San Francisco from the Marin Headlands

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Seal Nickname(s): The City by the Bay, San Fran, Frisco,[1][2] The City That Knows How (archaic),[3] Baghdad by the Bay[4] Motto: Oro en Paz, Fierro en Guerra (Spanish for "Gold in Peace, Iron in War")

Location of San Francisco, California Coordinates: 37°46'45.48?N 122°25'9.12?W? / ?37.7793, -122.4192 Country United States State California Founded June 29, 1776 Incorporated April 15, 1850 Founder Lieutenant Jos? Joaquin Moraga and Father Francisco Pal?u Named for Saint Francis of Assisi Government  - Type Consolidated city-county  - Mayor Gavin Newsom  - Board of Supervisors Supervisors Jake McGoldrick Michela Alioto-Pier Aaron Peskin Carmen Chu Ross Mirkarimi Chris Daly Sean Elsbernd Bevan Dufty Tom Ammiano Sophie Maxwell Gerardo Sandoval  - State Assembly Assemblymembers Fiona Ma (D) Mark Leno (D)  - State Senate State senators Carole Migden (D) Leland Yee (D)  - U.S. House Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D) Jackie Speier (D) Area  - City 231.92 sq mi (600.7 km?)  - Land 46.7 sq mi (121 km?)  - Water 185.2 sq mi (479.7 km?)  79.8%  - Metro 3,524.4 sq mi (9,128.2 km?) Elevation 52 ft (16 m) Highest elevation 925 ft (282 m) Lowest elevation 0 ft (0 m) Population (2007)[5][6][7]  - City 764,976  - Density 16,380/sq mi (6,324.4/km?)  - Urban 3,228,605  - Metro 7,264,887 Time zone Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8)  - Summer (DST) Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) ZIP Code 94101–94112, 94114–94147, 94150–94170, 94172, 94175, 94177 Area code(s) 415 Website: www.sfgov.org The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 14th most populous city in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 764,976.[6] Among the most densely populated cities in the country,[8] San Francisco is part of the San Francisco Bay Area metropolitan area, which is home to more than 7.2 million people.[9] The city is located at 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. 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, transforming into the largest city on the West Coast of the United States at the time. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. During World War II, San Francisco was the send-off point for many soldiers to the Pacific Theater. After the war, the confluence of returning servicemen, massive immigration, liberalizing attitudes, and other factors gave rise to the Summer of Love and the gay rights movement, cementing San Francisco as a liberal bastion in the U.S. San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination famous for its landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, Coit Tower, and Chinatown, its steep rolling hills, and its eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture. The city is also known for its diverse, cosmopolitan population, including large and long-established Asian American and LGBT communities.