THE HEART OF MARIN

ABOUT SAN ANSELMO

“San Anselmo is a small slice of heaven, where it really is sunny, warm and filled with good people.”

Welcome to San Anselmo! A great Town to visit and an incredible place to call home. We are located in the heart of Marin, surrounding Sir Francis Drake with winding streets, the laughter of children filling the air as they bike to school, an active community running, biking, hiking and living fully on the backside of Mt. Tam.

From world class food to stunning views, our proximity to San Francisco is only surpassed by our easy access to Point Reyes, Sonoma and Napa. Slow down and enjoy the good life with us!

What’s the secret? Maybe it is the sunny warm days, or ease of accessing fire roads that lead to epic mountain biking trails, or the range of baked goods from the gluten free Flour Craft to the heirloom grains of M.H. Bread and Butter, or the quaint San Anselmo Inn to the houses tucked amongst the redwood trees, or the small boutiques of downtown from gifts at the Fig Garden to bohemian chic designer clothing of LONGWAY.

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Maybe it’s the pizza from Stefanos to Cucina to Creekside and Pizzalina. Between Comforts, Taco Janes, Valenti’s, Insalata’s, Marinitas and MadCap we have become foodie central with uniquely delicious food and great spaces. Seriously, most kids would say the secret of San Anselmo is Barton’s Bagels.

The secret of San Anselmo is the people.

We have a great community filled with artists, teachers, programmers, musicians, chefs, athletes, lawyers, marketing professionals, investment bankers and start-up entrepreneurs. We have one of the largest populations of young families starting their lives in this safe haven in the North Bay. You will meet genuinely kind people who are interesting and living some version of “their best life.”

SAN ANSELMO

OUR HISTORY

San Anselmo has been a crossroads, if not a center of activity, from the days when the Coast Miwok inhabited the valley and fished the fresh waters of the creek. Red Hill, a town landmark, was the meeting point of three 1840s Mexican land grants. The rancho days had come to an end by 1875 when the North Pacific Coast Railroad completed its line, with its tracks branching east and west at San Anselmo.
san anselmo history photo
san anselmo history photo
Railroad officials, anxious to see towns and passengers along its line, encouraged some feverish real estate activity, but it wasn’t until San Francisco Theological Seminary was built in 1892 that the town began to grow. Incorporation followed in 1907 when an influx of refugees from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire built permanent homes and planted trees along the hot dusty streets. Such civic necessities as a volunteer fire department, town hall and chamber of commerce were developed soon after. Growth spurts came with the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937 and in the years following World War II, but San Anselmo has remained essentially a small, family town.

Want to learn more about San Anselmo?

Visit the San Anselmo Historical Museum and learn about the town’s unique history.
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Website made possible by a grant from the
San Anselmo Community Foundation

Content provided by

San Anselmo​ Chamber of Commerce

A 501c6 Non-Profit

Tel: (415) 233 7464

PO BOX 2844
SAN ANSELMO, CA 94979

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