Carquinez Strait, Navigable strait in San Francisco Bay Area, United States.
The Carquinez Strait is a navigable waterway that connects Suisun Bay to San Pablo Bay in Northern California. It forms a crucial section of the larger bay's estuary and is crossed by two major bridges.
The strait formed between 640,000 and 700,000 years ago when melting ice from the Sierra Nevada and seismic activity created a drainage channel from an inland lake. This geological process shaped the entire bay system that exists today.
The waterway takes its name from the Karkin people, an Ohlone group who lived along both shores for generations. Their presence shaped how people understand and relate to this landscape today.
You can cross this area by car using the Carquinez Bridge on Interstate 80 or the Benicia-Martinez Bridge on Interstate 680. Both crossings offer views of the water and surrounding landscape as you drive.
An inverted river delta forms here where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers merge before flowing into the bay. This unusual geological feature happens because tidal currents push back against the river flow.
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