California note
Bay Meadows still explains a big piece of San Mateo
The former Bay Meadows racetrack site shows why part of San Mateo now mixes housing, offices, shops, parks, and Caltrain access in one busy rail-side area.
San Mateo grew up with the railroad close by. The old downtown started near the tracks, and the city still has places where rail access shapes daily life.
Bay Meadows is one of the clearest examples. For years, people knew the area as a racetrack. The city now treats the former racetrack site as part of a transit-oriented district, with room for homes, offices, shops, services, and parks near Caltrain.
Bay Meadows is useful to understand, even if you never watched a race there. It shows how Peninsula land can change when a large single-use place becomes a neighborhood.
The story is old San Mateo and new San Mateo at once: a former racetrack site, a rail-side planning area, and a reminder that the city’s busy middle grew around movement.
Where to see it
Bay Meadows and the rail corridor near Hayward Park and Hillsdale. Use city planning pages for current project details.
Sources
Sources for this story
Reviewed July 2, 2026
Public sources for the places, events, and details above.
Connected places
Open the local directory
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