Ross

Ross is truly a special place. Not in the grandiose sense of Belvedere with views, but in a timeless, old America, tight-knit community manner, with mature Bougainvillea, Wisteria Sycamore trees and Redwoods. Home to approximately 1200 very successful families (2500 people) Ross has beautiful, private houses with wrap-around porches, quiet, tree-lined streets with old sidewalks, and a quaint downtown. It is a small, wealthy community situated on the Northern flank of mt Tamalpais with its own School District (>350 students in K-8) that ranks in the 99th percentile in the state and rivals Reed Union and Kentfield as Marin’s best school. There is a small main street with a few shops and a market, but Ross is quite close to San Anselmo, Greenbrae, Kentfield, and San Rafael for shopping, movies and restaurants.

Ross is named after James Ross, a Scot from Inverness Shire, Scotland, who left his family at home and came to California in search of gold in 1849. He established a successful liquor business in San Francisco and eventually purchased the 8,750 acre “Rancho Punta de Quentin” for $50,000 in Gold coin-and area that stretched from the mouth of the Corte Madera Creek into modern day San Anselmo. James Ross, like many of the early Marin settlers, died early — after living only 5 years on his new ranch. His widow Annie remarried and built a house on the site of today’s Marin Art and Garden center– planting many beautiful plants and trees including the fabulous Magnolia and others that flourish at the site today.