“A mid to upscale borough with neighborhood choices of semi-rural to typical residential developments, Horgan Ranch offers an assortment of home sizes and designs.”
Bordered on one side by affluent Atherton, much of Horgan Ranch (MLS #332) has taken on a similar atmosphere of prosperity, though with a much lower price point.
The two sub-districts of Horgan Ranch, Redwood Oaks and Selby Park, were covered in chrysanthemums in the 1920s and 1930s and this ‘golden era’ of global chrysanthemum production thrived until the land was sold to developers in the 1950s.
Residential development began to flourish in earnest, with homes being built consistently from the 1950s through the 1980s. Horgan Ranch offers 1950s classic ranch homes, 1960s spacious single story dwellings, tract homes indicative of the 1970s and 1980s as well as newer custom homes influenced by neighboring Atherton.
Within its borders, Horgan Ranch offers rural, sidewalk-free and heavily forested areas as well as typical California tract housing developments. The sizes of its homes also vary dramatically from 2 bedroom, 1,000 square foot homes to dwellings over twice that size. The occasional “Atherton-esque” modern home might include 5 or more bedrooms and 3,000 square feet of living space.
Horgan Ranch serves up variety and convenience along with a sliding scale of semi-rural to suburban character at a price significantly lower than its exclusive neighbor.
Neighborhood Price Point
$425,000 – $1,800,000
Favorable Attributes
- Mid-range to upscale neighborhood bordering affluent Atherton
- Wide assortment of home sizes, styles and prices
- Conveniently located to freeways, schools and amenities
- Offers neighborhood choice of rural or suburban atmospheres
History of Horgan Ranch, Redwood City
The two sub-districts of Horgan Ranch, Redwood Oaks and Selby Park, were covered in chrysanthemums in the 1920s and 1930s. Lured by fertile 5-acre parcels and the area’s climate, Japanese immigrants constructed nurseries and greenhouses, creating the center of the world’s chrysanthemum growing industry. In 1926, Horgan Ranch produced $7 million dollars of the flower and eleven years later, the Chrysanthemum Growers Association was formed. Internment camps temporarily prevented the Japanese growers from working their land but when they returned, they discovered their nurseries had been cared for during their absence by their neighbors. This allowed the ‘golden era’ of Horgan Ranch’s chrysanthemum cultivation to continue until the land was sold to developers in the 1950s.
When it was no longer the center of flourishing chrysanthemum nurseries post World War II, residential development in Horgan Ranch commenced. A significant portion of home construction occurred from the 1950s through the 1980s, with less than 10% of homes being built prior to the 1940s or after 1990.