U . S . Presidents who have passed through Mountain View
— Pamela Baird with research assistance from Alisha Faraz
Because this is a presidential election year , we thought it would be interesting to research the history of presidents who have passed through Mountain View via the railroad or landed at Moffett Field on their way to other endeavors . Because of the location of these strategic assets , many presidents have viewed our city and surrounding areas .
Compiled below is a list of the documented travels of US Presidents through our lovely community . Not every visit is documented here . Shown in chronological order :
May 14 , 1901 : William McKinley President McKinley traveled on a nationwide tour to celebrate his election . He made an appearance at a festival in San Jose , having traveled on the train to and from San Francisco . His wife became ill , so he stayed a few more days and traveled again to San Jose . President McKinley would have viewed downtown Mountain View four times . He was assassinated four months later . August 24 , 1956 : Dwight Eisenhower President Eisenhower traveled by train from San Francisco to Monterey and back on the train for a golf outing after the Republican Convention . Bill Clinton President Clinton landed at Moffett Field at least 16 times . His daughter , Chelsea , attended Stanford from 1997- 2001 , so some of his visits incorporated a personal aspect as well . The visits were for both fundraising and official events . Barack Obama President Obama landed at least six times at Moffet . His trips were a combination of official visits and fundraising efforts .
William McKinley
September 17 , 2019 : Donald Trump President Trump landed at Moffett Field for a fund raiser in Portola Valley . January 19 , 2023 : Joe Biden President Biden landed at Moffet Field to view storm damage in Santa Cruz .
Even though two presidents visited nearby Stanford and San Francisco and didn ’ t pass through Mountain View , their visits had an impact on our residents , nonetheless .
November 8 , 1932 : Herbert Hoover President Hoover traveled to Stanford , where he maintained a home , to vote in the 1932 election and to await the results . The Mountain View Register Leader newspaper reported that many Santa Clara County schools , including those in Mountain View , were closed in time for children and others to observe him casting his vote in the Stanford Post Office . July 14 , 1938 : Franklin Roosevelt President Roosevelt visited the Bay Area on a multi-stop trip . A half-million spectators lined the streets of San Francisco as Roosevelt and his motorcade paraded from the Golden Gate to the Civic Center . According to the Mountain View Register Leader newspaper , residents of Mountain View traveled to San Francisco to join the crowds hoping to see the president . To avoid a long day , one resident even stayed the night with her sister .
Mike Kasperzak , Ronit Bryant , Chris Clark , Pat Showalter and many other mayors have welcomed presidents to Moffett Field — what a wonderful aspect of being mayor ! Because of the ease of landing and departing Moffett Field ( as well as security concerns ) we imagine that this facility will continue to be used in the future .
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Mountain View Mayor , Mike Kasperzak greets President Barack Obama at Moffett Field
Franklin Delano Roosevelt ’ s entourage crosses the newly built Golden Gate Bridge on his 1938 San Francisco tour
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