San Quentin State Prison

The facility covers 175 hectares (432 acres) on Point San Quentin, positioned about 19 kilometers (12 miles) north of the Golden Gate Bridge along San Francisco Bay. It includes four large cell blocks plus workshops, administrative buildings, and an enclosed yard that overlooks the water.

Operations began in July 1852 when prisoners from the ship Waban built the first structures on the land. Over the decades the complex was expanded and redesigned several times, while the execution chamber remained in use for a long period.

Incarcerated people here produce the podcast Ear Hustle, which shares stories of daily routines and personal moments behind bars with listeners worldwide. The San Quentin News is written by those inside and distributed to readers in dozens of other correctional facilities across the state.

The facility is not open to the general public and visits are only possible under specific conditions for registered visitors. The waterfront location makes the grounds visible from the ferry or the nearby coastal road in clear weather.

The name comes from Chief Quentin, a leader of the Coast Miwok people whose name was recorded in Spanish as Puenta de Quentin. The peninsula carried this designation for years before the prison was established here.

Location: Marin County

Inception: 1852

Official opening: July 1852

Website: https://cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/sq

GPS coordinates: 37.93750,-122.48910

Latest update: December 12, 2025 19:04