Bay Area - San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose - Information

Population:
7.2 million

Elevation:
52 feet

Time Zone:
Pacific Standard Time Daylight saving March-October.

Emergencies:
Call 911 for fire, police, or ambulance.

Weather:
Bay Area weather varies very little along the coast. Average daytime temperatures are 68 degrees F. During the summer months, it gets warmer as one move inland from the Oakland side of the Bay and temperatures often reach the 100 degree mark east of the Oakland hills.

One of the most densely populated major cities in the US, San Francisco is part of the much larger San Francisco Bay Area which includes the major population centers of Oakland and San Jose as well as numerous smaller suburbs., which is home to approximately 7.2 million people. The city of San Francisco itself is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east, and the Golden Gate to the north. Oakland is located on the east side o fthe bay while San Jose I ia located on the south end of the bay.
In 1776, the Spanish settled the tip of the peninsula, establishing a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt.
The Bay Area is a popular international tourist destination renowned for its steep rolling hills, an eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture, and famous landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, Coit Tower, Fisherman's Warf and Chinatown. The city is also known for its diverse, cosmopolitan population.