Residents

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Welcome to the City of Palo Alto! As a family-friendly community that offers an array of unrivaled city amenities, the City takes pride in offering quality services and programs for the Palo Alto community for all to enjoy. There is much to explore, experience and enjoy in our community. This page provides resources to help residents find services, programs, City facilities, learn about ways to stay connected together, and share feedback and be engaged in issues facing the community.

In 2019, we proudly looked to the past as we celebrated our 125th birthday, while striving to build a better future thanks to efforts such as the City’s sustainability efforts, investment in capital needs like fire station upgrades, a new bike bridge to connect the community to the Baylands and road improvements, and an annual community survey to engage with residents about their satisfaction with City services and programs.

Neighborhoods

Palo Alto is home to over 30 neighborhoods, all with their own distinct style and flair. Here are some resources to get involved in your neighborhood, find resources and amenities near you, and more.

Support Services

Be Well and Stay Safe! We are encouraging our community to be well, be strong and stay connected with your neighbors, family members, and friends.

Our Office of Human Services assist with providing a safety net of services and work towards enhancing the quality of life in Palo Alto in a variety of ways. 

Project Safety Net mobilizes community support and resources in Palo Alto for youth suicide prevention and mental wellness. Project Safety Net is a coalition working on community education, outreach, and training; access to quality youth mental health services; and policy advocacy.

Utilities

The City of Palo Alto is proud to offer residents and businesses a full suite of City-owned and operated utility services including electricity, natural gas, water, sanitary sewer, and commercial fiber optic services. The Utilities Department takes pride in delivering quality services to the Palo Alto community since 1896. For questions or assistance on a Utilities-related issue, contact  Customer Service at (650) 329-2161 or email us at UtilitiesCustomerService@cityofpaloalto.org.

  • Smell gas? Act fast! Day or night, leave your home immediately and from a different location, call Utilities Dispatch at (650) 329-2579. Do not touch anything or look for the leak yourself!
  • Sewer pipelines between your property and the street may be a shared responsibility between you and the Utilities Department. If you experience a sewage problem, contact the Utilities Department at (650) 329-2579 so that we can determine responsibility for the blockage or break and verify the lines are safe and clean.
  • Power outages can happen unexpectedly for a variety of reasons. Please call Electric Dispatch at (650) 496-6914 if you are experiencing an outage, or for real time updates, view the outage map at cityofpaloalto.org/outageinfo
  • Receive alerts on important news and information by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or Nextdoor.  

Please visit Utilities Ways to Save for information on how to save energy and water.

Community Partners and Education

Community Partners consist of a diverse array of local non-profits, educational institutions, partner organizations or business in Palo Alto that actively support the mission of the City through its services, programs or its ongoing financial support.

Environmental Services

  • Watershed Protection: Learn how wastewater treatment and stormwater programs protect creeks and the San Francisco Bay. For stormwater and wastewater management, pool draining, medicine disposal, RV sewage disposal questions, and less-toxic pest control call (650) 329-2122 or visit cleanbay.org.
  • Zero WasteLearn more about Palo Alto’s Zero Waste goal to achieve 95% diversion by eliminating waste wherever possible, and then managing discards through reduce, reuse, and recycling. For more information, call (650) 496-5910.