San Francisco

San Francisco is a major American municipality characterized by varied neighborhoods, steep rolling hills, and an eclectic mix of architecture. The city features distinct districts such as Chinatown and the Mission district.

Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Yelamu Ohlone. A major historical turning point occurred with the California gold rush of 1849, which triggered rapid growth and transformed the settlement into the largest city on the West Coast at that time. This influx caused the population to surge from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849, as treasure seekers and prospectors accumulated in the area. Crews abandoned arriving vessels to rush off to the gold fields, leaving a forest of masts in the harbor. Over time, the city expanded as Yerba Buena Cove was filled to create new land, and the growing community experienced significant municipal changes, including becoming a consolidated city-county in 1856.

For more details on the municipality's history and geography, consult the entry on San Francisco.

San Francisco proper recorded a gross domestic product of $268 billion alongside a GDP per capita of $324,000 in 2024. The broader San Francisco Bay Area stands among the most economically productive large urban areas globally, reaching a GDP of $1.332 trillion in 2024.

Economic productivity is spurred by leading universities, healthcare, finance, insurance, real estate, professional services, and high-tech sectors. The city hosts numerous prominent companies, particularly in technology, such as Salesforce, Uber, Airbnb, Levi's, Gap, OpenAI, Chime, Genentech, Anthropic, Databricks, Dropbox, and Lyft. Among U.S. cities with populations of 200,000 or more, San Francisco ranked first by per capita income and sixth by aggregate income as of 2024.

San Francisco is a major American city and the fourth-most populous municipality in California. As of 2025, the official population of the City and County of San Francisco is 826,079.

Before European contact, the area was inhabited by the Yelamu Ohlone. A significant historical turning point occurred on June 29, 1776, when settlers from New Spain established the Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate alongside the Mission San Francisco de Asís. Later, the California gold rush of 1849 drove rapid expansion, turning the municipality into the largest city on the West Coast at that time. Decades later, a devastating earthquake and fire destroyed three-quarters of the city in 1906, though it was quickly rebuilt.

In the aftermath of World War II, the convergence of returning service members, immigration, and shifting cultural attitudes catalyzed the beatnik and hippie countercultures, the sexual revolution, and the gay rights movement. These developments cemented San Francisco as a prominent center of liberal activism. Today, the urban area features cultural landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Alcatraz, alongside leading educational institutions like the University of California, San Francisco.

San Francisco is officially known as the City and County of San Francisco. It is the fourth-most populous city in California and ranks as the 17th-most populous city in the United States.

Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Yelamu Ohlone. A significant historical turning point occurred with the California gold rush of 1849, which brought rapid growth and transformed the settlement into the largest city on the West Coast at that time. Prospectors flooded the area, increasing the population from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849, causing arriving vessel crews to desert for the gold fields and leaving behind numerous abandoned ships in the harbor.

Decades later, after three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, it was quickly rebuilt and hosted the Panama–Pacific International Exposition nine years afterward. During World War II, San Francisco served as a major port of embarkation for naval service members shipping out to the Pacific theater. In the post-war era, a confluence of factors including returning servicemen, significant immigration, liberalizing attitudes, the rise of beatnik and hippie countercultures, the sexual revolution, and opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War culminated in the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement. These developments cemented San Francisco as a center of liberal activism.

Today, the city and its broader region stand among the most economically productive areas in the world. The San Francisco Bay Area recorded a GDP of $1.332 trillion in 2024, an economic output higher than all but 17 countries. San Francisco proper registered a GDP of $268 billion in 2024 with a GDP per capita of $324,000, driven by sectors such as high-tech, healthcare, finance, insurance, real estate, professional services, and leading universities. The city is home to numerous major companies, including Salesforce, Uber, Airbnb, Levi's, Gap, OpenAI, Chime, Genentech, Anthropic, Databricks, Dropbox, and Lyft.