San Francisco

San Francisco is a big, busy city in California. It is the fourth-most populous city in the state and the 17th-most populous in the whole United States, with over 800,000 people living there. The city is very rich, with many people and businesses doing well. It is also very crowded, with lots of people living close together.

Long ago, before Europeans arrived, the area was home to the Yelamu Ohlone people. In 1776, settlers from New Spain built a fort called the Presidio of San Francisco and a mission nearby. The California gold rush in 1849 brought lots of people to the city, making it grow very fast. Sadly, a big earthquake and fire in 1906 destroyed much of the city, but it was rebuilt again.

Today, San Francisco is famous for many things. It has steep hills and many different kinds of buildings in its neighborhoods. Visitors love to see the Golden Gate Bridge and ride the old cable cars. The city has many schools, museums, and music groups. It is also home to two major sports teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Golden State Warriors. San Francisco International Airport is one of the busiest in the world, and many people come to visit the city from other countries and all over the United States.

Etymology

See also: List of San Francisco placename etymologies

San Francisco means 'Saint Francis' in Spanish. The city gets its name from Mission San Francisco de Asís, which was named to honor Saint Francis of Assisi. This mission was founded in 1776 by Spanish leaders, guided by Padre Francisco Palóu. In 1847, the city was officially called San Francisco when Washington Allon Bartlett, who was leading the city at the time, changed its name from Yerba Buena, which means 'good herb' in Spanish. Before that, the area was known as El Paraje de Yerba Buena because of the many herbs growing there. Today, people still see the name Yerba Buena in places like Yerba Buena Island.

Locals often call the city "the City" or "SF". Some people use the nickname "Frisco", which has been used since 1850, but not everyone likes it.

When people from California Cantonese came during the California Gold Rush, they called the place 金山, Gāmsāan, meaning "Gold Mountain". When gold was found in Bendigo, Australia, they called it "New Gold Mountain" and referred to California and San Francisco as "Old Gold Mountain".

History

See also: History of San Francisco

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of San Francisco.

Indigenous history

The earliest archeological evidence of human habitation in the area dates to 3000 BCE. The Ohlone name for San Francisco was Ahwaste, meaning "place at the bay". The Yelamu group of the Ramaytush people lived in a few small villages when an overland Spanish exploration party arrived on November 2, 1769, the first documented European visit to San Francisco Bay. The arrival of Spanish colonists, and the establishment of the Mission system, marked the beginning of the assimilation of the Ramaytush people and the decline of their language and culture.

Spanish era (1769–1821)

The Spanish Empire claimed San Francisco as part of Las Californias, a province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The Spanish first arrived in what is now San Francisco on November 2, 1769, when the Portolá expedition, led by Don Gaspar de Portolá and Juan Crespí, arrived at San Francisco Bay. Having noted the strategic benefits of the area due to its large natural harbor, the Spanish dispatched Pedro Fages in 1770 to find a more direct route to the San Francisco Peninsula from Monterey, which would become part of the El Camino Real route.

In 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza arrived in the area to select sites for a mission and presidio. The first European maritime presence in San Francisco Bay occurred on August 5, 1775, when the Spanish ship San Carlos, commanded by Juan Manuel de Ayala, became the first ship to anchor in the bay.

Soon after, on March 28, 1776, Anza established the Presidio of San Francisco and on October 9, Mission San Francisco de Asís, also known as Mission Dolores, was founded by Padre Francisco Palóu. In 1794, the Presidio established the Castillo de San Joaquín, a fortification on the southern side of the Golden Gate, which later came to be known as Fort Point.

In 1804, the province of Alta California was created, which included San Francisco. At its peak in 1810–1820, the average population at the Mission Dolores settlement was about 1,100 people.

Mexican era (1821–1848)

See also: Yerba Buena, California

In 1821, Spain ceded the Californias to Mexico. The extensive California mission system gradually lost its influence during the period of Mexican rule, although it was not until 1833 that the missions would be secularized. Agricultural land became largely privatized as ranchos, as was occurring in other parts of California. Coastal trade increased, including a half-dozen barques from various Atlantic ports which regularly sailed in California waters.

With the enactment of the Mexican Secularization Act of 1833, the missions were required to divest themselves of their extensive landholdings and emancipate the indigenous people under their control. As part of the process of secularization, Governor José Figueroa opened up San Francisco to civilian settlement. Prior to secularization, the only settlements in San Francisco had been the military settlement at the Presidio and the religious settlement at Mission Dolores. In 1835, the Presidio garrison, commanded by Mariano Vallejo, relocated to the Presidio of Sonoma, which was regarded as needing a greater military presence due to the proximity of the Russian settlement at Fort Ross. Only a small detachment remained at the Presidio of San Francisco. Mission Dolores sold most of its property in 1836, retaining only the church and related structures.

In 1833, Juana Briones de Miranda was granted a small rancho at El Polín Spring, near the Presidio, founding the first non-indigenous civilian household in San Francisco. In 1834, the pueblo of Yerba Buena was founded. Yerba Buena Cove (named after a native herb) was already a favored anchorage spot and the new settlement and trading post was founded by its shores. Yerba Buena was located in what is now the city's Chinatown and Financial District and was centered on a plaza that is now Portsmouth Square. A land survey of Yerba Buena was made by the Swiss immigrant Jean Jacques Vioget as prelude to the city plan.

Francisco de Haro became the first alcalde of Yerba Buena. In 1835, the second alcalde, José Joaquín Estudillo, approved the first land grant in Yerba Buena: to William Richardson. Yerba Buena began to attract American and European settlers; an 1842 census listed 21 residents (11%) born in the United States or Europe, as well as one Filipino merchant. Following the Bear Flag Revolt in Sonoma and the beginning of the U.S. Conquest of California, American forces from the USS Portsmouth under the command of John B. Montgomery captured Yerba Buena on July 9, 1846, with little resistance from the local Californio population, raising the American flag over Yerba Buena plaza (later renamed Portsmouth Square in commemoration of this event).

Following the capture, U.S. forces appointed both José de Jesús Noé and Washington Allon Bartlett to serve as co-alcaldes (mayors), while the conquest continued on in the rest of California. On January 30, 1847, Mayor Bartlett ordained that the city should officially change its name from "Yerba Buena" to "San Francisco", as the former name was only locally recognized and the latter name was in use on international maps. There was also concern that a new town being planned by General Vallejo on the Carquinez Strait was to be called "Francisca", after the first name of his wife. After the name change to "San Francisco", the name of Vallejo's town was changed to Benicia, after his wife's middle name. Following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, Alta California was ceded from Mexico to the United States.

Early American era (1848–1906)

Despite its attractive location as a port and naval base, San Francisco under American sovereignty was still a small settlement with inhospitable geography, lacking most of the basic facilities for a proper settlement. Its 1847 population was said to be 459.

The California gold rush brought a flood of treasure seekers. Prospectors accumulated in San Francisco over rival Benicia, raising the population from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849. The promise of wealth was so strong that crews on arriving vessels deserted and rushed off to the gold fields, leaving behind a forest of masts in San Francisco harbor. Some of these approximately 500 abandoned ships were used at times as storeships, saloons, and hotels; many were left to rot, and some were sunk to establish title to the underwater lot. By 1851, the harbor was extended out into the bay by wharves while buildings were erected on piles among the ships. By 1870, Yerba Buena Cove had been filled to create new land. Buried ships are occasionally exposed when foundations are dug for new buildings.

California was quickly granted statehood in 1850, and the U.S. Army built Fort Point at the Golden Gate and a fort on Alcatraz Island to secure the bay. San Francisco County was one of the state's 18 original counties established at California statehood in 1850. San Francisco's city limits originally extended west to Divisadero Street and Castro Street, and south to 20th Street, but in 1856, the California state government divided the county. A straight line was then drawn across the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula just north of San Bruno Mountain. Everything south of the line became the new San Mateo County, while everything north of the line became the new consolidated City and County of San Francisco.

In addition to triggering a sharp growth in population, The California gold rush also triggered a wave of entrepreneurial activity as individuals sought to capitalize on the newfound wealth. The discovery of silver deposits, notably the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859, further fueled rapid population growth and economic expansion.

The influx of fortune seekers and surge in population also brought challenges, including heightened criminal activity and poverty. Lawlessness became rampant, and the Barbary Coast district became synonymous with vice, attracting criminals, and illicit activities. The rapidly growing population, with its lawlessness, gambling and other unwholesome activities, and the fact that there were no churches to be found, prompted people like William Taylor to come to San Francisco where he began preaching in the streets. Taylor gathered enough generous donations from successful people to build a church.

One of the most influential figures of this era was William Chapman Ralston. A shrewd banker and investor, Ralston amassed considerable wealth and influence in San Francisco. He gained control over a significant portion of the Comstock Lode's gold and silver mines, establishing a virtual monopoly. Using his incredible influence, Ralston was able to generate millions of dollars for San Francisco during its boom years. He founded the Bank of California, the first bank in the Western United States, and built the opulent Palace Hotel, a symbol of San Francisco's newfound prosperity and the largest hotel in the country at the time. His financial empire, however, collapsed in 1875 as a result of the Panic of 1873, triggering a major economic crisis in San Francisco.

The resulting unemployment and poverty led to a rise in anti-Chinese sentiment that culminated in the San Francisco riot of 1877, in which a group of the city's majority Irish population descended on Chinatown, causing damage and injury. These events gave rise to a group called the Workingmen's Party of California, led by Denis Kearney and mobilized by his slogan "The Chinese must go!" The party elected delegates to California's Second Constitutional Convention, rewriting the state constitution to deny Chinese Americans voting rights in California. This agitation paved the way for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States until it was repealed over 60 years later.

Development of the Port of San Francisco and the establishment in 1869 of overland access to the eastern U.S. rail system via the newly completed Pacific Railroad helped make the Bay Area a center for trade. Catering to the needs and tastes of the growing population, Levi Strauss opened a dry goods business and Domingo Ghirardelli began manufacturing chocolate. Chinese immigrants made the city a polyglot culture, drawn to "Old Gold Mountain", creating the city's Chinatown quarter. By 1880, Chinese made up 9.3% of the population.

The first cable cars carried San Franciscans up Clay Street in 1873. The city's sea of Victorian houses began to take shape, and civic leaders campaigned for a spacious public park, resulting in plans for Golden Gate Park. San Franciscans built schools, churches, theaters, and all the hallmarks of civic life. The Presidio developed into the most important American military installation on the Pacific coast.

In 1890, San Francisco's population approached 300,000, making it the eighth-largest city in the United States at the time. Around 1901, San Francisco was a major city known for its flamboyant style, stately hotels, mansions on Nob Hill, and a thriving arts scene.In addition to the population boom, the first North American plague epidemic was the San Francisco plague of 1900–1904.

Modern American era (1906–1940)

See also: ATCOR § San Francisco (1907-1930)

At 5:12 am on April 18, 1906, a major earthquake struck San Francisco and northern California. As buildings collapsed from the quake, ruptured gas lines ignited fires that spread across the city and burned out of control for several days. With water mains out of service, an artillery corps attempted to contain the inferno by dynamiting entire city blocks to create firebreaks. After the flames died down, it was estimated that more than three-quarters of the city lay in ruins, including the entire downtown core. Contemporary accounts reported that 498 people died, though modern estimates put the number far higher. More than half of the city's population of 400,000 was left homeless. Refugees settled temporarily in makeshift tent villages throughout the city, including in Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, and on the beaches. Jack London is remembered for having famously described the earthquake.

Rebuilding was rapid and performed on a grand scale. Rejecting calls to completely remake the street grid, San Franciscans opted for speed. Amadeo Giannini's Bank of Italy, later to become Bank of America, provided loans for many of those whose livelihoods had been devastated. The influential San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association or SPUR was founded in 1910 to address the quality of housing after the earthquake. The earthquake hastened development of western neighborhoods that survived the fire, including Pacific Heights, where many of the city's wealthy rebuilt their homes. In turn, the destroyed mansions of Nob Hill became grand hotels. City Hall rose again in the Beaux Arts style, and the city celebrated its rebirth at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in 1915.

During this period, San Francisco built some of its most important infrastructure. Civil Engineer Michael O'Shaughnessy was hired by San Francisco Mayor James Rolph as chief engineer for the city in September 1912 to supervise the construction of the Twin Peaks Reservoir, the Stockton Street Tunnel, the Twin Peaks Tunnel, the San Francisco Municipal Railway, the Auxiliary Water Supply System, and new sewers. San Francisco's streetcar system was pushed to completion by O'Shaughnessy between 1915 and 1927. It was the O'Shaughnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, and Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct that would have the largest effect on San Francisco. An abundant water supply enabled San Francisco to develop into the city it has become today.

In ensuing years, the city solidified its standing as a financial capital; in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash, not a single San Francisco-based bank failed. It was at the height of the Great Depression that San Francisco undertook two great civil engineering projects, simultaneously constructing the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge, completing them in 1936 and 1937, respectively. It was in this period that the island of Alcatraz, a former military stockade, began its service as a federal maximum security prison, housing notorious inmates. San Francisco later celebrated its regained grandeur with a World's fair, the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939–40, creating Treasure Island in the middle of the bay to house it.

Postmodern American era (1941–present)

See also: San Francisco in the 1970s

During World War II, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard became a hub of activity, and Fort Mason became the primary port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater of Operations. The city-owned Sharp Park in Pacifica was also used as a temporary holding place for some Japanese Americans. The explosion of jobs drew many people, especially African Americans from the South, to the area. After the end of the war, many military personnel returning from service abroad and civilians who had originally come to work decided to stay. The United Nations Charter creating the United Nations was drafted and signed in San Francisco in 1945 and, in 1951, the Treaty of San Francisco re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers.

Significant urban planning projects in the 1950s and 1960s involved widespread destruction and redevelopment of west-side neighborhoods and the construction of new freeways, of which only a series of short segments were built before being halted by citizen-led opposition. The onset of containerization made San Francisco's small piers obsolete, and cargo activity moved to the larger Port of Oakland. The city began to lose industrial jobs and turned to tourism as the most important segment of its economy. The suburbs experienced rapid growth, and San Francisco underwent significant demographic change, as large segments of the white population left the city, supplanted by an increasing wave of immigration from Asia and Latin America. From 1950 to 1980, the city lost over 10 percent of its population.

Over this period, San Francisco became a magnet for America's counterculture movement. Beat Generation writers fueled the San Francisco Renaissance and centered on the North Beach neighborhood in the 1950s. Hippies flocked to Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s, reaching a peak with the 1967 Summer of Love. The 1970s also saw the city become a center of the gay rights movement, with the emergence of The Castro as an urban neighborhood, the election of Harvey Milk to the Board of Supervisors, and his assassination, along with that of Mayor George Moscone, in 1978.

Bank of America, now based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was founded in San Francisco; the bank completed 555 California Street in 1969. The Transamerica Pyramid was completed in 1972, igniting a wave of "Manhattanization" that lasted until the late 1980s, a period of extensive high-rise development downtown. The 1980s also saw a dramatic increase in the number of homeless people in the city, an issue that remains today, despite many attempts to address it.

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused destruction and loss of life throughout the Bay Area. In San Francisco, the quake severely damaged structures in the Marina and South of Market districts and precipitated the demolition of the damaged Embarcadero Freeway and much of the damaged Central Freeway. The reconstruction allowed the city to reclaim The Embarcadero as its historic downtown waterfront and revitalizing the Hayes Valley neighborhood.

The three recent decades have seen booms driven by the internet industry. During the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, startup companies invigorated the San Francisco economy. Large numbers of entrepreneurs and computer application developers moved into the city, followed by marketing, design, and sales professionals, changing the social landscape as once poorer neighborhoods became increasingly gentrified. Demand for new housing and office space ignited a second wave of high-rise development, this time in the South of Market district. By 2000, the city's population reached new highs, surpassing the previous record set in 1950. When the bubble burst in 2001, many of these companies folded and their employees were laid off. Yet high technology and entrepreneurship remain mainstays of the San Francisco economy. By the mid-2000s (decade), the social media boom had begun, with San Francisco becoming a popular location for tech offices and a common place to live for people employed in Silicon Valley companies such as Apple and Google.

The early 2020s saw a reduction of tech companies' presence in Downtown San Francisco in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased popularity of working at home, and struggles with homelessness. Although some observers have raised the possibility that office vacancies and declining tax revenues could cause San Francisco to enter an economic doom loop, other sources have refuted this broad-based characterization of the city as a whole, asserting that the issues of concern are restricted primarily to the urban core of San Francisco.

The San Francisco Armory, Palace of Fine Arts, Haas–Lilienthal House, and 450 Sutter Street are among the dozens of historical landmarks in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

San Francisco is located on the West Coast of the United States, at the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula. The city includes parts of the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. There are several islands, such as Alcatraz, Treasure Island, and Yerba Buena Island, that belong to the city. The mainland area is roughly shaped like a square, about seven miles on each side, but the total area including water is nearly 232 square miles.

The city has many hills, with some neighborhoods named after them, like Nob Hill and Russian Hill. Twin Peaks is one of the highest points, and Mount Davidson is the tallest hill. The area has some earthquake activity due to nearby faults, which affects building designs and safety measures.

San Francisco’s shoreline has expanded beyond its natural borders through landfill projects. Some neighborhoods sit on this filled land, which can be unstable during earthquakes. The city has many parks and some natural water areas, though many creeks have been covered over time.

Neighborhoods

The city has many different neighborhoods with unique characters. The Financial District and Union Square are central areas for business and shopping. Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 are popular spots for tourists. Chinatown is the oldest in North America. The Mission District has a rich history of immigrants and has changed over time.

The Western Addition includes areas like Hayes Valley and Japantown. Haight-Ashbury is known for its ties to 1960s culture. Pacific Heights and the Marina are upscale areas. The Sunset District and the Richmond are larger neighborhoods with diverse populations.

Climate

San Francisco has a mild climate with cool, moist winters and mild, dry summers. The ocean and the bay help keep temperatures steady throughout the year. The city often has cool winds and fog, especially during the summer. Rain falls mostly between November and April, and snowfall is very rare.

Ecology

Long ago, tule elk lived in the area, as shown by remains found in old shellmounds. Early explorers also noted elk grazing near what is now the Presidio.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of San Francisco

San Francisco is a busy city with lots of people. In 2020, about 874,000 people lived there. It is one of the most crowded big cities in the United States, even more crowded than most others. The city is part of a bigger area with millions of people living around it.

San Francisco has many different kinds of people. There are lots of Asians, Whites, African Americans, and people from many other places. Some neighborhoods have many people from the same country or area, like Chinatown with many people of Chinese heritage.

San Francisco has many languages spoken at home. Most people speak English, but many also speak Spanish, Chinese, or other languages.

Many adults in San Francisco have gone to college. The city also has many families and people living together, but there are also lots of people who live alone. The city tries to help everyone, no matter where they are from.

Homelessness

See also: Homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area

Many people in San Francisco do not have homes. This has been a big problem for a long time. In recent years, the number of people without homes has gone up. The city is working hard to help these people, spending more money each year to provide support and services.

Crime

Main article: Crime in San Francisco

San Francisco has less violent crime than many other big cities. Some areas have more problems with crime than others. The city works to keep everyone safe and has seen some improvement in reducing certain types of crime recently.

Economy

See also: List of companies based in San Francisco

The city has many different jobs in services, like tourism, financial services, and high technology. In 2016, about 27% of workers had jobs in business services, 14% in hotels and fun places, 13% in government, 12% in health and education, 11% in trading and moving things, and 8% in money work. In 2024, the area around San Francisco made $1.332 trillion in money.

San Francisco became important for money and banking a long time ago. Many big money companies and banks have offices here. The city is also good at making new technology, medicines, and finding out new things about health.

Many people work for the city government, and some work for big companies like Salesforce. Small shops and businesses are very important to the city.

Technology

San Francisco became a place where new technology grows a lot in the 1990s, and it still is important today. Many technology jobs were made between 1999 and 2000. In the 2000s, big technology companies like Apple, Google, Ubisoft, Facebook, and Twitter put offices here. Now, new companies that work on thinking machines are also coming to San Francisco.

Tourism and conventions

See also: Port of San Francisco

Tourism is very important for San Francisco. Many people visit to see places like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alamo Square Park. In 2023, over 23 million visitors came to San Francisco, bringing in a lot of money. The city has many hotels and a big place for meetings called the Moscone Center.

Tourists can also see the Painted Ladies, Lombard Street, Pier 39, and Alcatraz Island. There are also many places to eat, shop, and have fun at night in different parts of the city.

Arts and culture

Main article: Culture of San Francisco

See also: San Francisco in popular culture

San Francisco is famous around the world for places like the Financial District, Union Square, and Fisherman's Wharf. But the city is also known for its many colorful streets and neighborhoods where people can walk to shops, restaurants, and fun places. It is called the "most walkable" city in the United States because of these features.

Many areas have a mix of shops, restaurants, and places for entertainment. Some spots are famous for their unique style, like Union Street in Cow Hollow or Valencia Street in the Mission. Since the 1990s, many areas have changed with new technology jobs, bringing more people and raising the cost of living. This has made some neighborhoods more expensive and caused many families to move out of the city.

San Francisco has always been a mix of people from many places, especially from Asia and Latin America. This rich mix is seen in many neighborhoods with shops and events that celebrate different cultures. The city became a center for art and new ideas in the 1950s and 1960s, and it continues to be a place where people can express themselves freely.

The city has a long history of being welcoming to everyone, no matter who they are. It was home to many of the first leaders and places for people of all backgrounds to gather and celebrate together. The city hosts big events that bring people together every year.

San Francisco cares about the environment and has many programs to help protect nature. It started one of the first recycling programs and has many ways to use clean energy and reuse materials.

LGBTQ

Main article: LGBTQ culture in San Francisco

San Francisco has always been a place where everyone is welcome, no matter who they love. The city was home to many of the first leaders and places where people could celebrate who they are. It has many events that bring people together to show support and pride.

The city hosts big parades and parties that celebrate love and acceptance. These events have been happening for many years and draw huge crowds.

Performing arts

See also: List of theatres in San Francisco

San Francisco has many wonderful places to see plays, concerts, and other shows. The War Memorial and Performing Arts Center has famous groups like the San Francisco Opera, Ballet, and Symphony. The Fillmore is a music venue where many famous bands first played. The city has many theaters that try new and exciting shows.

Museums

Further information: List of museums in San Francisco Bay Area, California § San Francisco

San Francisco has many museums with art, science, and history. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has lots of modern and contemporary art. The Palace of the Legion of Honor has European art, and the de Young Museum has art from many parts of the world. The Exploratorium is a fun science museum where you can touch and try things out.

Sports

San Francisco has many popular sports teams. The San Francisco Giants play baseball and have won several big championships called the World Series. They play at Oracle Park. The San Francisco 49ers are a football team that used to play in San Francisco but now play nearby. They have won big championships called Super Bowls.

The Golden State Warriors play basketball and have also won several big championships. They play at Chase Center. There are also college teams like the San Francisco Dons and the San Francisco State Gators.

San Francisco hosts fun events like the Bay to Breakers footrace, the San Francisco Marathon, and the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. The city has many places for outdoor activities, such as biking, running, and boating.

Parks and recreation

See also: List of parks in San Francisco

San Francisco has many beautiful parks and beaches. Many of these places are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is one of the most visited park areas in the United States, with over 13 million people coming each year. Some popular spots include Ocean Beach, where people enjoy surfing, and Baker Beach, located near the Golden Gate Bridge. The area also includes the California Academy of Sciences, a place where people can learn about nature and science.

The Presidio of San Francisco was an old military base that is now a big park with many museums. Crissy Field is a former airfield turned into a natural area. There are also many other special places like Fort Funston, Lands End, and Fort Mason. The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park has old ships and water areas near Aquatic Park.

San Francisco has more than 220 parks cared for by the city. The most famous is Golden Gate Park, which has many gardens such as the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden. Lake Merced is a freshwater lake close to the San Francisco Zoo, where many animals live. San Francisco is known for having a park close by for everyone to enjoy.

Government

Main articles: Government of San Francisco, Politics of San Francisco, and Mayors of San Francisco

See also: San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco has a special kind of government because it is both a city and a county. The mayor is the leader of the city and also serves as the county's top official. There is a group called the Board of Supervisors that makes laws and decides on budgets. People in San Francisco can also vote directly on laws through special votes called initiatives.

San Francisco manages some places outside its city limits because of its special status. For example, it owns and runs the airport even though it is in a different county. The city also takes care of important buildings and areas far away.

Members of the Board of Supervisors are chosen to represent different parts of the city. If the mayor can no longer serve, the president of the Board becomes the new mayor until the board picks someone else to finish the term.

Most city jobs in San Francisco are filled by people who are elected using a special voting system called ranked choice voting.

San Francisco is an important place for many government offices. It has courts, banks, and other federal buildings. California also has its highest court and many state offices in the city. Many countries have offices called consulates here to help their citizens.

San Francisco is part of different areas for state and national governments. It has its own representatives in the California State Senate and Assembly, and in the United States House of Representatives.

Education

Colleges and universities

See also: List of colleges and universities in San Francisco

The University of California, San Francisco focuses only on advanced studies in health and medical sciences. It is one of the top medical schools in the United States and runs the UCSF Medical Center, which is the best hospital in California and fifth best in the country. The university has many buildings across the city, including a big campus opened in 2003 in the Mission Bay area.

The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, started in 1878, is the oldest law school in California. Nearby, San Francisco State University is part of the California State University system and has about 30,000 students.

The City College of San Francisco is one of the largest schools for students who do not want to go straight to a four-year college, with around 100,000 students.

The University of San Francisco, started in 1855, is the city's oldest university. Other schools include Golden Gate University, California Institute of Integral Studies, and the Academy of Art University, which has many students studying art and design.

Primary and secondary schools

See also: San Francisco public grammar schools and List of high schools in California § San Francisco County

Public schools in the city are managed by the San Francisco Unified School District. Some well-known schools are Lowell High School and the School of the Arts High School. Many children also go to private or religious schools.

The city offers preschool to all four-year-olds through many different programs.

Media

Further information: Media in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco has a big newspaper called the San Francisco Chronicle. It’s the most read paper in Northern California. It was famous for a writer named Herb Caen, whose daily writings were very popular and felt like the voice of the city. Another paper, The San Francisco Examiner, used to be very important but now is a free daily paper.

There are also Chinese language newspapers like Sing Tao Daily, and other magazines such as San Francisco and 7x7. Online news sites like SFist are also based here.

The San Francisco Bay Area is a big spot for TV and radio. It’s the sixth-largest TV market in the U.S. and the fourth-largest radio market. All the major U.S. TV networks have stations here. International news channels like CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and others also have offices in San Francisco.

There are public broadcasting stations here too, including KQED, which is a very popular radio station. Other local radio stations include KUSF, run by students from the University of San Francisco, and KPOO, an independent station started in 1971. San Francisco is also home to many media companies and a big broadcast tower called Sutro Tower.

Infrastructure

Transportation

See also: Transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area

Public transportation

See also: San Francisco Municipal Railway

Transit is the most used form of transportation every day in San Francisco. Every weekday, more than 560,000 people travel on Muni's 69 bus routes and more than 140,000 customers ride the Muni Metro light rail system. 32% of San Francisco residents use public transportation for their daily commute to work, ranking it fourth in the United States and first on the West Coast. The San Francisco Municipal Railway, primarily known as Muni, is the primary public transit system of San Francisco. As of 2023, Muni is the eighth-largest transit system in the United States.

The system operates a combined light rail and heavy rail (subway) system, the Muni Metro, as well as large bus and trolley coach networks. Additionally, it runs a historic streetcar line, which runs on Market Street from Castro Street to Fisherman's Wharf. It also operates the famous cable cars, which have been designated as a National Historic Landmark and are a major tourist attraction.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), a regional Rapid Transit system, connects San Francisco with the East Bay and San Jose through the underwater Transbay Tube. The line, which contains all except the Orange Line, runs under Market Street to Civic Center where it turns south to the Mission District, the southern part of the city, and through northern San Mateo County, to the San Francisco International Airport, and Millbrae. BART also shares stations with SFMTA Muni Metro under Market Street.

Another commuter rail system, Caltrain, runs from San Francisco along the San Francisco Peninsula to San Jose. Historically, trains operated by Southern Pacific Lines ran from San Francisco to Los Angeles, via Palo Alto and San Jose.

Amtrak Thruway runs a shuttle bus from three locations in San Francisco to its station across the bay in Emeryville. Additionally, BART offers connections to San Francisco from Amtrak's stations in Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond, and Caltrain offers connections in San Jose and Santa Clara. Thruway service also runs south to San Luis Obispo with connection to the Pacific Surfliner.

San Francisco was an early adopter of carsharing in America. The non-profit City CarShare opened in 2001 and Zipcar closely followed.

San Francisco Bay Ferry operates from the Ferry Building and Pier 39 to points in Oakland, Alameda, Bay Farm Island, South San Francisco, Richmond, and north to Vallejo in Solano County. The Golden Gate Ferry is the other ferry operator with service between San Francisco and Marin County. SolTrans runs supplemental bus service between the Ferry Building and Vallejo.

To accommodate the large amount of San Francisco citizens who commute to the Silicon Valley daily, employers like Genentech, Google, and Apple have begun to provide private bus transportation for their employees, from San Francisco locations. These buses have quickly become a heated topic of debate within the city, as protesters claim they block bus lanes and delay public buses.

Freeways and roads

Further information: List of streets in San Francisco

In 2014, only 41.3% of residents commuted by driving alone or carpooling in private vehicles in San Francisco, a decline from 48.6% in 2000. There are 1,088 miles of streets in San Francisco with 946 miles of these streets being surface streets, and 59 miles of freeways. Due to its unique geography, and the freeway revolts of the late 1950s, I-80 begins at the approach to the Bay Bridge and is the only direct automobile link to the East Bay. US 101 connects to the western terminus of I-80 and provides access to the south of the city along San Francisco Bay toward Silicon Valley. Northward, the routing for US 101 uses arterial streets to connect to the Golden Gate Bridge, the only direct automobile link to Marin County and the North Bay.

As part of the retrofitting of the Golden Gate Bridge, starting in 2019 the railings on the west side of the pedestrian walkway were replaced with thinner, more flexible slats.

SR 1 also enters San Francisco from the north via the Golden Gate Bridge and bisects the city as the 19th Avenue arterial thoroughfare, joining with I-280 at the city's southern border. I-280 continues south from San Francisco, and also turns to the east along the southern edge of the city, terminating just south of the Bay Bridge in the South of Market neighborhood. After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, city leaders demolished the Embarcadero Freeway and a portion of the Central Freeway, converting them into street-level boulevards.

SR 35 enters the city from the south as Skyline Boulevard and terminates at its intersection of Highway 1. SR 82 enters San Francisco from the south as Mission Street, and terminates shortly thereafter at its intersection of I-280. The western terminus of the historic transcontinental Lincoln Highway, the first road across America, is in San Francisco's Lincoln Park.

Vision Zero

In 2014, San Francisco committed to Vision Zero, with the goal of ending all traffic fatalities caused by motor vehicles within the city by 2024. San Francisco's Vision Zero plan calls for investing in engineering, enforcement, and education, and focusing on dangerous intersections.

Airports

Though located 13 miles (21 km) south of downtown in unincorporated San Mateo County, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is under the jurisdiction of the City and County of San Francisco. SFO is a hub for United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. SFO is a major international gateway to Asia and Europe, with the largest international terminal in North America. In 2011, SFO was the eighth-busiest airport in the U.S. and the 22nd-busiest in the world, handling over 40.9 million passengers.

Located in the South Bay, the San Jose International Airport (SJC) is the second-busiest airport in the Bay Area, followed by Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, which is a popular, low-cost alternative to SFO.

Cycling and walking

Main article: Cycling in San Francisco

Cycling is a popular mode of transportation in San Francisco, with 75,000 residents commuting by bicycle each day. In recent years,^[when?] the city has installed better cycling infrastructure such as protected bike lanes and parking racks. Bay Wheels, previously named Bay Area Bike Share at inception, launched in August 2013 with 700 bikes in downtown San Francisco, selected cities in the East Bay, and San Jose. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and Bay Area Air Quality Management District are responsible for the operation with management provided by Motivate. A major expansion started in 2017, along with a rebranding as Ford GoBike; the company received its current name in 2019. Pedestrian traffic is also widespread.

Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in the city. The 2010 Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) annual bicycle count showed the number of cyclists at 33 locations had increased 58% from the 2006 baseline counts. In 2008, the MTA estimated that about 128,000 trips were made by bicycle each day in the city, or 6% of total trips.

As of 2019^[update], 2.6% of the city's streets have protected bike lanes, with 28 miles of protected bike lanes in the city. Since 2006, San Francisco has received a Bicycle Friendly Community status of "Gold" from the League of American Bicyclists.

Public safety

See also: History of the San Francisco Police Department

The San Francisco Police Department was founded in 1849. The portions of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area located within the city, including the Presidio and Ocean Beach, are patrolled by the United States Park Police.

The San Francisco Fire Department provides both fire suppression and emergency medical services to the city.

Sister cities

Main articles: Sister cities of San Francisco, California and List of diplomatic missions in San Francisco

San Francisco is part of the Sister Cities program. The city has many international connections, with 41 main offices and 23 smaller offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1980, the mayor of San Francisco visited China and signed an agreement to become friends with the city of Shanghai.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from San Francisco

San Francisco has been home to many famous people throughout history. The city has attracted artists, writers, business leaders, and many others who have made important contributions to different fields. The list of notable people from San Francisco includes individuals who have shaped culture, science, and society.