San Francisco
Steep hills, historic landmarks, and a legacy from Yelamu Ohlone to tech hub.
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Prior to European settlement, it was inhabited by the Yelamu Ohlone. On June 29, 1776, settlers from New Spain established the Presidio of San Francisco and Mission San Francisco de Asís. The California gold rush of 1849 brought rapid growth, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time. In 1856, it became a consolidated city-county. After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, it was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama–Pacific International Exposition nine years later. During World War II, it served as a major port of embarkation for naval service members shipping out to the Pacific theater. Post-war factors including returning servicemen, significant immigration, liberalizing attitudes, and countercultural movements cemented its role as a center of liberal activism. The city is known for steep rolling hills, eclectic architecture, Chinatown, the Mission district, mild climate, and landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Alcatraz.
- Location
- Northern California coast
- Geographic Feature
- Peninsula surrounded by Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay
- Cultural Identity
- Tech hub, Counterculture birthplace, LGBTQ+ rights pioneer
- Architectural Style
- Eclectic mix of architecture across varied neighborhoods
- Iconic Landmark
- Golden Gate Bridge
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The earliest archaeological evidence of human habitation in the area dates to 3000 BCE. The Spanish first arrived on November 2, 1769, led by Don Gaspar de Portolá and Juan Crespí. In 1834, the pueblo of Yerba Buena was founded by its shores. Francisco de Haro became the first alcalde of Yerba Buena. American forces captured Yerba Buena on July 9, 1846, raising the flag over Portsmouth Square. The city has officially been known as San Francisco since 1847, when Washington Allon Bartlett renamed it from Yerba Buena. Local residents most commonly refer to the city as 'the City' or 'SF'. During the California Gold Rush, Chinese immigrants named San Francisco 'Old Gold Mountain' (Gāu Gāmsāan). The city is home to companies including Salesforce, Uber, Airbnb, Levi's, Gap, OpenAI, Chime, Anthropic, Databricks, Dropbox, and Lyft.
In Their Own Story
The cable car clanged its bell as it moved up the steep incline. Inside, passengers gripped the brass pole while watching the fog roll in over the city's varied neighborhoods. An elderly observer remembered when this hill was just a patch of dunes before the gold rush or the earthquake. Down near the water, the Ferry Building chimed, marking another day where history and modern life met on the edge of the continent.
Reader's Guide
San Francisco is known for its steep rolling hills and eclectic mix of architecture across varied neighborhoods. The city features landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Alcatraz. A light rail and bus network, in tandem with the BART and Caltrain systems, connects nearly every part of San Francisco with the wider region. In 2022, it hosted more than 1.7 million international visitors and approximately 20 million domestic visitors.
Did You Know?
- San Francisco was originally named Yerba Buena ('good herb' in Spanish) before being renamed by alcalde Washington Allon Bartlett in 1847.
- During the California Gold Rush, Chinese immigrants called San Francisco 'Old Gold Mountain' (Gāu Gāmsāan), distinguishing it from Australia's 'New Gold Mountain'.
- Three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, yet it hosted the Panama–Pacific International Exposition just nine years later.
- The first European maritime presence in the bay occurred on August 5, 1775, when the Spanish ship San Carlos became the first to anchor there.
- In 2024, San Francisco proper had a GDP of $268 billion and a GDP per capita of $324,000.
Elsewhere in the City Atlas universe
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