Foster City is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Bay shoreline of the mid-Peninsula, about midway between San Francisco and San Jose. Its population was 33,805 at the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1971, it is regarded as California's first master-planned city, built on reclaimed bayland and former marshland along the Bay. The city's defining feature is its lagoon system, a network of man-made waterways that wind through residential neighborhoods and serve both recreation and storm drainage. Homes back onto these lagoons, and residents paddle, kayak, and use small watercraft within the city itself, a distinctive quality for a Bay Area suburb. At least ten bridges cross the lagoons, Highway 92, and the bay. Foster City's economy is anchored by technology and life sciences. Gilead Sciences, one of the region's largest biotechnology companies, is headquartered here, and the city's location between Silicon Valley and San Francisco places a broad range of employers within a short drive. The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, part of State Route 92, carries traffic across the Bay to the East Bay, making the city a practical base for commuters in both directions. Students attend the San Mateo-Foster City School District for elementary and middle grades and the San Mateo Union High School District for high school. Recreation centers on Leo J. Ryan Park, the lagoon waterfront, and the Bay Trail, and organized youth sports and community events are woven into daily life. For homebuyers, Foster City offers planned, family-oriented suburban living with a waterfront character, strong schools, and unmatched regional connectivity on the Peninsula.