San Francisco
San Francisco is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States. Among U.S. cities with a population of 200,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income and third by population density. The 1849 gold rush brought rapid growth. After three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, it was quickly rebuilt. The confluence of the beatnik and hippie countercultures, the sexual revolution, and opposition to the Vietnam War led to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a center of liberal activism. The San Francisco Bay Area has a GDP of $1.332 trillion in 2024, higher than all but 17 countries.
Typical weather
1981–presentCity Rhythm
measuredOpening hours, by kind of place
median across mapped venuesVital absurdities
measured · the Anti-AwardsSame time system
by rhythmWhat to do each season
2dry-summer
mild, dry and foggy; openmeteo mean 12.0-16.0 °C (Sep warmest 16.0; 'October is warmer than July'); essentially rainless May-Aug (Jul 0.1 mm/day); the characteristic cold summer fog (the 'Mark Twain' summer)
- the cold foggy summer — the fog pours through the Golden Gate daily; the western neighborhoods (Sunset, Richmond) stay grey while the east bayside warms
- the true warmth arrives late — Sep-Oct are the warmest, sunniest months; the outdoor high season is autumn, not summer
wet-winter
cool and moist; openmeteo mean 10.7-12.8 °C (Jan coolest 10.7); the rainy season (Nov-Mar, ~73 rainy days/yr, Feb wettest 3.3 mm/day); 23.65 in/yr; ENSO-driven variability (El Niño wet, La Niña dry)
- the winter rains — the green window for the parks and hills; the lowest tourist density outside the holidays
- the seasonal drought breaks; the fog is 'less pronounced … during the late summer and early fall'
What it is known for
Important moments in a year
1849 Gold Rush
- the California gold rush brought rapid growth, making San Francisco the largest city on the West Coast
1906 Earthquake
- three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire
- the city was quickly rebuilt and hosted the Panama–Pacific International Exposition nine years later
Summer of Love
- the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement cemented San Francisco as a center of liberal activism
On the record
source-trackedSan Francisco has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb), with cool, moist winters and mild dry summers with occasional warm or hot periods.
During the summer, rising hot air in California's interior valleys creates a low-pressure area that draws winds from the North Pacific High through the Golden Gate, which creates the city's characteristic cool winds and fog.
The year's warmest month, on average, is September, and on average, October is warmer than July, especially in daytime.
Among major U.S. cities, San Francisco has the coolest daily mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures for June, July, and August.
The nearby San Andreas and Hayward Faults are responsible for much earthquake activity. The San Andreas Fault caused the earthquakes in 1906 and 1989.
There are more than 50 hills within the city limits.
San Francisco is ranked the 'most walkable' city in the United States by Walk Score.
32% of San Francisco residents use public transportation for their daily commute to work, ranking it fourth in the United States and first on the West Coast.
Montgomery Street in the Financial District became known as the 'Wall Street of the West'.
San Francisco is the second-most densely populated large American city, behind only New York City.
The city is believed to have the highest number of homeless inhabitants per capita of any major U.S. city.
San Francisco has the highest estimated percentage of gay and lesbian individuals of any of the 50 largest U.S. cities, at 15%.
The method behind this atlas — 196 pp. Not published yet.