$1,666,795Average Value$802Average Price per Sq Ft1Home For Sale
A quiet suburb surrounded by Bay Area nature
Situated halfway between Pacifica Pier and San Francisco International Airport, San Bruno’s Portola Highlands neighborhood offers easy access to surfing, travel and nature. "You're high on the hill, so there are great views," says broker-owner Jason Born of Born Real Estate, who has nearly two decades of experience selling homes in the area. "It's a wonderful place to be. Great for outdoorsy people since it connects to the Sneath Lane Trail." This mid-20th century suburban development is also home to scores of colorful, hillside homes overlooking the Bay Area’s terrain and State Route 35
Portola Highlands offers a peaceful retreat with winding roads and expansive hillside views.
Sneath Lane trail offers a peaceful retreat with winding roads and expansive hillside views.
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Backyard trails and Pacific views
Portola Highlands is surrounded by opportunities for outdoor recreation; the Pacific coast is just 5 miles to the west, while San Bruno Mountain is a 10-mile trip to the north. "There are a lot of parks in that area," says Born. "There's an open preserve right behind it that's all park." Sneath Lane Trail wraps around this community and makes every backyard a gateway to outdoor exploration. This trail connects with the larger Sweeney Ridge Trail, which leads to the site where Spanish adventurer Gaspar de Portola famously first saw the San Francisco Bay . "Sweeney Ridge Trail is beautiful and connects to the Mori trails - those go to the ocean," says Born. "The views from Mori Point? Amazing. You can practically see all the way down the coast.” Pacifica Heights Park, just a block north of the neighborhood, includes a small play area for children. The Sharp Park Golf Course, 4 miles west of Portola Highlands, was designed by the same architect behind the Augusta National, home of the Masters Tournament, and is open to the public.
Sweeney Ridge open space offers tranquility for Portola Highlands residents.
Sneath Lane trail has winding paths that make Portola Highlands a haven for outdoor lovers.
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Hillside homes with views of San Bruno Mountain
Portola Highlands is named for Portola, whose travels in the 1770s took him through the Bay Area hills atop which this neighborhood was developed two centuries later. Homes built from the 1960s to 1970s line Portola Highlands’ hillsides, most of them raised ranches with small front yards and driveways. Portola Highlands’ streets tend to be grid-patterned, and Sneath Lane wraps around this compact neighborhood and forms its border. Houses in Portola Highlands vary in price from $1.4 million to $1.7 million and in size from three bedrooms to four bedrooms.
Portola Highlands offers charming homes and quiet streets surrounded by lush greenery.
Enjoy Portola Highlands' scenic roads and charming homes, just minutes from scenic Pacifica.
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Shopping around San Bruno
Though Portola Highlands may be distant from downtown San Bruno, shopping and dining options are just around the corner. Lunardi’s supermarket sits just across Skyline Boulevard from the neighborhood, while Sneath Lane connects Portola Highlands to the shopping centers along Interstate 280 and El Camino Real. The Bayhill Shopping Center, located along San Bruno Avenue, includes a Mollie Stone’s Markets grocery store in addition to several eateries. One of them, Ichika Izakaya, specializes in wagyu beef, sushi and other Japanese staples.
Family waiting to buy a piñata adding festive joy to their day near Portola Highlands.
Customers waiting for their hot food at Lunardi's near Portola Highlands.
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Avid learning at Capuchino High
Portola Elementary School receives a B rating from Niche, while Parkside Intermediate School scores a B-minus. Capuchino High School, given an A-minus rating, has a strong reputation of academic and athletic excellence. The Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program prepares students for their post-secondary futures through challenging International Baccalaureate classes. This school’s varsity sports programs vary from basketball and soccer to golf and swimming. The school’s baseball and softball teams both won their section titles in 2024.
Capuchino High School is a highly rated, public school located in San Bruno.
Portola Elementary School is where Portola Highlands locals prefer to send their kids.
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Commuting into San Francisco
Portola Highlands is connected to the wider Bay Area by both highways and public transportation. San Francisco International Airport is 5 miles away. Residents can get to downtown San Francisco by hopping on Interstate 280 for 15 miles. The ride to the city on the SamTrans bus and from the San Bruno BART station both take about an hour.
Portola Highlands offers convenient SamTrans bus routes, linking residents to Skyline College.
Enjoy breathtaking views of the Bay Area from Portola Highlands, a tranquil hilltop community.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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Portola Highlands Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Portola Highlands, San Bruno sell after 16 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Portola Highlands, San Bruno over the last 12 months is $1,668,000, up 7% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Perched in the San Bruno hills, 225 Merced Drive offers sweeping views and a lifestyle of serenity and connection, where every window frames natural beauty and every day begins and ends with breathtaking skies. This light-filled home invites indoor-outdoor living, whether you’re sipping coffee at sunrise, hosting friends for dinner under the stars, or simply unwinding as the horizon shifts with
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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.
