Fremont is the fourth-largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and a hub for technological innovation. Known as the hardware side of the Bay, several Silicon Valley companies have facilities in Fremont, bringing jobs and economic development, including a Tesla factory and offices for Meta, Lam Research and Western Digital. “It has a real sense of community. It’s a tech hub and medical hub now because of the hospitals around,” says Everett Eslinger, an associate broker with Coldwell Banker Realty with over 30 years of experience. “Fremont right now appeals to people in tech who want peace and quiet and good schools.” Located on the southeast section of the Bay, Fremont is home to approximately 230,000 people. The area that is now Fremont has long been inhabited by the Ohlone people and was settled by Europeans with the founding of Mission San Jose in 1797. Despite the long history, the city wasn’t founded until 1956 when five towns joined to form one city. Each of those towns are now recognized as districts in Fremont and have maintained their own unique characteristics, leading to smaller communities within the larger city. With two interstates and multiple Bay Area Rapid Transit—or BART—stations, Fremont is an easily accessible city in a quiet corner of Silicon Valley.
Ardenwood Technology Park in Fremont is full of modern commercial buildings.
Visit Fremont Times Square in Warm Springs for casual dining and markets.
Tesla's office located in Irvington, Fremont, CA.
Philz Coffee offers delicious artisan coffee in the Kimber-Gomes area of Fremont.
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Suburbia in the heart of Silicon Valley
Because of Fremont’s origin as five separate towns, the city is spread out across a large area and has a suburban feel. Homes are typically clustered in various subdivisions, although a few condos and apartments exist in the city center. Neighborhoods like Warm Springs and Mission San Jose are among the most popular for their access to highly rated schools, mix of architectural styles and proximity to parks. Common housing styles include Mediterranean, new traditional and ranch-style homes. Although the city is more expensive than the nationwide median, Eslinger says it is cheaper than nearby areas like San Francisco and San Jose. The median home price in Fremont is $1,525,000, about a 15% increase over the past year. Nearly 70% of homes sell for over the asking price, and the housing market in Fremont has favored sellers recently. Homes typically stay on the market for 17 days, and approximately 80% of homes sell within 30 days, much shorter than the national average of 44 days. Homes are also selling much quicker than they were in 2022, when they stayed on the market for an average of 29 days.
Weibel's mediterranean newer construction tends to evoke classic design.
Downtown Fremont offers a range of modern condos, catering to various lifestyles.
Homes are clustered around beautiful cul-de-sacs in Mission Valley, Fremont.
Irvington, Fremont offers charming townhomes with modern designs and community amenities.
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Over 50 parks and hiking trails
Fremont has over 50 parks offering a variety of activities and plenty of green space. Central Park is the hub of recreation in the city, a 450-acre spot surrounding an 80-acre lake. The park has walking trails, several sports fields, courts and playgrounds. Ardenwood Historic Farm showcases the lifestyle of Bay Area farmers from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The farm has historic buildings, farm machinery and demonstrations. The city’s location near the Diablo Range offers plenty of hiking. Mission Peak is one of the most-used trails in the area, a steep, 3-mile hike to the summit. The area gets crowded on weekends, making parking a challenge. Along the way, hikers will see hawks, vultures and possibly feral goats. At the peak, visitors can enjoy views of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the northeast. Coyote Hills Regional Park is a 1,266-acre recreational site with marshland trails on the edge of the San Francisco Bay.
Brookvale's Quarry Lakes are full of life year-round.
Lake Elizabeth offers scenic walking paths for a refreshing stroll.
Enjoy scenic trails and lush greenery during your walk in Warm Springs Park.
Every weekend, hundreds of Weibel residents climb to the top of Mission Peak.
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A-rated Fremont Unified School District
Fremont Unified School District serves the neighborhood and gets an A rating from Niche. The district has approximately 32,000 students, making it the 23rd-largest district in the state. The average teacher has more than 10 years of experience. The district boasts a 92% high school graduation rate, higher than the statewide rate of 87%. About 91% of graduates go on to higher education. Fremont is also home to the California School for the Deaf and California School for the Blind. Ohlone College is a local community college in the Mission San Jose district with approximately 15,000 students across three campuses. The school offers 192 associate degrees and certificates.
Many college students come to Fremont for Ohlone College.
American High School is the top high school for Ardenwood students.
Weibel Elementary is one of the top schools in Fremont.
Centerville Middle School is a great public school option in Brookvale, Fremont.
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Fremont's developing Downtown District
Since Fremont is a combination of five older towns, the city never had a real downtown area until the Downtown Community Plan was published in 2012. This plan has started to come to fruition with developments on Capitol Avenue in 2024, including a new six-story headquarters for Fremont Bank. The building has 11 ground-floor spaces filled by local businesses, including restaurants, a bookstore and a barber shop. The city's Downtown Event Center hosts many gatherings, including a Fourth of July parade and weekly food truck events. It also hosts cultural events like a Pakistan Independence Day celebration. Several more mixed-use projects are in the works in this area, offering more shopping and dining options in the future. Other current shopping centers include Fremont Hub near downtown and Pacific Commons on the city’s south side. Both areas have a mix of local and chain restaurants as well. The city’s original towns, now districts, each have a distinct feel. Residents can visit the historic church and stroll among the Spanish-style shops in Mission San Jose. Niles has coffee, tea and ice cream shops across the street from its own town plaza. Washington Boulevard in Irvington has a mix of cuisines, including Mexican, Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Eslinger says that residents will likely travel across the Bay to one of the nearby cities for fine dining options.
Downtown Fremont is a wonderful neighborhood to live, work, and play.
The Fremont Festival of the Arts Is the largest free street festival in Downtown Fremont.
Downtown Fremont Street Eats featuring DJ spinning music, line dancing, weekly prize drawings.
Find your next read at Banter Bookshop in Downtown Fremont.
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Commuting throughout Silicon Valley
Fremont is situated on two interstates that offer convenient commuting throughout Silicon Valley. Interstate 880 provides a 17-mile drive south to San Jose, while Interstate 680 leads north to cities like Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. The Dumbarton Bridge offers a route across the Bay to East Palo Alto. Fremont also has a robust public transportation system, including two BART stations. The city is on the Green and Orange lines, taking riders south to San Jose or north to San Francisco and Richmond. Alameda County Transit operates several bus routes to get around the city and the rest of the Bay Area. Oakland International Airport is about 20 miles north, while San Francisco International Airport is about 30 miles west.
Fremont residents have easy access to the 680 freeway.
San Jose International Airport is just 20 miles away from Niles, perfect for frequent travelers.
The Fremont BART is the main travel corridor for residents in Centerville.
The 880 Highway is the most convenient way to get around Fremont.
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Important to know for life in Fremont
This region has distinct rainy and dry seasons. Being right uphill from the San Francisco Bay puts Fremont in the flood zone during heavy winter rains, and the area is susceptible to wildfires during the hot, dry summers. The city provides resources to help residents prepare for these natural disasters and assess their potential risk on the Emergency Preparedness page of the City of Fremont website.
Property crime has been trending slightly upwards in recent years in Fremont, although there was a 2% drop from 2022 to 2023, according to the Fremont Police Department. There were 6,523 total cases of property crime in 2023, equaling a rate of about 2,800 crimes per 100,000 people, higher than the state rate of 2,294. Violent crime has remained steady, with 285 total cases in 2023. That equals a violent crime rate of approximately 124 crimes per 100,000 people, much lower than the statewide rate of 503. The department has several initiatives to build relationships with the public, including National Night Out, Coffee with a Cop, and community advisory boards. Police also have started using drones to respond to public safety incidents, allowing the department to rapidly respond and assess the scene before sending officers.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
