Discovering Mill Valley Neighborhoods
Location
Most of Mill Valley lies west of Highway 101, between the highway and Mount Tamalpais. This is the original village, built in the valleys and on the hillsides that cascade down from Mount Tamalpais.
East of the highway, Mill Valley shares the Strawberry Peninsula on Richardson Bay with Tiburon. West and above Mill Valley, Panoramic Highway travels through extensive parklands and a unique rural neighborhood before it drops to the Pacific coast.
Navigating Mill Valley
To find the many distinct neighborhoods, it is helpful to know that Mill Valley is arrayed across five canyons/valleys that fall from Mount Tamalpais to meet the bay. Here is a list, from south to north:
- Tamalpais Valley, which runs from Highway 101 along Shoreline Highway (CA 1) toward the ocean.
- Homestead Valley
- Cascade Canyon
- Blithedale Canyon, separated from Cascade Canyon by the “Middle Ridge.”
- Werner Canyon
If you want to know more about the hills and valleys of Mill Valley, see this map.
Driving in Mill Valley
There are two Mill Valley exits from Highway 101:
- Shoreline Highway (CA Hwy 1) at the south end of Mill Valley provides access to Tamalpais Valley, the coastal villages of Muir Beach and Stinson Beach, and Miller Ave. to downtown.
- East Blithedale exit takes you west to downtown.
It is useful to know a few major streets. Miller Ave. and East Blithedale Ave. originate near Highway 101 and run in parallel to downtown. Connecting these two streets north to south are Camino Alto nearest Highway 101 and and Throckmorton Ave in the downtown.
Downtown
Lytton Square, at the junction of Miller, East Blithedale, and Throckmorton Avenues, marks downtown Mill Valley. This is the primary shopping area with a central plaza, restaurants, a movie theater, shops of every kind, and the Town Hall. A “walk-to-downtown” is a is a highly prized for those wanting to live in Mill Valley. On warm evenings, residents take advantage of this easy access to downtown.
The Canyons & Middle Ridge
To the west of downtown and Lytton Square are the Blithedale and Cascade Canyon neighborhoods separated by the Middle Ridge. Mt. Tamalpais looms over the canyons at 2,600 feet. These neighborhoods have many early 20th century summer cottages updated to charming and elegant homes, plus stylish newer homes built in wooded settings. Some hillsides homes have spectacular views of Mt. Tamalpais and the San Francisco skyline.
Sycamore & Tamalpais Parks
East of the town square, between Miller and East Blithedale Avenues, are the level and highly sought-after Sycamore and Tamalpais Park neighborhoods, with a wide variety of homes from stately Victorians to post-WWII cottages. Remodeling and rebuilding in this neighborhood has produced some of the most expensive homes in Mill Valley. For more information and a photo tour, see our Sycamore Park page.
Almonte & Homestead Valley
The Almonte and Homestead Valley neighborhoods are located on the south-west side of Miller Avenue and rise from level land to a low ridge separating Mill Valley from Tamalpais Valley. To the west, Homestead Valley meets the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. Here is a map of Homestead Valley featuring its many hiking trails. This neighborhood has many level streets and a wide variety of homes which have been upgraded in recent years.
Alta Vista-Boyle Park
This neighborhood stretches along the north side of E. Blithedale Ave., climbing gently up the Blithedale Ridge. See a photo tour of this neighborhood and its many attractive features.
Alto Neighborhood
The Alto neighborhood is comprised of a few level streets between Highway 101 and Camino Alto. To the north is Horse Hill and Scott Valley. This neighborhood has become extremely popular because of its rural feeling, large lots, and easy access to the highway. Newly constructed homes in this neighborhood have sold recently close to $4m.
Enchanted Knolls & Shelter Ridge
A small hill at the junction of Highway 101 and E. Blithedale Ave has streets named for 19th century English poets (Keats, Longfellow, etc.). Along these streets, you will find small single family homes built in the later 1950’s and 1960’s and attached condos from the 1970’s. At the top of the hill are six Shelter Ridge buildings containing one bedroom, one bath apartment-style condos (ca. 1979).
Eucalyptus Knoll, Shelter Bay & Sunrise Pointe Condos
Close to Highway 101, bordering inlets from Richardson Bay, are the Eucalyptus Knoll (1980’s), Shelter Bay (ca. 1965), and Sunrise Pointe (ca. 1986) condos. These three communities provide waterfront locations, views of Mount Tamalpais, and easy access to Highway 101 and San Francisco.
Shelter Bay Condos
Eucalyptus Knoll has mostly two bedroom condos and town homes and a few one and three bedroom units, with about 1,200 to 2,300 square feet of living space.
Shelter Bay condos occupy five multi-level buildings which extend over the water. Most condos have two bedrooms, with a smaller number of 1, 3, and 4 bedroom units in approximately 840 to 1,600 square feet.
Two and three bedroom condos at Sunrise Point provide about 1,800 to 2,100 square feet.
Scott Valley
Scott Valley is quiet and highly desirable neighborhood in the north east corner of Mill Valley. It is located along Camino Alto as this road climbs the Corte Madera Ridge. Houses and lots tend to be large, and prices in 2018 for six houses sold were in the range of $999,000 to $5,175,000. For more information and photos, see our Scott Valley page.
Mill Valley Country Club
Mill Valley Golf Course
Warner Canyon, north of the Blithedale Ridge, is home to the scenic Mill Valley Golf Club and the private and very desirable Mill Valley Country Club neighborhood. The homes in this neighborhood, built from the 1960’s and later, are often on larger lots.
Tamalpais Valley
Over a low ridge to the south-east of downtown, Tamalpais Valley extends along CA Highway 1 (aka Shoreline Highway) toward the coast. This may be the best area of Mill Valley for commuting to San Francisco. See our page devoted to the attractive and rural Little City Farms area of Tamalpais Valley.
Strawberry Manor & Harbor Point
The Strawberry Peninsula with Strawberry Manor and Harbor Point neighborhoods, extends into Richardson (San Francisco) Bay east of Highway 101. It comprises elegant, modern mansions on the Bay, large Eichler-built homes from the 1950’s, and California cottages. Find more information on our Strawberry page.
Panoramic Highway/Muir Park
An eight to 10 minute drive from downtown Mill Valley takes you to Panoramic Highway and a remarkable neighborhood on a ridge of Mt. Tamalpais. Some of these Mill Valley homes are hidden in redwood groves, with spectacular views of the bay, ocean, or the peaks of Mt. Tamalpais. This a special get-away place, with the many hiking trails of Mount Tamalpais just out the door.
Incorporated & Unincorporated Neighborhoods
About half of Mill Valley lies within the “incorporated” City of Mill Valley. This means that the homes and citizens in this area rely on the city for services, including fire (Mill Valley Fire Department), police, Planning and Building, Public Works, Recreation, and more.
The other half of town, also known as Mill Valley, is unincorporated and relies on the County of Marin for its services. Unincorporated neighborhoods are Almonte, Alto, Homestead Valley, Tamalpais Valley, Strawberry Manor, Harbor Point, and Panoramic/Muir Park. These neighborhoods rely on Marin County for police protection, Planning and Building, and Public Works. The Southern Marin Fire District serves these areas.
The two sections of Mill Valley share the post office, with the ZIP code of 94941, and the Mill Valley School system.
