Where Tiburon is
Corte Madera borders Tiburon on the north and Mill Valley on the west. Otherwise the town is surrounded by the bay. It shares the 94920 ZIP code with the City of Belvedere, which takes up the southwestern corner of the peninsula. Much of the rest of the peninsula is unincorporated, including Strawberry and Paradise Cay.
The name comes from Punta del Tiburón, Spanish for Shark Point.
History
John Reed received the Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio land grant in 1834, and his name survives on streets and on the local school district. Peter Donahue brought the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad to Point Tiburon and built a terminal where trains met the bay ferries. For decades Tiburon was a working railroad town. It incorporated in 1964.
Old St. Hilary's, the hillside landmark above downtown, was built in 1888 as a mission church for railroad workers.
Downtown and the ferries
Most of the town's restaurants are on or near Main Street, beside the Tiburon ferry terminal. Ferries cross to San Francisco, and Tiburon is the nearest mainland point to Angel Island, with regular ferry service to the island. Tiburon Boulevard is the road out to Highway 101. Blackie's Pasture sits along it where the four-lane bypass ends.
Schools
Tiburon, Belvedere and a part of Corte Madera are in the Reed Union School District. Since 1958 the public high school has been Redwood High School in Larkspur.
Town government and services
Town Hall is at 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, and the main number is (415) 435-7373. The Town of Tiburon website has a staff directory along with pages for planning, building, public works and the police department. For emergencies call 911. Contacts for every town are on the Marin County government and services page.
Local businesses in Tiburon
The Marin County business directory sorts local businesses by trade. Tiburon listings will appear there as each category is researched and checked.