San Francisco, Metropolitan hub in Northern California, United States
San Francisco encompasses 121 square kilometers of land at the northern tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay.
The California Gold Rush of 1848 transformed San Francisco from a small settlement of 1,000 residents into a booming city of 25,000 within one year.
The city maintains a network of cable cars dating from 1873, which transport passengers through neighborhoods filled with Victorian architecture and diverse communities.
The Municipal Railway system includes buses, light rail vehicles, and historic streetcars that connect all districts with frequent service from early morning until midnight.
The city experiences microclimates where temperatures can differ by 15 degrees Fahrenheit between neighborhoods just a few blocks apart.
Location: California
Inception: June 29, 1776
Founders: José Joaquín Moraga, Francisco Palóu
Elevation above the sea: 30 m
Part of: San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco–San Mateo–Redwood City metropolitan division
Shares border with: Sausalito, Richmond, Alameda, Brisbane, Daly City
Address: San Francisco, CA, USA 94116 San Francisco
Website: http://sfgov.org
GPS coordinates: 37.77903,-122.41991
Latest update: May 27, 2025 20:49
This list presents the 50 most populous cities in the United States according to the official estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau as of July 2024. These metropolitan areas showcase the country's diversity in economic, cultural, and geographic aspects. From New York with 8.48 million residents, a global hub of finance and media, to Los Angeles, the center of cinema, through Chicago with its notable architecture, Houston with its space industry, and Philadelphia, the city that founded American independence, each destination has its own identity. San Antonio preserves traces of the colonial era around the Alamo, while Phoenix is experiencing rapid growth in the Arizona desert. These large American cities, spread from Texas to California and from Florida to Illinois, offer a comprehensive view of the country's urban realities. Together, they host several tens of millions of inhabitants and are the main drivers of the national economy, each developing specialties from the energy sector to new technologies, maritime trade, and medical research.
San Francisco brings together historical monuments and natural sites that reflect the city's unique history and geography. The Golden Gate Bridge, a 2,737-meter-long suspension bridge completed in 1937, is one of the region's most recognizable structures. Alcatraz Island, a former high-security federal prison operating from 1934 to 1963, is located in the bay and is visited by ferry. The Painted Ladies, seven Victorian houses built between 1892 and 1896, exemplify San Francisco’s characteristic residential architecture with their colorful facades facing Alamo Square Park. The city also includes Fisherman's Wharf, a historic port district developed from late 19th-century Italian fishing piers, and the Fillmore, a performance hall from the 1910s that contributed to the development of the West Coast music scene. Twin Peaks provide viewpoints at 928 feet (283 meters), while Lands End features rocky cliffs and hiking trails at the western tip of the peninsula. The Cable Cars, a mechanical transportation system operating since 1873, run on three lines through San Francisco's sloped streets.
A selection of the most notable rooftop and terrace bars in San Francisco, offering panoramic views of the city and bay. These venues feature creative cocktails and elevated settings for distinct experiences across different neighborhoods of the California metropolis.
Lucasfilm
3.5 km
Lombard Street
2.6 km
Salesforce Tower
2.4 km
Oracle Park
2.7 km
Transamerica Pyramid
2.3 km
Palace of Fine Arts
3.6 km
Painted Ladies
1.2 km
Millennium Tower
2.4 km
San Francisco Armory
1.3 km
Coit Tower
2.9 km
San Francisco cable car system
2.1 km
Chinatown
2.1 km
Pier 39 Sea Lions
3.6 km
Sutro Baths
8.2 km
Golden Gate Park
5.1 km
Cliff House, San Francisco
8.3 km
Mission San Francisco de Asís
1.7 km
The Fillmore
1.3 km
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
1.8 km
California Academy of Sciences
4.2 km
Sutro Tower
3.9 km
Embarcadero
3.2 km
555 California Street
2 km
Exploratorium
3.1 km
San Francisco Ferry Building
3.1 km
San Francisco City Hall
62 m
San Francisco Mint
1.2 km
Grace Cathedral
1.6 kmReviews
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