Photo: Us Census Bureau · Public domainHighlands has no public library of its own; the nearest is Hillsdale Branch Library in San Mateo, 2.4 miles away
Highlands doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Hillsdale Branch Library in San Mateo, 2.4 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
–Civic lifeNot graded: unincorporated places have too few inputsLibraries for Highlands, in brief
Highlands borrows from the libraries next door
Highlands has no public library of its own, but four libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Hillsdale Branch Library in San Mateo (2.4 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
Highlands isn’t the only town nearby without one
Hillsborough and Baywood Park don’t have a public library of their own either. Among the towns next door, San Mateo (San Mateo Public Library) does. Libraries next door ↓
The closest isn’t the one open longest
Hillsdale Branch Library is nearest, open about 42 hours a week. San Mateo Public Library, 3.1 miles away, is open about 60 hours a week, so it may be easier to fit in. Nearest libraries ↓
The nearby libraries are all fine-free
None of the four closest libraries charges late fines. Nearest libraries ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What’s behind Highlands’ civic life grade
Highlands isn’t graded on civic life: it’s unincorporated, so its nonprofits can’t be counted reliably (mailing addresses don’t follow its boundary) and it has no public library of its own.
Civic life counts registered nonprofits, library visits and online volunteering groups, so it can miss civic life that runs through congregations, mutual aid or neighbors looking out for each other.
Library visits: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024. Nonprofits: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, October 2026. Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. How TownRatings grades civic life →
Volunteering in Highlands
Highlands is unincorporated, so its nonprofits aren’t counted: they file by mailing address, which doesn’t follow its boundary.
6.6%
6.6% of Highlands’ Facebook users aged 25–44 belong to a volunteering or activism group, against 5.9% in the typical California town and 7.5% nationally.
Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. ZIP-code figures, weighted by where Highlands’ residents live; 2022.
The closest is 2.4 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Highlands. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.
Libraries next door
Who has a library of their own, and how much each town borrows. Tap a town to see its library.
| Town | Library | Loans per resident | Hours | Civic life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | San Mateo Public Library fine-free | 9.8 | 60 | C |
| Hillsborough | None of its own | — | — | D |
| Baywood Park | None of its own | — | — | — unincorporated |
Loans = print + digital items borrowed in the library’s fiscal year, per person it serves. — = no library of its own, a county or regional system (its numbers cover many towns), or no report. Civic life: — = not graded (unincorporated places, whose nonprofits can’t be placed by mailing address, or towns with fewer than two of the three inputs).
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- The library’s own count. Libraries report their own visits, loans and programs. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Hours are the survey’s yearly average; libraries are compared with others serving about as many people. How TownRatings uses library figures →
Questions about the library and civic life in Highlands
Does Highlands have a public library?
No. The closest is Hillsdale Branch Library in San Mateo, 2.4 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Highlands’ civic life grade?
Highlands isn’t graded on civic life: it’s unincorporated, so its nonprofits can’t be counted reliably (mailing addresses don’t follow its boundary) and it has no public library of its own. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in Highlands.
Libraries: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Each library reports its own numbers. Distances are straight-line from the town center. “What your card is worth” uses typical retail prices and is an estimate, not an official figure.