Belmont grew quickly after the railroads arrived in the 1860s, with the first industry opening in the 1870s. The Belmont Soda Works was founded and operated by Carl Augustus Janke and his son Carl Ferdinand, who were German immigrants. Producing over a thousand bottles each month, the Belmont Soda Works sold sarsaparilla and other drinks to people all across the Peninsula.

In 1926, the San Francisco Bay Terminals Company came to Belmont with a plan to turn Belmont into one of the Peninsula's major commerce centers by building what would be called Port San Francisco. The San Francisco Bay Development Company began dredging the channels and building basins and slips, which were to contain over nine miles of docking space in deep water. One of the smaller channels was dredged in 1926 and was named the Belmont Channel. Unfortunately, the overall project failed with the stock market crash of 1929. The Belmont Channel, however, is open today and provides a deep-water port for the area.

Belmont residents take great pride in their city's lovely natural setting. Like other residents of San Mateo County, they enjoy getting out and enjoying the community's excellent weather and wide range of recreational opportunities. Many parks and recreational facilities can be found throughout the city. Open spaces are abundant, and playgrounds, multi-use fields and courts are available for use. In addition, the Twin Pines Senior and Community Center provides a wide range of programs and services to meet the recreational and social needs of area residents.