Welcome to Corte Madera
Location and History
Extending from San Francisco Bay on the east side to Mt. Tam on the west, Corte Madera illustrates the wonderful Marin County blend of nature along with all the amenities of city living. Originally named Adams to honor Jerry Adams, the first postmaster, the name was changed to Corte Madera which in Spanish translates to the imperative command "Chop wood", as in "Do chop the wood". The town of Corte Madera is on part of Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio granted to John Reed in 1834 by Mexican Governor Jose Figueroa. Reed quickly took to the lumber industry, logging the area's immense supply of redwoods and shipping the lumber to San Francisco by way of Corte Madera Creek-some of this wood was used to build the Presidio in San Francisco. And the town kept growing.
At the turn of the century Corte Madera had attracted a number of families from San Francisco who came for the summer. Christmas Tree Hill was subdivided in tiny 25' x 25' lots for use as tent sites on the weekends. After the 1906 earthquake, many of these tent sites were used to build permanent homes, where some of the tiny cabins remain to this day. Corte Madera incorporated in 1916.
In 1850, California joined the Union, and the Gold Rush, by then a year old, brought more settlers to the area. By 1875, the North Pacific Coast Railroad set its tracks through Corte Madera, allowing flatcars to haul lumber, and later, passenger trains to service commuters to and from San Francisco, aided in its early stages by the Sausalito ferry. A few of those commuters significantly influenced the formation of Old Town. The square around the train station was the original center of Corte Madera, around which everything bloomed exponentially - and literally. Established in 1916 and preserved by the Women's Club, Railroad Park is located in the northwest quadrant of the old train station square. It was renamed Menke Park in the early 1950s after the town leased the property from the railroad and took over maintenance of the land.
Today Menke Park is a beautifully landscaped area with rose bushes and hydrangea, and the bright romanticism of Piccolo Pavilion's gazebo, bordered by a walkway and antique lampposts with hanging baskets bursting with bouquets of red, purple, yellow and pink flowers. The Fourth of July celebration - joining Corte Madera and its "twin city", Larkspur - draws thousands of spectators and residents from all over the Bay Area. The event includes a parade through Old Town, as well as festivities and a picnic in the nearby Town Park. Today the hill at the base of Corte Madera is called Christmas tree hill; because the lighted homes on the hill leading up to Mt.Tamalpais create the shape of a lighted Christmas tree.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,100 people, 3,776 households, and 2,473 families residing in the town. There were 3,776 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The median income for a household in the town was $79,839, and the median income for a family was $95,471. Males had a median income of $70,968 versus $50,380 for females. The per capita income for the town was $46,326. About 2.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
Public Schools
Most of Corte Madera is served by two public school districts; Larkspur School District for elementary and middle school, and Tamalpais Union High School District, which includes Redwood High School in Larkspur. A small portion of East Corte Madera is served by Reed Union School District.
Larkspur School District is a small district serving the towns of Larkspur and Corte Madera. More than 1000 students attend the two award winning elementary and middle schools that comprise the district.
Tamalpais Union High School District provides secondary school education to students coming from ten elementary districts in Marin County, including the Larkspur School District. It includes three comprehensive high schools, all of which have been designated as California Distinguished Schools, and two alternative schools.
Private Schools
In addition to the excellent public school system, Corte Madera claims some renowned public schools as well.
