San Francisco: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 10, 2026

News •

Tech consultant sentenced to 16 years to life in stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee • Nov. 10, 2026, 10:32 PM ET (AP)

Valkyries' victory celebration includes Oakland where team practices, San Francisco where games are • Nov. 5, 2026, 1:48 AM ET (AP)

Photos and Videos

The Golden Gate Bridge spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay, with its tall red towers and suspension cables rising above the water and hills in the background.

Map showing the western United States with a black dot marking the location of San Francisco on the northern California coast, highlighting its position relative to neighboring states and the Pacific Ocean.

Aerial view of South San Francisco, California, with a hillside sign reading South San Francisco The Industrial City, residential neighborhoods below, and ships in the bay in the background.

Aerial view of the Golden Gate Bridge stretching across the water toward the hills of Marin County, with San Francisco Bay and distant cityscape in the background.

Alcatraz Island

View of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, showing the former prison buildings, water tower, and rocky shoreline under a clear sky.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Map showing central San Francisco with labeled neighborhoods, major roads, parks, landmarks, and transit lines. Key locations such as Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, and the Financial District are marked. An inset map at the bottom left displays the broader San Francisco metropolitan area, including surrounding cities like Oakland, Berkeley, and Daly City, as well as major highways and bay crossings.

Row of colorful Painted Lady Victorian houses with ornate trim in San Francisco, California, with the city skyline and Transamerica Pyramid visible in the background.

See the catastrophic aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906

Learn about the redesigned de Young Museum of Art, California

Experience the public art, trolleys, and boardwalks of San Francisco

Can ants predict an upcoming earthquake?

Experience playful learning at Frank Oppenheimer's Exploratorium and other children's museums

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Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.

Guess the City by Its River Quiz