Whisman School District says it “serves a diverse student population in preschool through eighth grade”. The Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District says it is “Serving the communities of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills”.
- Valley Water: Valley Water, the county’s water district, says its Permanente Creek flood protection project “spanned 10.6 miles of Permanente Creek” “from San Francisco Bay’s southwest shoreline through Mountain View to Foothill Expressway in Los Altos”, and marks it “Completed 2021”.
Useful links: Mountain View Whisman School District · Mountain View-Los Altos High School District · City of Mountain View: Fire Department · City of Mountain View: Same-Day Building Permits (re-roofs) · City of Mountain View: Heritage Tree Removal · City of Mountain View: Flood Protection and sandbags · Rebuilding Together Peninsula · Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley · Valley Water (sandbags) · Recology Mountain View · Silicon Valley Clean Energy · Bay Area SunShares · Shoreline at Mountain View · Computer History Museum · Mountain View Historical Association
The homes of Mountain View
Mountain View’s median home was built in 1975, by the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 survey. The State counted 41,661 housing units in January 2026 and the survey puts the figure at 39,458, so there are about 39,500 to 41,700 homes. By the State’s count, about 26 percent are single detached houses, about 13 percent single attached homes and about half are in buildings of five or more units, our own calculations.
1908
University Park, a subdivision that did not fill
The Historical Association says land speculators created the University Park subdivision near Castro Station in 1908, hoping Stanford University professors and San Franciscans would build country cottages along streets with names like Leland Avenue and College Avenue; those hopes “never come to fruition”.
1961
Single-family neighborhoods on former orchards
The Association says Awalt High School “primarily serves residents living in the new single family home neighborhoods being built in the former orchard district south of El Camino Real in Mountain View and Los Altos”.
Today
Single-family districts
The City’s guide says, “Most single-family residential homes are located in the R1 (Single-Family Residential) district.” A portion of single-family homes are in “the R2 (One- and Two-Family Residential) district and the R3 (Multiple-Family Residential) district”.
Older roofs and gutters need a different hand: Gutter Repair · Roof Repair · Gutter Installation
The story of Mountain View
History and character
The Historical Association says the Mexican government granted the 8,800-acre Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas, “ranch of the lambs pasture”, to Francisco Estrada and his wife, Inez Castro, in 1842, and that Estrada built “the first permanent home in what is now Mountain View, near what is now Central Expressway and Rengstorff Avenue”.
In 1850, the Association says, a stage coach service began on El Camino Real and “a stop is established near Grant Road, creating a center of activity for the surrounding area”.
The Association says the store keeper and first postmaster Jacob Shumway “is credited with the naming of Mountain View” in 1854, the year the Mountain View School District was formed; the City’s 2022 report says the town “takes its name from the views of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south and west that are available throughout the City”.
In 1860, the Association says, the bay shoreline “becomes a center of local economic activity”, with landings on land now part of “Shoreline Park, the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Moffett Field”.
The railroad began service in 1864 “with a station one mile from the original town of Mountain View on El Camino Real”, the Association says, and “The town of New Mountain View, also known as Mountain View Station, is established near the train stop and Castro Street becomes the new community’s downtown.”
In 1902, the Association says, local residents voted to incorporate and “the City of Mountain View is officially established”; “Electric street lights, telephone service, and municipal water system begin operating.”
In 1904 the Seventh Day Adventist Pacific Press Publishing Association moved to Mountain View, “bringing with it about 100 Adventist families employed by the press who settle in the neighborhood south of its plant on Villa Street (now known as Shoreline West)”, the Association says.
In 1911, the Association says, California male voters passed Amendment #8, which “grants women in California the right to vote”, and “Local women, led by Mary Gates, work hard to ensure passage in Santa Clara County”.
The Association says the Mountain View Prune & Apricot Exposition was first held in 1915 and “grows to become a six-day event that attracts 25,000 people in 1927”.
From 1920, the Association says, “Hoping to establish Mountain View as a deep water port, the South Shore Port Company begins dredging the tidal slough at Jagels Landing at the end of Whisman Road.” Ferry and freight service began in 1923 and ended in 1927, when “the company declares bankruptcy”.
In 1926, the Association says, Mountain View’s Portuguese community celebrated a Holy Ghost festa (festival) on a dairy farm on Charleston Road, “leading to the establishment of two Portuguese Halls”.
In 1946, the Association says, four engineers from Hendy Iron Works in Sunnyvale “establish Arrow Development Company” in Mountain View, and in 1953 Walt Disney “contracts with Arrow to engineer and manufacture Disneyland’s original rides”.
In 1956, the Association says, William Shockley “opens the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory on San Antonio Road”, and employees from the lab “break away to form Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957”.
The Association says the Jobs family, including Steve Jobs, “moves to the Monta Loma neighborhood” in 1959; in 1967 the family “relocates to Cupertino”.
At the Association’s urging in 1966, the old Mountain View cemetery, established in 1861 and owned by the city since 1930, “is saved from plans to run a street through it and instead is converted into Pioneer Memorial Park”.
In 1967, the Association says, the City bought excess freeway land to develop “a park chain along Stevens Creek, which eventually results in the construction of the Stevens Creek Trail in the 1990s”.
The Association says “The Intel corporation is formed by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore” in 1968.
Shoreline at Mountain View, “a 750 acre park, golf course, and wildlife reserve”, opened in 1983 “on land formerly used as a landfill”, and the amphitheatre beside it opened in 1986 “as partnership between the City of Mountain View and well-known Bay Area impresario, Bill Graham”, the Association says.
From 1988 to 1990 the City’s downtown project “includes the complete reconstruction of Castro Street between Central Expressway and El Camino Real”, the Association says, and changed the four-lane road into “a two lane pedestrian friendly street with wide sidewalks and landscaping, including tree planting”.
The new Civic Center opened on Castro Street in 1991: “The four story complex, which includes a new City Hall and 600 seat Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (MVCPA), is designed by the William Turnbull firm.”
Next to the city, on 1 July 1994, NAS Moffett Field “closes as a naval air station and is turned over to the NASA Ames Research Center”, the Association says.
The Association says the Adobe Building, built in 1934 as a New Deal Civil Works Administration project, was closed in 1987 because “new seismic building regulations forced the city to close it”; a community campaign called Save the Adobe began in 1995, and “the building is restored to its 1935 appearance and reopened for public use on September 29, 2001”.
In 1997 the Public Library reopened in a new building on Franklin Street, the Association says, with “a larger space for the Mountain View History Center on its second floor, home to the combined archives of the City of Mountain View and the Mountain View Historical Association”.
The Association says “Google moves to Mountain View” in 1999, and that in 2006 Google purchases the former Silicon Graphics headquarters on Amphitheatre Parkway, “which becomes known as the Googleplex”.
The City celebrated the 100th anniversary of its incorporation in 2002 with events “culminating in the dedication of Centennial Plaza and a replica of Mountain View’s Southern Pacific Depot, originally built in 1888 and demolished in 1959”, the Association says.
The last working farm in Mountain View, a 15-acre farm on Grant Road, lost its lease in 2007, the Association says; “The property is developed in 2010 with 53 single family homes and the farm’s historic windmill is relocated next to the Rengstorff House.”
In 2020, the Association says, “Four blocks of Castro Street close to automobile traffic to accommodate outdoor dining”, and on October 25, 2022, “City Council adopts an ordinance to establish a pedestrian mall on Castro Street between the West Evelyn Avenue and California Street”.
Mountain View, roof and gutters
A draft environmental report of July 2022 says the city sits “at the northwest end of the low-lying alluvial plain of the Santa Clara Valley, which is bounded to the north by San Francisco Bay, to the west by the Santa Cruz Mountains, and to the east by the Diablo Range”.
Yearly rain is 14.29 inches, our own average of NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals for the two nearest stations with a published normal: Moffett Federal Airfield, 13.45 inches, and Palo Alto, 15.12 inches. The Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan, a 2012 document, says, “The wet season generally extends from November through April, while rainfall from May through October tends to be minimal.”
The City’s Street Tree Master List, dated March 2012, names one designated street tree for almost every public street. Counted by mentions in that list, the most often named are Brisbane box (104), red maple (74), Freeman or black maple (57), pistache (51) and ginkgo, which the list writes “maidenhair” (44), by our own count. Cal Poly’s SelecTree lists the Brisbane box as evergreen, with “Small Brown or Red Capsule” fruit in summer and “Exfoliating and Smooth” bark; the red maple and the Chinese pistache as deciduous; and the ginkgo’s litter as “Leaves”.
The 2022 report says “Coast live oak woodland occurs along the upland stream banks and terraces of Stevens Creek and the western, unchannelized section of Permanente Creek”, and that “large solitary coast live oaks can be found growing throughout the Project in residential and industrial parcels”. It lists Fremont cottonwood, California bay and valley oak among the native and non-native trees seen along Stevens Creek. For the coast live oak, the Forest Service’s Fire Effects Information System says, “Leaves emerge from February to April; and old leaves are shed at the same time.” and “Most of its acorns are dropped in fall, but some remain attached to trees until spring.” Of the valley oak it says, “leaves fall: November” and “acorns ripe: October to November”; of the Fremont cottonwood, “Leaf senescence occurs in late September and abscission in mid-October.”; and of the California bay (it calls it California laurel), “seed disseminated: Nov-Jan”. These are the Forest Service’s general accounts of the species, not Mountain View’s trees in particular.
We have been working on Bay Area roofs and gutters since 2002. If yours hasn’t had a look in a while, we’d be glad to come by.
Landmarks and parks
Mountain View Adobe
The National Register form describes it as “a Spanish Revival style one-story adobe building”, built in 1934, with a gabled timber frame roof “covered by red clay tile”.
Rengstorff House
The National Register nomination form says, “The original slate roof survives and is largely undamaged.”
Hangar One, next to the city
The National Park Service calls Hangar #1, built to house the Navy dirigible USS Macon, “One of the most recognizable landmarks in the San Francisco Bay Area”, and NASA’s historic-properties page says Ames Research Center “lies between the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View”.
Pioneer Memorial Park
The Association says the land for Mountain View Cemetery “is donated by Maria Peralta de Castro (now the location of Pioneer Memorial Park)”.
How we can help in Mountain View
Why Sunshine Gutters and Roofing
- Family-owned since 2002, trusted by thousands of returning Bay Area homeowners
- Licensed (CSLB #1053780), bonded, with $2 million in general liability coverage
- Our own crew, never subcontractors
- We keep track of local regulations, fire safety rules and insurance programs
- We show you what we found, with photos, so you decide what happens next
Mountain View questions
What Mountain View homeowners ask us
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Mountain View?
A permit and inspections apply. The City’s guide for single-family homes says, “permits are required for work that involves installing/replacing equipment and upgrading or replacing structural or building components of the home, such as, but not limited to, reroofing”. If you wish, we can also pull the permit for you, as most of our customers ask us to.
Can I get a re-roof permit the same day in Mountain View?
The City’s Same-Day Building Permits page lists a re-roof permit for an existing single-family home or duplex, “issued online without a set of building plans”. It is not available if you are modifying the roof structure or framing or adding skylights, if you are adding a new roof as part of a home remodel or addition, or if a new roofing material’s total weight exceeds 7.5 lbs. per square foot.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my property in Mountain View?
Most trees at a single-family home are private, and the City’s guide lists “Removing a tree on a single-family or duplex property that is not a Heritage tree or Street tree” under “No permit is required.” A Heritage tree or a Street tree needs a permit from the Planning Division or the Urban Forestry Division.
Where do I get sandbags in Mountain View?
The City gives sand and sandbags free to Mountain View residents at its Municipal Operations Center on North Whisman Road, and tells you to bring a shovel. Its page gives no season dates, so check back. Valley Water’s own sites, in Alviso, Morgan Hill, Palo Alto and San Jose, are open “from November 1 through April 15 of each year”.
What our customers say
Get a free estimate
We usually respond promptly within the day. Phone first for emergencies: (510) 525-0880.
Where we work
Mountain View neighbourhoods we serve
Downtown
The City’s Precise Plans page lists a “Downtown” plan area, last updated November 2024, and the Historical Association says Castro Street “becomes the new community’s downtown”.
El Camino Real
The City’s Precise Plans page lists an “El Camino Real” plan area, last updated November 2024, and the Historical Association says a stage coach service began on El Camino Real in 1850.
San Antonio
The City’s Precise Plans page lists a “San Antonio” plan area, last updated November 2024, and the City’s 2026 neighborhood meeting areas include “San Antonio/ Rengstorff Area”.
Old Mountain View
The City lists a neighborhood association for it among its awarded groups, and the association’s own site is titled “Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association”.
Monta Loma
The City lists the “Monta Loma Neighborhood Association” and uses the label “Monta Loma/Farley/ Rock Street Area” for one of its neighborhood meeting areas.
Shoreline West
The City lists the “Shoreline West Association of Neighbors”, and the Historical Association uses the name for the neighborhood “south of its plant on Villa Street”.
Cuesta Park
The City’s 2025-2026 list of neighborhood groups names the “Cuesta Park Neighborhood Association”.
Rex Manor
The City’s 2025-2026 list of neighborhood groups names the “Rex Manor Neighborhood Association”.
Gemello
The City’s 2025-2026 list of neighborhood groups names the “Gemello Neighborhood Association”.
North Whisman
The City’s 2025-2026 list of neighborhood groups names the “North Whisman Neighborhood Association”.
Blossom Valley
The City’s 2025-2026 list of neighborhood groups names the “Blossom Valley Neighborhood”.
Also serving nearby: Los Altos · Palo Alto · Sunnyvale · Los Altos Hills