Meet the Oak Canyon Neighborhood of Almaden Valley in San Jose

Almaden Valley in San Jose is comprised of many neighborhoods and subdivisions. One of them, close to the border with Los Gatos and Cambrian Park, is particularly popular: the Oak Canyon neighborhood.

There are many reasons for its draw among Silicon Valley home buyers: the houses were well built by Shea Homes in about 1980, so they are relatively newer by Silicon Valley standards. They’re larger homes on comfortable lots, often 8000 sf or so but some as small as 6500 sf and others larger than a quarter acre in the Oak Canyon corner of Almaden.

Most of the homes boast a 3 car garage, which is a big help with storage of stuff, if not storage of cars. The roads gently turn, which makes a more pleasing look. It’s a very “conforming” neighborhood where everyone keeps up the homes and yards. Much of Almaden is viewed by consumers as somewhat remote, but this section, near the mouth of Almaden, is not too deep into the valley and is a better commute location for most. One of the largest pulls for the area, though, is the nearby elementary school, Guadalupe School, which has an excellent reputation for quality education and ranks exceedingly well on testing.

Where is the Oak Canyon neighborhood in Almaden Valley, San Jose?

Oak Canyon is found near the intersection of Camden Avenue and Coleman Road in San Jose but is bordered by Coleman on one side and the Guadalue Creek on the other sides. (The far side of the Guadalupe Creek at this point is Cambrian Park.)  Just the other side of Coleman Road is the Montevideo neighborhood, and next to that is the Almaden Meadows neighborhood.

And to provide some bearings, here’s a map of the Almaden Valley district of San Jose generally:

What Are Homes Like in the Oak Canyon Neighborhood of Almaden?

Most of the homes in the Oak Canyon neighborhood range between 2000 and 3000 square feet, though a few may be as small as 1800 or 1900, and if someone’s added on it could be larger than 3200 – but those are the extremes. The floorplans are unusually well planned and open, particularly for homes built around 1980. They tend to have good, practical layouts that most buyers appreciate. Kitchens often face the back yard and are open to the family room (some with wet bar). A formal dining area normally sits adjacent to the living room. Ceilings are high and ordinarily there’s a good amount of built-in storage in Oak Canyon homes. One floorplan offers the master bedroom, which is upstairs, a private balcony overlooking the front yard. For many, that means a lovely view of Mt Umunhum.

Shea built a variety of elevations for different looks, with ranges from Spanish or Mediterranean to contemporary or ranch. Some homeowners have renovated and made their homes appear to be Craftsman style too. This is definitely an upscale neighborhood, but still tract housing. It’s not hard to recognize the few floorplans as one walks or drives through the area. Something unusual is that the sidewalks are built directly against the street. The plus is that front yards appear larger. The minus is that there is no uniform “tree lined street” feel since there’s no strip of land between the sidewalk and street where trees have been planted.

Special Concerns with Oak Canyon Homes

Every neighborhood has some issues. This one has very, very few!

Because of the proximity of Guadalupe Creek, and the closeness of the hills, wildlife can be a concern. For years there was an issue with large numbers of pigeons. More recently, hawks have become abundant and the pigeon population is down. It is possible that mountain lions, coyotes, skunks, possum and other wildlife will make their way into Oak Canyon as it’s an area close to the hills and close to a water source. However, I’ve never read of sightings of anything scary in Oak Canyon.

Folks interested in Oak Canyon should view the natural hazards map to understand the proximity of the Shannon Earthquake Fault.

Water in the Guadalupe Creek should not be drunk, fished in, or played in as it runs through areas with naturally-occurring mercury (there were mines for mercury up Guadalupe Road not far from this area).

Part of Oak Canyon is really close to high voltage power lines, which is a negative. Others back up to Coleman, so there’s a noise issue. Most, though, have no negatives in terms of location within the community.

What Does it Cost to Live in Oak Canyon?

Check the prices in the homes listed below to get the most recent pricing information for the neighborhood.

View Oak Canyon real estate and homes for sale

Please go to this page to see current listings  (if any) as well as any pending or sold within the last six months:

See all Oak Canyon.
(all data current as of 6/3/2023)

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

To see further back in time, you can view the homes at this link: Oak Canyon homes for sale or sold

Want to buy or sell a home in this lovely neighborhood? Please reach out to us today!