Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Stanford, CA: what to set up and who to call
Stanford has no town government of its own, so Santa Clara County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Palo Alto Unified School District. Stanford has its own drop-off, Stanford Recycling Center.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Stanford, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Stanford.
Power comes from PG&E
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Stanford. Its homes paid an average of 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $174 a month (its average across California, for customers on its standard service). California lets you buy power from another supplier; 66% of PG&E’s home customers do, and PG&E still delivers it.
Start or move service: pgecorp.com
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Santa Clara Valley Water District
Santa Clara Valley Water District supplies Stanford: about 51% of residents live in its service area. About 49% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water (EPA lists San Francisco Regional Water System as seller) and serves 0 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 11,392 systems serving <=100 people.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. CA4310027.
6 home internet providers serve Stanford
100% of 683 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 100% | 2,000/250 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless, Fiber | 29% | 25/3 |
| Etheric Networks | Fixed wireless | 36% | 250/100 |
| Ridge Wireless | Fixed wireless | 18% | 85/40 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 9% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 3% | 1,000/75 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Stanford has its own drop-off: Stanford Recycling Center
Where to take trash and recycling in Stanford, and where the rules are.
Stanford Recycling Center
Before you go, check the rules with the town.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Aug 2024). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Stanford is in Palo Alto Unified School District.
A+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Stanford is unincorporated, so Santa Clara County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Stanford spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Stanford residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Stanford | ZIP’s residents in Stanford |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94305 | Stanford, CA | 99% | 100% |
| 94304 | Palo Alto, CA | 1% | 5% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Stanford
Who supplies Stanford’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Santa Clara Valley Water District (EPA ID CA4310027). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none.
Who provides electricity in Stanford?
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Stanford?
Xfinity, AT&T, Etheric Networks, Ridge Wireless, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Stanford?
94305 (99%), 94304 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Stanford in?
Palo Alto Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in Stanford?
In California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Santa Clara Registrar of Voters. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.