Larkspur
A Wonderful Central Marin Community
Nestled into the eastern edge of Mt. Tamalpais, magical Larkspur (along with Greenbrae) enjoys the finest weather in Marin County. Its wooded canyons were once favorite hunting grounds of Spanish settlers. In the late 19th century, subdivisions offered ideal sites for vacation homes, plus homes for permanent residents. The downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Larkspur has about 12,700 residents living in some 6,200 households. Mean commute time is 32 mintues.
Larkspur is the Twin City to Corte Madera. It shares a main street, history, school district and police and fire departments.
Homes boast diverse architecture including cabins, Victorians, mission-style, New England, Tudor, California ranch, and modern. Settings range from deep canyons lined with Redwood, Bay, and Madrone trees (on the west side of town) to level settings on former bayfront land on the east side. The limited number of homes sell for a premium, with prices greater than Corte Madera and comparable to Mill Valley.
The town provides the sought-after walk-to-town that many homeowners want. Stroll down Magnolia Avenue, the main street, and enjoy dining in fine restaurants, shopping in high-quality specialty stores, or relax in an intimate coffeehouse. The meandering town limits include part of Greenbrae to the north and the San Quentin Peninsula to the east along the bay, with the Larkspur Ferry terminal and the popular Marin Country Mart with bustling restaurants, and a variety of shops.
Magnolia Ave., the main street of town, merges imperceptibly with Corte Madera Ave., a main thoroughfare of Corte Madera. Proceeding north along Magnolia Ave., to the west, the canyons and foothills of Mount Tamalpais shelter wooded neighborhoods such as Baltimore Canyon, placed there long before autos arrived in Marin. To the right are the level, sunny neighborhoods that were slowly built up on the shallow banks of the bay (see Heather Gardens and Meadowood). The town stretches eastward to the San Francisco Bay with its waterfront Larkspur Marina neighborhood.
This drone video of Larkspur shows Larkspur from the bay, arrayed along the Corte Madera Creek, to the foothills of Mt. Tamalpais. Hidden from the drone are the beautiful wooded streets and older homes in the hills on the west side of town and the charming downtown.
Shared with neighboring Corte Madera, the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District is highly regarded. Note that students living in the Greenbrae section of Larkspur may be assigned to the Kentfield School District, also excellent. Outstanding Redwood High School serves Larkspur and several surrounding towns.
Larkspur Real Estate
Property Values
See our market report for the price of homes sold in Larkspur over the last month and last two years.
New Listings
Most Expensive Homes
Least Expensive Homes
Living in Larkspur
Community Information
- City of Larkspur
- Larkspur Library is a classic reading room on the 1st floor of the city hall building
- Larkspur Chamber of Commerce
- Larkspur City Data
- Larkspur Historical Society
- Larkspur Golden Gate Ferry
- Marin Airporter. Great way to commute to the San Francisco Airport.
- Piper Park
The Annual Fourth of July Parade is not to be missed!
Walking, Biking & Hiking
The area offers a wide variety of outdoor hiking trails on Mt. Tamalpais and King Mountain.
The old railroad tracks are now a beautiful, level walking and cycling path that extends from Corte Madera to Kentfield and out across the marsh toward San Francisco Bay. Follow the trail from its south end near Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera, or the north end downtown.