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- This article is about the town in California. For the unincorporated community in Michigan, see Breen Township, Michigan.
Foster City is an affluent planned city located in San Mateo County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 28,803.
Foster City was founded in the 1960s on engineered landfill in the marshes of the San Francisco Bay, on the east edge of San Mateo. The city was named after T. Jack Foster, a real estate magnate who owned much of the land comprising the city and who was instrumental in the intitial design. His successor firm, Foster Enterprises, run by his descendants, is still active in real estate affairs throughout the San Francisco Bay area.
Geography
Foster City is located at 37°33'5" North, 122°15'59" West (37.551285, -122.266382).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.6 km² (19.9 mi²). 9.7 km² (3.8 mi²) of it is land and 41.9 km² (16.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 81.13% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 28 ,803 people, 11,613 households, and 7,931 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,957.7/km² (7,664.4/mi²). There are 12,009 housing units at an average density of 1,233.2/km² (3,195.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 59.32% White, 2.09% African American, 0.12% Native American, 32.52% Asian, 0.58% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, and 4.13% from two or more races. 5.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 11,613 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% are married couples living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% are non-families. 23.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $95,279, and the median income for a family is $106,099. Males have a median income of $77,916 versus $51,157 for females. The per capita income for the city is $45,754. 2.9% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Education
Foster City is home to three public elementary schools of the San Mateo-Foster City School District, Foster City Elementary School, Brewer Island Elementary School, and Audubon Elementary School. There is one public middle school, Nathaniel Bowditch Middle School, also of the San Mateo-Foster City School District. There are several private preschools, elementary schools, and middle schools. There are no high schools, and so Foster City high school students attend schools in the San Mateo Union High School District.
Of the four public schools in Foster City, Audubon School, Foster City School, and Bowditch School have won California Distinguished School awards. In 1993, Bowditch was recognized with the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon. In 2005, Bowditch became a California Distinguished School for the second time.
Business
Foster City is the home to the world headquarters of Visa International, the main corporate body of the Visa credit card organization. (The Visa USA corporate headquarters were formerly in Foster City, but have moved to San Francisco.)
Foster City is also the headquarters of Applied Biosystems.
Sony Computer Entertainment America's headquarters are in Foster City.
The Picture People is headquartered in Foster City.
The ...For Dummies series of instructional books is headquartered in Foster City.
Recreation
As a planned community, Foster City was made for recreation. It boasts 19 parks made up of more than 100 acres, including many public tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, and a levee along the San Francisco Bay. Foster City also maintains an extensive 212-acre, man-made enclosed lagoon system. A world-class windsurfing spot in the San Francisco Bay can be found within the city limits of Foster City. There is one 9-hole golf course. Additionally, there are Dragon boat and Outrigger Canoe clubs that operate in the lagoon.
Items of Interest
The movie "Over the Edge" is based upon events occurring in Foster City.
Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Russ Ortiz and his family resided in Foster City during the baseball season.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Worrell resided in Foster City during a portion of his tenure on the Giants.
External links
Official Websites:
Planned cities | Cities in California | San Mateo County, California | San Francisco Bay Area
"Foster City, California"