Palo Alto is a city in Santa Clara County which is located in western California, on San Francisco Bay; incorporated 1894. Adjacent to Stanford University, it has lovely residential areas and important high-technology research industries, engaged in the development of aerospace and electronic equipment. A children's museum and a heritage museum are here. The community, laid out in 1867, grew after the establishment of Stanford University in 1885. Its industrial development dates from the 1940s. The city is named for an ancient redwood tree (Spanish el palo alto) at its northern entrance.