California note
Westlake shows Daly City's postwar growth story
Westlake helps show how Daly City grew after World War II, when former dunes and farm edges became a large planned neighborhood west of the older city.
Daly City’s first chapter sits near John Daly’s old dairy land. Westlake tells a later chapter, when the city spread toward the ocean after World War II.
The area had been sand dunes and farm edges west of the older city. Builder Henry Doelger bought hundreds of acres there, and Westlake was annexed to Daly City in 1948.
That story is useful because Westlake looks planned in a different way from the older Top-of-the-Hill area. Streets, homes, shopping, and everyday services came together as part of a postwar pattern.
It also gives Daly City a softer landmark than the cliff edge or earthquake story. Westlake is the middle of daily life for many people: houses, errands, schools, fog, and neighborhood routines.
Where to see it
Westlake area in Daly City. Use Daly City's history page for the older city and annexation timeline.
Sources
Sources for this story
Reviewed July 2, 2026
Public sources for the places, events, and details above.
Connected places
Open the local directory
Related notes
Related California notes
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The Cow Palace in Daly City began in 1941 and still carries a mix of rodeo, concert, sports, convention, and community history near the San Francisco line.
Read next →Daly City's old library sits near the city's first chapter
The Daly City History Guild Museum uses the old John Daly Library near the dairy farm area where earthquake refugees helped the city take shape.
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