Colma, Cemetery district in San Mateo County, California
Colma is a small town in San Mateo County, California, composed primarily of cemetery grounds. The municipality includes seventeen separate cemeteries that spread across the entire town area and together occupy most of its land.
An ordinance from San Francisco in 1900 prohibited further burials within city limits, leading to the relocation of thousands of graves to the areas south of the city. The settlement became officially incorporated as a town in 1924, after it had grown into a central burial place for the region.
The local cemeteries preserve a striking variety of burial sites, from Chinese temples to Italian columbaria, each reflecting the funeral customs of different immigrant groups. Visitors can observe these differences while walking through individual grounds, where architecture and layout point directly to each community.
Multiple bus lines and two rail stations connect the town to San Francisco and other communities in San Mateo County. Most cemeteries open during daylight hours and feature paved pathways that are accessible by wheelchair.
The ratio of living to deceased stands at roughly fifteen hundred residents compared to approximately one and a half million burials. This extraordinary proportion makes the town one of the most unusual places in the United States.
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