San Mateo County, California Online Historical Directories

San Mateo County, California Online Historical Directories

Expand your research by checking out the California Online Historical Newspapers here.

Links to directories at Ancestry are to the images themselves, which are browsable. Non-subscribers will not be able to view these. Non-subscribers can, however, use the search engine and see a listing of possible results (but no images or further details). To search by name, directory, year, or keyword, go to Ancestry's U.S. City Directories search engine

. For more information on how to access subscription websites, read Number 5 on my FAQs page.

1860s - 1920s

California Voter Registers, 1866-1898 - $ (Ancestry)

Pacific Coast Business Directory, Langley, 1867 - Free (Internet Archive)

 - includes San Mateo County, as well as individual listings for Belmont, Crystal Springs, Half Moon Bay, Milbrae, Purissimo, Redwood City, San Bruno, Searsville, Sheldon, and Woodside

San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey County Directories, Paulson, 1875 - Free (Google Books)

Pacific Coast Business Directory, Langley, 1876-8 - Free (Internet Archive)

 - includes Belmont, Gordon Landing, Half Moon Bay, LaHonda, Lobetus Station, Menlo Park, Milbrae, Pesadero, Pigeon Point, Purissima, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Felix Station, San Gregorio, San Mateo, School House Station, Searsville, and Visitacion Valley

Pacific Coast Directory, McKenney, 1881 - Free (Golden Nugget Library)

 - San Mateo County listings

 - transcribed

Canada and United States Attorney Directory, Farley, 1888 - Free (Golden Nugget Library)

 - California listings, including some San Mateo County locations

 - transcribed

California State Government and Court Directory, unknown, 1898 - $ (Ancestry)

California Telephone Directory, Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co./Sunset Telephone & Telegraph Co., 1898 - Free (Golden Nugget Library)

 - includes Belmont, Menlo Park, Redwood (City), San Carlos, and San Mateo

California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968 - $ (Ancestry)

Menlo Park City Directory, Polk, 1926 - Free (DistantCousin)

1930s

California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968 - $ (Ancestry)

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1936 - $ (Ancestry)

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1936 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes East Palo Alto and Menlo Park

Redwood City City Directory, Polk, 1937 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Atherton, Belmont, Emerald Lake, San Carlos, and Woodside

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1937 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes East Palo Alto and Menlo Park

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1938 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes East Palo Alto

Menlo Park City Directory, Polk, 1938 - $ (Ancestry)

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1939 - $ (Ancestry)

Menlo Park City Directory, Polk, 1939 - $ (Ancestry)

Redwood City City Directory, Polk, 1939 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Atherton, Belmont, Emerald Lake, San Carlos, White Oaks and Woodside

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1939 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes East Palo Alto

1940s

California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968 - $ (Ancestry)

Brisbane City and Telephone Directory, Community Baptist Church, 1940 - Free (Online Archive of California)

 - although compiled by a church, it does not appear to be a church directory, but an actual city/telephone directory

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1940 - $ (Ancestry)

Menlo Park City Directory, Polk, 1940 - $ (Ancestry)

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1941 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

Redwood City City Directory, Polk, 1941-2 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Atherton, Belmont, Emerald Lake, San Carlos, White Oaks and Woodside

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1941 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes East Palo Alto and Menlo Park

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1942 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1942 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes East Palo Alto and Menlo Park

 - scanned at one page per image

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1942 - $ (Ancestry)  - another copy

 - includes East Palo Alto and Menlo Park

 - scanned at two pages per image

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1943 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1944 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

Palo Alto City Directory, Polk, 1944 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes East Palo Alto and Menlo Park

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1945 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1946-7 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1947-48 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

Burlingame, Hillsborough, and San Mateo City Directories, Coast Directory Company, 1948-9 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Millbrae

San Mateo County Telephone Directory, Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, 1948 - Free (Don's List)

 - does not include the communities of Bay Shore, Brisbane, Colma, and Daly City, which were included in the San Francisco Telephone Directory of 1948

 - web page is incorrectly labeled for San Francisco, 1912

1950 - 1970s

California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968 - $ (Ancestry)

San Francisco Telephone Directory, Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company, 1970 - $ (Ancestry)

 - includes Brisbane, Colma, Daly City, parts of Pacifica and South San Francisco, Treasure Island, and Yerba Buena Island

San Mateo County Telephone Directory, Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, 1973 - $ (Ancestry)

 - excludes Brisbane, Colma, and part of Daly City

San Mateo County Telephone Directory, Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, 1975 - $ (Ancestry)

 - excludes Brisbane, Colma, and part of Daly City

San Mateo County Telephone Directory, Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, 1977 - $ (Ancestry)

 - excludes Brisbane, Colma, and part of Daly City

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