Located in Bay Area, San Mateo is one of the larger suburbs in the Bay Area. San Mateo is considered to be near the center of the San Francisco Bay Area about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose, the region's two largest cities. It is served by three major freeways including U.S. Route 101, Interstate 280, and State Route 92. State Route 92 east of San Mateo traverses the San Francisco Bay as the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge to the city of Hayward on its eastern shore. The best-known natural area is Coyote Point Park, a rock outcropped peninsula that juts out into the San Francisco Bay. 

According to the 2010 United States Census: 

• Population: 97,207 (estimated 2017 population of 104,748)
• 98.6% of the population lived in households; 1.0% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters; 0.4% were institutionalized. 
• Homeowner vacancy rate: 1.5%; Rental vacancy rate: 3.7%.  
• 52.4% lived in owner-occupied housing units; 46.2% lived in rental housing units. 

The city has one of the larger, well developed, more prominent suburban downtowns in the San Francisco Bay Area. The economy of San Mateo would best be considered very diverse with jobs in the technology, health care, financial services, government, and retail trade fields being among the most numerous. Since 1990, San Mateo has had a voter-approved ordinance limiting the height of new development to 55 feet. The San Mateo housing market is one of the most expensive in the country. Residents are zoned for schools in the San Mateo Foster City School District and San Mateo Union High School District. Elementary schools comprise Preschool, K-5, Middle and Magnet schools. There are three public high schools and three private high schools. The city is home to the College of San Mateo, a community college.