The Almaden Valley is a scenic, upscale area on the southwest side of San Jose which is well known for the quality of its public schools.
Where is Almaden Valley, San Jose, 95120?
Most of what is considered Almaden Valley is in the area between the coastal range and the Santa Teresa foothills. Some areas, though, are in the Santa Cruz or Los Gatos Mountains (the coastal range). Whether you consider just the valley, or the mountain areas, too, Almaden sits at the base of Mt. Umunhum. Mount Um can be seen from most of Almaden Valley.
Almaden Expressway runs down the center of the valley. With hills on both sides, this residential enclave enjoys scenic vistas from many vantage points. Many homes have views of one hill or the other, and some are perched up a little and may have views of the valley. Many of the streets are tree lined, too, making it one of the most beautiful areas in Santa Clara County. The Guadalupe Creek and Los Alamitos Creek run through the valley, too, with the latter featuring a “creek trail”, too.
And here’s an aerial view – this gives you an idea of the more densely populated “valley” area as opposed to the more rural, and far less dense mountain areas:
Almaden Valley Schools
The high quality of local public schools is a big draw for home buyers. As with the rest of Silicon Valley, the school districts and boundaries are confusing, following neither zip code nor city boundary lines.
Most of Almaden Valley is part of the San Jose Unified School District (high schools are Pioneer on the north and Leland on the south). A bit of it by Coleman road and Camden Avenue sits in the Union School District and the Campbell Union High School District (where the high schools are a choice – at least as of this writing – for Leigh or Branham). To further muddy things, yet another sliver off Guadalupe Mines Road is within the attendance area of Los Gatos Union School District and Los Gatos High. Depending on the exact elementary, middle, and high school, among other things, home prices can vary. Please see the link to my article about the various school districts in Almaden, below.
Community involvement is a hallmark of this district, too. Each year there’s an art and wine festival in the fall, a music in the park series on Thursdays in July (of which I am a sponsor), and more. There’s a beautiful public library and community center on Camden Avenue near Almaden Expressway (near the large Safeway shopping center – the main business district of this suburban area today, apart from shops along Blossom Hill Road).
Almaden is one of the oldest areas in the county, too. The original settlement on & near Almaden Road was built for the quicksilver or mercury mine in the low levels of the coastal hills. The little town was called New Almaden, named after a large mercury mine in Spain. Those mines shut down years ago, but for a long time, they were the largest producer of mercury anywhere in the world. Today there is a restaurant (La Foret), large park, historic buildings and homes, as well as the Hacienda Cemetery.
With Google’s expansion into downtown San Jose, areas like Willow Glen, Cambrian, Almaden, and Blossom Valley are getting an increase of interest from home buyers as the commute to downtown is not too bad.
I have written about Almaden extensively on SanJoseRealEstateLosGatosHomes.com (the “blog” component to this site) and have a section of my Real Estate Report dedicated to the Almaden Valley area of San Jose. Below, please find links to these:
Schools, API Scores & Maps of School Boundaries in San Jose’s Almaden Valley
What Are the Advantages of Buying a Home in Almaden Valley?
Homes for sale in Almaden
To view homes for sale in Almaden, please visit this site’s blog page, where you can browse all available properties listed on the MLS in the Almaden area of San Jose.
How is the real estate market in Almaden?
Please check out my Real Estate Report for Almaden Valley here. It is updated monthly and features information on sold, pending, and listed properties in San Jose 95120 / MLS “Area 13 “.
Also read the blog article on the housing market in Almaden here:
Almaden Valley Real Estate Market Conditions & Homes for Sale
If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Almaden Valley, in San Jose, or anywhere in Santa Clara County, please reach out to me via email or phone call (no text as a first form of communication, please). No obligation, of course.
