San Francisco Bay Area
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{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
{{redirect|Bay Area}}
The '''San Francisco Bay Area''', commonly known as the '''Bay Area''', or '''the Bay''', is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the [[San Francisco Bay|San Francisco]] and [[San Pablo Bay|San Pablo]] [[bay]]s in [[Northern California]]. [[Image:BayareaUSGS.jpg|right|250px|thumb|USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area taken in 1999. (Click the image for a description of major features.)]] It encompasses large cities such as [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[Oakland]], and [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], along with smaller urban and rural areas. Overall, the Bay Area consists of nine counties, 101 cities, and 7,000 square miles.<ref>[http://www.bayareavision.org/bayarea/index.html San Francisco Bay Area Vision Project<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The nine counties are [[Alameda County, California|Alameda]], [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa]], [[Marin County, California|Marin]], [[Napa County, California|Napa]], [[San Francisco]], [[San Mateo County, California|San Mateo]], [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara]], [[Solano County, California|Solano]], and [[Sonoma County, California|Sonoma]].<ref>[http://www.bayareavision.org/bayarea/index.html San Francisco Bay Area Vision Project<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Image:SanFransiscoBayArea.jpg|left|250px|thumb|San Francisco Bay Area highlighted in red on a map of California|left]]As of July 2006, the Bay Area is home to 7.2 million people.<ref>[http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/bayarea.htm Bay Area 2006 Population Census]</ref> It is one of the wealthiest regions in the United States, according to the [[United States Census Bureau]]. The area has the [[Metropolitan statistical areas of the United States by income|highest median household income in the nation]] at over $65,000. The Bay Area hosts many cities, towns, [[military base]]s, [[airport]]s, and associated regional, state, and [[national park]]s, connected by a massive network of roads, [[highway]]s, [[rail transport|railroads]], [[bridges]], [[tunnels]] and [[commuter rail]]. According to US and International Census figures, the San Francisco Bay Area is the [[List_of_urban_areas_by_population|47th largest Metropolitan area in the world]].
While [[San Jose, California]] is the largest city in the Bay Area, having surpassed [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] in the [[United States Census, 1990|1990]] [[United States Census|census]], for most of its history San Francisco was the area's most populous city. San Francisco remains the cultural center of the region. In addition to having the highest median household income in the nation, the Bay Area has the highest [[per capita income]] of any metropolitan area in the [[United States]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, household and per capita income during the 2000 Census in metro areas">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=d&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_P053&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_P082&-tree_id=403&-redoLog=false&-all_geo_types=N&-geo_id=38000US7000&-geo_id=38000US7040&-geo_id=38000US7120&-geo_id=38000US7160&-geo_id=38000US7200&-geo_id=38000US7240&-geo_id=38000US7320&-geo_id=38000US7362&-geo_id=38000US7442&-geo_id=38000US7460&-search_results=01000US&-_showChild=Y&-format=&-_lang=en&-_toggle=|title=US Census Bureau, household and per capita income during the 2000 Census in metro areas|accessdate=2007-06-01}}</ref> and is also one of the most politically [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] areas in the nation.<ref name="SF Chronicle, most democratic voting bloc in the state, 2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/08/MN45195.DTL|title=SF Chronicle, most democratic voting bloc in the state, 2003|accessdate=2007-06-12}}</ref> The cost of living is also one of the highest in the nation.<ref>San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, 2007</ref>
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==Subregions==
===San Francisco===
{{Wide image|San Francisco panorama from Twin Peaks.jpg|1700px|<center>San Francisco panorama from Twin Peaks</center>}}
{{main|San Francisco, California}}
The City and County of [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] is generally placed in a category by itself in terms of geography and culture even within the Bay Area, and is known locally as "[[The City]]." It is separated by water from the north, west and east, and by a county line from its neighbor cities to the South. San Francisco has long served as the cultural, financial and urban center of the region. For most of the Bay Area's history, it was the key population center. However, the limitations of the size of the county (47 square miles, making it the second most densely populated major city in the United States after [[New York City]]) constrained the growth of the city and, since the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake]], other cities and counties have received the larger share of population growth. Despite these limitations, San Francisco has a larger commuter and daytime population than any other city in the Bay Area.
===North Bay===
[[Image:Lightmatter napa valley.jpg|right|thumb|250px|right|Napa Valley is most famous for its [[wine]].]]
{{main|North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)}}
The region north of the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] is known locally as the '''North Bay'''. This area consists of [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] and extends northward into [[Sonoma County, California|Sonoma County]] and [[Napa County, California|Napa County]] and eastward into [[Solano County, California|Solano County]]. The city of [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]], being part of Solano County, is often considered the eastern most city of the North Bay, though due to a stronger cultural/socioeconomic similarity to many East Bay cities, it is also often considered the northern most city of the East Bay.
With few exceptions, this region is quite affluent: Marin County is ranked as the wealthiest in the nation. The North Bay is generally the least urbanized part of the Bay Area, with many areas of undeveloped open space, farmland and vineyards. [[Santa Rosa, California|Santa Rosa]] in Sonoma County is the North Bay's largest city, with a population of 156,200 and a [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]] population of 466,477, making it the fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. The North Bay is the only section of the Bay Area that is not served by a commuter rail transit service, and Sonoma-Marin service was recently voted down. The lack of transportation services is mainly because of the lack of population mass in the North Bay, and the fact that it is separated completely from the rest of the Bay Area by water, the only access points being the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] leading to San Francisco, the [[Richmond-San Rafael Bridge|Richmond-San Rafael]] and [[Carquinez Bridge|Carquinez]] Bridges leading to [[Richmond, California|Richmond]], and the [[Benicia-Martinez Bridge]] leading to [[Martinez, California|Martinez]].
===Peninsula===
[[Image:colma-california-panoramic1w.jpg|thumb|750px|center|View of [[Colma, California]], looking down from [[San Bruno Mountain]] ]]
{{main|San Francisco Peninsula}}
The area between San Francisco and the South Bay is the [[San Francisco Peninsula]], known locally as the '''Peninsula'''. This area consists of a series of small cities and suburban communities in [[San Mateo County, California|San Mateo County]] and the northwestern part of [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]], as well as various towns along the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] coast, such as [[Pacifica, California|Pacifica]] and [[Half Moon Bay, California|Half Moon Bay]]. This area is extremely diverse, although it contains significant populations of affluent family households with the exception of [[East Palo Alto]] and some parts of [[Redwood City]]. Many of the cities and towns had originally been centers of rural life until the post-World War II era when large numbers of middle and upper class Bay area residents moved in and developed the small villages. Since the 1980s the area has seen a large growth rate of middle and upper class families who have settled in cities like [[Palo Alto]], [[Redwood Shores]] and [[Atherton, California|Atherton]] as part of the technology boom of Silicon Valley. Many of these families are of foreign background and have significantly contributed to the diversity of the area. The Peninsula is also home to what used to be one of the deadliest cities in the United States, [[East Palo Alto]]. Peninsula cities include: Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco and Woodside.
===East Bay===
[[Image:Berkeley-San Francisco-Oakland-Richmond--Panorama.jpg|thumb|750px|center|Looking west from the [[Berkeley Hills]]. Visible clockwise around the bay from the distant [[Golden Gate]] (upper center) are [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] (Upper Right). [[Albany, California|Albany]] (Lower Right), [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]] (Center and foreground), [[Emeryville, California|Emeryville]] (Lower Left), Oakland (Far Lower Left), [[South San Francisco, California|South San Francisco]] (Far Upper Left) and [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] (Upper Left)]]
{{main|East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)}}
The eastern side of the bay, consisting of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, is known locally as the '''[[East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)|East Bay]]'''. The East Bay is split into two regions, the inner East Bay, which sits on the Bay shoreline, and the outer East Bay, consisting of inland valleys separated from the inner East Bay by hills and mountains.
* The '''inner East Bay''' includes the cities of [[Oakland]], [[Hayward, California|Hayward]], [[Fremont, California|Fremont]], [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], and [[Richmond, California|Richmond]], as well as many smaller suburbs such as [[Alameda, California|Alameda]], [[Castro Valley, California|Castro Valley]], [[Newark, California|Newark]], [[Union City, California|Union City]], [[Emeryville, California|Emeryville]], [[Albany, California|Albany]], [[San Leandro, California|San Leandro]], [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]], [[El Sobrante, California|El Sobrante]],[[Pinole]], [[Piedmont, California|Piedmont]], and [[El Cerrito, Contra Costa County, California|El Cerrito]]. The inner East Bay is more urban, more densely populated, has a much older building stock (built before [[World War II]]) and a more ethnically diverse population. Oakland hosts the region's largest [[seaport]] and professional sports franchises in [[Golden State Warriors|basketball]], [[Oakland Raiders|football]], and [[Oakland Athletics|baseball]]. As with many inner urban areas, the Inner East Bay also features a high incidence of crime as well as other socio-economic problems. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, more than 50% of all homicides in the Bay Area in 2002 occurred within the city limits of Oakland and Richmond. The homicide rates have steadily increased, as 2005 had the highest homicide rates for both Richmond and Oakland in many years.
* The '''outer East Bay''' consists of the eastern portions of [[Alameda County, California|Alameda]] and [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa]] counties and is divided into 4 distinct areas: "Lamorinda," Central Contra Costa County, The San Ramon Valley, and the Livermore-Amador Valley. Lamorinda includes the cities of [[Orinda, California|Orinda]], [[Moraga, California|Moraga]] and [[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]]. [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]] is situated between Lamorinda and the San Ramon Valley, and together with [[Concord, California|Concord]], [[Martinez, California|Martinez]], [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]], [[Antioch, California|Antioch]], [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]], [[Oakley, California|Oakley]] and [[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]] comprises ''Central Contra Costa County''. The cities of [[Dublin, California|Dublin]], [[Pleasanton, California|Pleasanton]], [[Livermore, California|Livermore]], comprise the Livermore-Amador Valley (sometimes joined with the San Ramon Valley and called the [[Tri-Valley]]). The San Ramon Valley consists of [[Alamo, California|Alamo]], [[Danville, California|Danville]], [[Diablo, California|Diablo]] and its namesake, [[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]] to the south. The outer East Bay is connected to the inner East Bay by [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]], Interstates [[Interstate 80 (California)|80]], [[Interstate 580 (California)|580]], and [[Interstate 680 (California)|680]], and [[California State Route 24|State Route 24]] via the [[Caldecott Tunnel]]. The outer East Bay is part suburban, part rural and its infrastructure was mostly built up after World War II. This area remains largely white demographically, although the Hispanic population has grown significantly over the past 2-3 decades, particularly in the Concord area.
===South Bay===
[[Image:AlumRockViewSiliconValley w.jpg|thumb|750px|center|Looking west over northern San Jose (downtown is at far left) and other parts of [[Silicon Valley]]]]
{{main|South Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)|Silicon Valley}}
The communities along the southern edge of the Bay are known as the '''[[South Bay (San Jose, California)|South Bay]]''', [[Santa Clara Valley]], and [[Silicon Valley]]. Some Peninsula and East Bay towns are sometimes included in the latter. It includes the major city of [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], and its outlying neighbors, including the cities [[Morgan Hill, California|Morgan Hill]], [[Gilroy, California|Gilroy]], and the high-tech hubs of [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]], [[Milpitas, California|Milpitas]], [[Cupertino, California|Cupertino]], [[Sunnyvale, California|Sunnyvale]], [[Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto]] and [[Mountain View, California|Mountain View]] as well as many other suburbs like [[Los Altos, California|Los Altos]], [[Saratoga, California|Saratoga]], [[Campbell, California|Campbell]] and [[Los Gatos, California|Los Gatos]]. Generally, the South Bay is Santa Clara County, but the northwest portion of the county (Palo Alto and Mountain View) is often considered part of the Peninsula instead. Home of Silicon Valley, the South Bay was also an early development of working and middle class families who left the coastal cities of the Eastern Bay south of Oakland and Alameda. Large numbers of families during the post-World War era also moved there for the aerospace industry. This area has long been developed and expanded and is often featured as a stereotype of the typical California suburban city. Today, the growth continues, primarily fueled by technology and cheap immigrant workers. The result has been a huge increase in the value of property forcing many middle class families out of the area or into nascent ghettos in older sections of the region.
Befitting of the title [[Silicon Valley]], this region is home to a vast number of technology sector giants. Some [[Silicon Valley#Notable companies|notable tech companies headquartered in the South Bay]] are [[Advanced Micro Devices|AMD]], [[Intel Corporation|Intel]], [[Cisco Systems]], [[Hewlett-Packard]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], [[Google]], [[eBay]], and [[Yahoo!]]. As a consequence of the rapid growth of these and other companies, the South Bay has gained increasing political and economic influence both within California and throughout the world.
{{-}}
===Santa Cruz and San Benito===
{{main|Santa Cruz County, California|San Benito County, California}}
The regional governments in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the [[Association of Bay Area Governments]], the [[Metropolitan Transportation Commission (San Francisco Bay Area)|Metropolitan Transportation Commission]], the [[Bay Area Air Quality Management District]], and the [[San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board]] include only the nine counties above in their boundaries or membership. (The BAAQMD includes all of the nine counties except the northern portions of Sonoma and Solano; the RWQCB includes all of San Francisco and the portions of the other eight counties that drain to San Francisco Bay or to the Pacific Ocean.)<ref>[http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/body_boundary.html Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region (2) Boundaries] Accessed [[2007-02-20]]</ref> However, the [[United States Census Bureau]] defines the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland Consolidated Statistical Area as an eleven-county region, including the nine counties above plus [[Santa Cruz County, California|Santa Cruz]] and [[San Benito County|San Benito]] Counties. Meanwhile, the California State Parks Department defines the Bay Area as including ten counties,<ref name=parks>{{cite web | url = http://www.parks.ca.gov/parkindex/region_info.asp?regiontab=0&id=5 | title = Find a park - San Francisco Bay Area Region | publisher = California State Parks | accessdate = 2006-06-20}}</ref> including Santa Cruz but excluding San Benito. On The Other hand, Santa Cruz and San Benito along with [[Monterey County]] are part of a different regional government organization called the [[Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments]].
Some residents of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] (Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Felton, Scotts Valley) do not usually consider themselves to be residents of the Bay Area, rather just of the Santa Cruz Mountains themselves. The Santa Cruz Mountains run along the spine of the [[San Francisco Peninsula]], beginning in San Francisco and continuing down to their terminus near the City of Gilroy, effectively creating the [[Santa Clara Valley]].
The city of Santa Cruz is geographically isolated from the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area, and is usually considered a part of the [[Monterey Bay]] area since the city lies on the north end of the Monterey Bay. The city is also sometimes regarded as the northernmost point of the [[Central Coast, California|California Central Coast]], which extends along the state's coastline to [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]].
This partial inclusion of these two counties in the Bay Area is one manifestation of a "spillover" where, because of high housing prices in the Bay Area proper, people with Bay Area jobs purchase homes in outlying areas and endure long commutes. This blurs the outer borders of the Bay Area, which now can be said to spillover not only to the south (Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey counties) but to the [[Central Valley]] counties of [[Sacramento County, California| Sacramento]], [[San Joaquin County, California| San Joaquin]], [[Stanislaus County, California| Stanislaus]], and [[Yolo County, California| Yolo]].
==Demographics==
{{USCensusPop
|1900 = 658111
|1910 = 925708
|1920 = 1182911
|1930 = 1578009
|1940 = 1734308
|1950 = 2681322
|1960 = 3638939
|1970 = 4628199
|1980 = 5179784
|1990 = 6023577
|2000 = 6783760
}}
As of 2006 , there were 6,927,555 people residing in the Bay Area. The racial makeup of the 9 County Bay Area was 47.29% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 19.83% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.67% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 7.32% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.87% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 9.46% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 5.28% from two or more races. 19.89% of the population were [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] of any race. 29.6% of the population was foreign born.
As of 2006, there were 7,236,391 people residing in the Greater Bay Area. The racial makeup of the 9 County Bay Area plus Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties was 50.41% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 19.96% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.72% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 7.35% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.90% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 10.17% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], 5.46% from two or more races. 21.19% of the population were [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] of any race. 31.8% of the population was foreign born.
==Affluence==
The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the wealthiest regions in the United States. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], of the 280 defined [[metropolitan area]]s, the San Francisco Bay Area has the [[Metropolitan statistical areas of the United States by income|highest median household income in the nation]] with $62,024 in the year 2000. The Census Bureau also released data in August 2006 citing San José as having the second highest median household income among large cities. Among medium-sized cities, [[Pleasanton, California|Pleasanton]] has the highest household income in the country, and [[Livermore, California|Livermore]] the third highest. Nevertheless, [[disposable income]] is very comparable with the rest of the country, largely because the increased cost of living offsets increased income.<ref name=affluence>{{cite web | url = http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_4259660 | title = Pleasanton tops county in median household income | publisher = Inside Bay Area | accessdate = 2006-10-15}}</ref>
While only 26% of households nationwide boast [[Household income in the United States|incomes]] of over $75,000 a year, 48% of households in the San Francisco Bay Area enjoy such incomes.<ref name="Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California">{{cite web|url=http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_13.pdf|title=Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California|accessdate=2006-11-06}}</ref> The percentage of households with [[Household income in the United States|incomes]] exceeding the $100,000 mark in the Bay Area was double the nationwide percentage. Roughly one third (31%) of households in the San Francisco Bay Area had a [[six figure income]], versus less than 16% at the nationwide level.<ref name="US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data|accessdate=2006-06-29}}</ref> In June 2003, a study by Stanford University reviewing US Census Bureau statistics determined the [[Household income in the United States|median household income]] in the San Francisco Bay Area to be roughly 60% above national average.<ref name="Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California">{{cite web|url=http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_13.pdf|title=Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California|accessdate=2006-11-06}}</ref> Overall the largest [[Household income in the United States|income bracket]] in the Bay Area were households making between $100,000 and $150,000 annually, who constituted roughly 18% of households.<ref name="Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California">{{cite web|url=http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report_13.pdf|title=Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California|accessdate=2006-11-06}}</ref> On a national level the largest [[Household income in the United States|income bracket]] were households with incomes between $30,000 and $40,000 who constituted 13% of all households nationwide.<ref name="US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data|accessdate=2006-06-29}}</ref>
Six of the top ten California places with the highest per capita income are in the San Francisco Bay Area ([[Belvedere, California|Belvedere]], [[Atherton, California|Atherton]], [[Woodside, California|Woodside]], [[Portola Valley, California|Portola Valley]], [[Diablo, California|Diablo]]). Of the 100 [[Highest income counties in the United States|highest income counties by per capita income in the United States]], six are in the San Francisco Bay Area ([[Marin County, California|Marin]], [[San Mateo County, California|San Mateo]], [[San Francisco County, California|San Francisco]], [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara]], [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa]], [[Alameda County, California|Alameda]]). According to Forbes Magazine, published in 2005, 12 of the top 50 most expensive Zip Codes are in the Bay Area ([[Atherton, California|Atherton]], [[Ross, California|Ross]], [[Diablo, California|Diablo]], [[Belvedere, California|Belvedere]]-[[Tiburon, California|Tiburon]], [[Nicasio, California|Nicasio]], [[Portola Valley, California|Portola Valley]], [[Los Altos, California|Los Altos]]-[[Los Altos Hills, California|Los Altos Hills]], [[Los Gatos, California|Los Gatos]]-[[Monte Sereno, California|Monte Sereno]], the [[Cow Hollow]]-[[Marina District, San Francisco, California|Marina District]] of [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[Alamo, California|Alamo]], and [[Burlingame, California|Burlingame]]-[[Hillsborough, California|Hillsborough]]). [http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2005/04/22/cx_sc_0426homep.html]
[[Image:SF vs US Income.jpg|thumb|400px|This graph compares the income distribution among Bay Area households to the national level.<ref name="Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California">{{cite web|url=http://ccsre.stanford.edu/reports/report 13.pdf|title=Stanford University, study of US Department of Commerce statistics concerning income in California|accessdate=2006-11-06}}</ref><ref name="US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new06 000.htm|title=US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data|accessdate=2006-06-29}}</ref>]]
Forty-two San Francisco Bay Area residents made the [[Forbes]] magazine's 400 richest Americans list, published in 2006.<ref>[http://www.nbc11.com/news/9910976/detail.html 42 Bay Area Residents Make Forbes Richest List - News Story - KNTV | San Francisco<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Thirteen live within San Francisco proper, placing it seventh among cities in the world. Among the forty-two were several well-known names such as [[Steve Jobs]], [[George Lucas]], and [[Charles Schwab]]. The highest-ranking resident is [[Larry Ellison]] of [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]] at No. 4. He is worth $19.5 billion.
A study by Claritas indicates that in 2004, 5% of all households within the San Francisco and San José metropolitan areas held [[millionaire|$1 million]] in investable assets [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/06/10/BUG2VD678F1.DTL&type=printable], and [[Wells Fargo]] estimates that there are 180,000 millionaire households in the Bay Area, 10% of which have $5 million or more in assets [http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2005/08/22/focus1.html?page=2].
==Living expenses==
The popularity of the region, owing both to its mild weather and its cultural and economic diversity, combined with strong anti-growth sentiment (both local and statewide), has led to high housing costs, especially for ownership and for commercial property leases. Owing to the relatively lower costs of outlying housing and limited public transportation, long, expensive, and often unpleasant automobile commutes are common in the region, and these costs tend to trickle down throughout various activities, making many other activities such as dining out, theater tickets, etc. more expensive than in other areas of the country. Wages of only a limited portion of the population have kept pace with the increased expenses, and many [[minimum wage]] earners, even those holding multiple jobs, (and many families with multiple members employed) are classified as "[[working poor]]", while the higher incomes necessary for a satisfactory lifestyle in the region lead to higher taxes, especially at the federal level for persons not qualifying for high mortgage or self employment related deductions. Although most working-class households in the United States earn between $20,000–$30,000 a year, working-class households in the Bay Area earn over $50,000 a year performing the same jobs (such as in the service industry), which would be considered [[middle-class]] in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, because of extremely expensive housing costs, [[disposable income]] of working-class Bay Area households is only equivalent to the amount of [[disposable income]] in other parts of the country because the rest of the income increase goes to pay for an increased cost of living. Therefore, although the great majority of the population is much more affluent (without taking into account the increased costs of living) compared to the rest of the country, the [[disposable income]] is nearly identical. This enables low cost goods shops such as [[variety stores]] to maintain a presence in the Bay Area.
==Political views==
The Bay Area is renowned as being among the most [[Liberalism|liberal]] areas in the country. According to the [[Cook Partisan Voting Index]] (CPVI), [[congressional districts]] the Bay Area tend to favor [[Democratic Party (United States)| Democratic]] candidates by roughly 40 percentage points, considerably above the mean for [[Coastal California]] or [[California]] overall. All but one congressional district in the region voted for [[John Kerry]] in the [[United States presidential election, 2004| 2004 Presidential Election]] with only 25% of votes being cast in support of [[George W. Bush]]. [[CPVI]] ratings ranged from D +14 in [[San Jose, California| San Jose]] to D +21 in [[Marin County]] and D +38 in [[Barbara Lee|Barbara Lee's]] district encompassing [[Berkeley, CA| Berkeley]] and [[Oakland, CA| Oakland]]. [[Nancy Pelosi|Nancy Pelosi's]] district, California's 8<sup>th</sup> which includes most of the city of [[San Francisco]], had a CPVI rating of D +36 with [[G. W. Bush]] having received only 14% of votes in the city.
Over the last four and a half decades the 9 county Bay Area has voted for a [[Republican Party (United States)| Republican]] candidate only twice, in 1972 for [[Richard Nixon]] and in [[:Category:1980 in politics|1980]] for [[Ronald Reagan]]. The last county to have voted Republican was [[Napa County, California| Napa county]] in 1988 for [[George H. W. Bush]].
{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 82%;"
|+ '''Presidential election results'''
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 2004|2004]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''69.2%''' ''1,926,726''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|29.3% ''815,225''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 2000|2000]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''64.1%''' ''1,607,695''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|30.0% ''751,832''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1996|1996]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''60.5%''' ''1,417,511''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|28.3% ''662,263''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1992|1992]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''56.2%''' ''1,476,971''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|25.0% ''658,202''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1988|1988]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''57.8%''' ''1,338,533''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|40.8% ''945,802''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1984|1984]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''50.8%''' ''1,157,855''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|47.9% ''1,090,115''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1980|1980]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|40.7% ''827,309''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''44.4%''' ''904,100''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1976|1976]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''49.9%''' ''950,055''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|45.8% ''872,920''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1972|1972]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|48.2% ''990,560''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''49.1''' ''1,007,615''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1968|1968]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''50.8%''' ''890,650''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|41.3% ''725,304''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1964|1964]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''65.7%''' ''1,116,215''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|34.1% ''579,528''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''[[United States presidential election, 1960|1960]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''52.0%''' ''820,860''
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|47.6% ''751,719''
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; margin-right:60px"
!width=7.5%|District
!Location
!Cook Partisan Index
!% for Bush, 2004
!Median Household Income<ref name="US Census Bureau, 2000 Census income data by congressional district">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_110S&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P052&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P053&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P082&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P148A&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_H085&-tree_id=609&-redoLog=false&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=500$50000US0601&-geo_id=500$50000US0606&-geo_id=500$50000US0607&-geo_id=500$50000US0608&-geo_id=500$50000US0609&-geo_id=500$50000US0610&-geo_id=500$50000US0612&-geo_id=500$50000US0613&-geo_id=500$50000US0614&-geo_id=500$50000US0615&-geo_id=500$50000US0616&-geo_id=500$50000US0617&-geo_id=500$50000US0623&-geo_id=500$50000US0624&-geo_id=500$50000US0630&-geo_id=500$50000US0633&-geo_id=500$50000US0634&-geo_id=500$50000US0635&-geo_id=500$50000US0636&-geo_id=500$50000US0637&-geo_id=500$50000US0638&-geo_id=500$50000US0639&-geo_id=500$50000US0640&-geo_id=500$50000US0644&-geo_id=500$50000US0646&-geo_id=500$50000US0647&-geo_id=500$50000US0648&-geo_id=500$50000US0649&-geo_id=500$50000US0650&-geo_id=500$50000US0653&-format=&-_lang=en|title=US Census Bureau, 2000 Census income data by congressional district|accessdate=<!--2007-05-31-->2008-01-03}}</ref>
!Per Capita Income<ref name="US Census Bureau, 2000 Census income data by congressional district">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_110S&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P052&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P053&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P082&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_P148A&-mt_name=DEC_2000_110S_H085&-tree_id=609&-redoLog=false&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=500$50000US0601&-geo_id=500$50000US0606&-geo_id=500$50000US0607&-geo_id=500$50000US0608&-geo_id=500$50000US0609&-geo_id=500$50000US0610&-geo_id=500$50000US0612&-geo_id=500$50000US0613&-geo_id=500$50000US0614&-geo_id=500$50000US0615&-geo_id=500$50000US0616&-geo_id=500$50000US0617&-geo_id=500$50000US0623&-geo_id=500$50000US0624&-geo_id=500$50000US0630&-geo_id=500$50000US0633&-geo_id=500$50000US0634&-geo_id=500$50000US0635&-geo_id=500$50000US0636&-geo_id=500$50000US0637&-geo_id=500$50000US0638&-geo_id=500$50000US0639&-geo_id=500$50000US0640&-geo_id=500$50000US0644&-geo_id=500$50000US0646&-geo_id=500$50000US0647&-geo_id=500$50000US0648&-geo_id=500$50000US0649&-geo_id=500$50000US0650&-geo_id=500$50000US0653&-format=&-_lang=en|title=US Census Bureau, 2000 Census income data by congressional district|accessdate=<!--2007-05-31-->2008-01-03}}</ref>
|-
|<span style="display:none">&06</span>[[California's 6th congressional district|6th district]]||[[Marin County|Marin]] and [[Sonoma County]]||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +21||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|28%||$59,115||$33,036
|-
|<span style="display:none">&07</span>[[California's 7th congressional district|7th district]]||[[Richmond, California|Richmond]], [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]], [[Vacaville, California|Vacaville]], and [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]]||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +19||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|32%||$52,778||$22,016
|-
|<span style="display:none">&08</span>[[California's 8th congressional district|8th district]]||City and County of San Francisco||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +36||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|14%||$52,322||$34,552
|-
|<span style="display:none">&09</span>[[California's 9th congressional district|9th district]]||Oakland, [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]] and the Oakland hills||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +38||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|13%||$44,314||$25,201
|-
|<span style="display:none">&10</span>[[California's 10th congressional district|10th district]]||[[Fairfield, California|Fairfield]], [[Livermore, California|Livermore]], [[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]], and [[Concord, California|Concord]]||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +09||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|40%||$65,245||$31,093
|-
|<span style="display:none">&11</span>[[California's 11th congressional district|11th district]]|| Parts of Contra Costa, Alameda, and Santa Clara counties including [[Morgan Hill, California|Morgan Hill]], [[Pleasanton, California|Pleasanton]], and [[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]]||{{Party shading/Republican}}|R +03||{{Party shading/Republican}}|54%||$61,996||$28,420
|-
|<span style="display:none">&12</span>[[California's 12th congressional district|12th district]]||[[San Francisco Peninsula]] including most of [[San Mateo County]]||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +22||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|27%||$70,307||$34,448
|-
|<span style="display:none">&13</span>[[California's 13th congressional district|13th district]]||Silicon Valley and [[East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)|East Bay]], including [[Fremont, California|Fremont]], [[Union City, California|Union city]] and [[Hayward, California|Hayward]]||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +22||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|28%||$62,415||$26,076
|-
|<span style="display:none">&14</span>[[California's 14th congressional district|14th district]]|| [[Silicon Valley]], including [[Redwood City]], [[Mountain View, California|Mountain View]], [[Sunnyvale, California|Sunnyvale]], [[Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto]] and [[Santa Cruz, CA|Santa Cruz]]||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +18||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|30%||$77,985||$43,063
|-
|<span style="display:none">&15</span>[[California's 15th congressional district|15th district]]||City of San Jose (western areas)||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +14||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|36%||$74,947||$32,617
|-
|<span style="display:none">&16</span>[[California's 16th congressional district|16th district]]||San Jose, [[Morgan Hill, California|Morgan Hill]]||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +16||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|36%||$67,689||$25,064
|-class="sortbottom"
!Median||Districts: 6<sup>th</sup>, 7<sup>th</sup>, 8<sup>th</sup>, 9<sup>th</sup>, 10<sup>th</sup>, 12<sup>th</sup>, 13<sup>th</sup>, 14<sup>th</sup>, 15<sup>th</sup>, 16<sup>th</sup>||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|D +21.5||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|28%||$65,052||$32,826
|}
==Weather==
Because the hills, mountains, and large bodies of water produce such vast geographic diversity within this region, the Bay Area offers a significant variety of [[microclimate]]s. The areas near the [[Pacific Ocean]] are generally characterized by relatively small temperature variations during the year, with cool foggy summers and mild rainy winters. Inland areas, especially those separated from the ocean by hills or mountains, have hotter summers and colder overnight temperatures during the winter. Few residential areas ever experience snow, but peaks over {{convert|2000|ft|m}} are often dusted with snow several times each winter (including Mount St. Helena, [[Mount Hamilton (California)|Mount Hamilton]], [[Mount Diablo]], and [[Mount Tamalpais]]). The coast north of San Francisco, where year-round cool, moist conditions enable [[Cupressaceae|redwoods]] to grow, has almost nothing in common with Livermore, just {{convert|40|mi|km}} inland across the bay, which has desert-like precipitation and heat. San José at the south end of the Bay averages fewer than {{convert|15|in|mm}} of rain annually, while Napa at the north end of the Bay averages over 30 and parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains just a few miles west of San José get over 55. In the summer, inland regions can be over 40 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius) warmer than the coast. This large temperature contrast induces a strong pressure gradient, which results in brisk coastal winds which help keep the coastal climate cool and typically, foggy during the summer. Additionally, strong winds are produced through gaps in the coastal ranges such as the [[Golden Gate]], the [[Carquinez Strait]], and the [[Altamont Pass]], the latter the site of extensive [[wind farm]]s. During the fall and winter seasons, when not stormy, a high pressure area is usually present inland, leading to an offshore flow. While negatively impacting air quality this also clears fog away from the Pacific shore, and so the best weather in San Francisco can usually be found from mid September through mid November. Winter storms are typically short, wet, and mild in temperature, being caused by cold fronts sweeping the eastern Pacific and originating from low pressure systems in the [[Gulf of Alaska]]. Occasionally during the Summer, spells of warm humid weather will drift over the Bay Area from the [[monsoon|Southwest Monsoon]], usually bringing high variable clouds as well, and more rarely, high-based [[thunderstorm]]s.
{|
|- style="vertical-align:top"
| [[Image:San Francisco Bay Area Skyline Blvd.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Skyline Boulevard]] stretches through the Santa Cruz Mountains, here near Palo Alto, California. During winter and spring, the hills surrounding the Bay Area are lush and green.]]
| [[Image:San Francisco Bay Area Skyline Blvd2.jpg|thumb|309px|Rain is rare in the Bay Area during the summer months. As a result, the surrounding hills quickly become dry and golden-hued in grassy areas.]]
|}
==Geology and landforms==
{{seealso|San Francisco Bay}}
===Multiple terranes===
The area is well known worldwide for the complexity of its landforms, the region being composed of at least six [[terrane]]s ([[continent]]al, [[seabed]], or [[island arc]] fragments with distinct characteristics) pushed together over millions of years by the forces of [[plate tectonics]]. As a consequence, many types of rock and soil are found in the region. Formations include the [[Sedimentary|sedimentary rocks]] of [[sandstone]], [[limestone]], and [[shale]] in uplifted seabeds, [[metamorphic]] [[serpentine]] rock, [[coal]] deposits, and [[igneous]] forms as the basalt flows and ash deposits of extinct [[volcano]]s. [[Pleistocene|Pleistocene-era]] [[fossil]]s of [[mammal]]s are abundantly present in some locations.
===Vertical relief===
The region has considerable vertical relief in its landscapes that are not in the [[alluvial plain]]s leading to the bay or in inland valleys. In combination with the extensive water regions this has forced the fragmented development of urban and suburban regions and has led to extensive building on poor soils in the limited flatland areas and considerable expense in connecting the various subregions with roads, tunnels, and bridges.
Several mountains are associated with some of the many ridge and hill structures created by compressive forces between the Pacific Plate and the North American plate. These provide spectacular views (in appropriate weather) of large portions of the Bay Area and include Marin County's [[Mount Tamalpais]] at 2,571 feet (784 m). Contra Costa County's [[Mount Diablo]] at 3,849 feet (1,173 m), Alameda County's [[Mission Peak]] at 2,517 feet (767 m), and Santa Clara County's [[Mount Hamilton (California)|Mount Hamilton]] at 4,213 ft (1,284 m), the latter with significant astronomical studies performed at its crowning [[Lick Observatory]].
The three major ridge structures (part of the [[Pacific Coast Range]]) which are all roughly parallel to the major faultlines:
* The various ranges which form the spine of the San Francisco Peninsula and Marin County (San Andreas Fault)
* The [[Berkeley Hills]], [[San Leandro Hills]] and their southern ridgeline extension through Mission Peak (Hayward Fault)
* The [[Diablo Range]], which includes [[Mount Diablo]] and [[Mount Hamilton (California)|Mount Hamilton]] (Calaveras Fault)
===Major waterways===
{{Main|Hydrography of the San Francisco Bay Area}}
* [[San Joaquin River]]
* [[Sacramento River]]
* [[Napa River]]
* [[Sonoma Creek]]
* [[Guadalupe River (California)|Guadalupe River]]
* [[Coyote Creek]]
* [[Petaluma River]]
* [[San Pablo Creek]]
* [[Wildcat Creek]]
* [[Oakland Estuary]]
* [[Russian River]]
* [[San Lorenzo River]]
* [[Gulf of the Farallones]]
* [[Corte Madera Creek]]
===Earthquake faults===
[[Image:Flat eq map anotated.png|thumb|right|250px|Map showing some of the major faults in the Bay Area. Numerous minor faults are also capable of generating locally destructive earthquakes.]]
The region is also traversed by six major slip-strike fault systems with hundreds of related faults, many of which are "sister faults" of the infamous [[San Andreas Fault]], all of which are stressed by the relative motion between the [[Pacific Plate]] and the [[North American Plate]] or by compressive stresses between these plates. Significant blind [[thrust fault]]s (faults with near vertical motion and no surface ruptures) are associated with portions of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] and the northern reaches of the [[Diablo Range]] and [[Mount Diablo]].
==Natural hazards==
===Earthquakes===
[[Image:ShakeSuseptBayamateMod.gif|thumb|right|250px|Map showing earthquake amplification due to soil type.]]
The region is particularly exposed to hazards associated with large [[earthquake]]s,<ref>http://quake.abag.ca.gov/ - Maps and information about Bay Area threats including earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis.</ref> owing to a combination of factors:
* Numerous major active faults in the region.
* A combined thirty year probability of a major earthquake in excess of seventy percent.
* Poorly responding native soil conditions in many places near the bay and in inland valleys, soils which amplify shaking as shown in the map to the right.
* Large areas of filled marshlands and bay muds that are significantly urbanized, with most subject to [[Earthquake liquefaction|liquefaction]], becoming unable to support structures.
* A large inventory of older buildings, many of which are expected to perform poorly in a major earthquake.
* Extensive building in areas subject to [[landslide]], [[mudslide]], and in some locations directly over active fault surface rubble zones.
* Most lowrise construction is not fireproof and water systems are likely to be extensively damaged and so large areas are subject to destruction by fire after a large earthquake.
* The coastal location makes the region vulnerable to Pacific Ocean [[tsunamis]].<ref>[http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/web_tsus/19600522/damage.htm Describes Bay Area damage from 1960 tsunami.]</ref>
Some of these hazards are being addressed by [[seismic retrofit]]ting, education in [[household seismic safety]], and even complete replacement of major structures such as the [[Eastern span replacement of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge|eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge]].
For an article concerning a typical fault in the region and its associated hazards see [[Hayward Fault Zone]].
For projected ground movement after selecting a locality and a generating fault see [http://quake.abag.ca.gov/pickfault.html this ABAG web page]
===Flooding===
Some flooding occurs on local drainages under sustained wet conditions when the ground becomes saturated, more frequently in the North Bay area, which tends to receive substantially more rainfall than the South Bay. In one case, the [[Napa River]] drainage, floodplain developments are being purchased and removed and natural wetlands restored in the innovative [[Napa River Flood Project]] as the previous channelization of insufficient capacity around such developments was causing flooding problems upstream. Many of the local creeks have been channelized, although modern practice and some restoration work includes returning the creeks to a natural state with dry stormwater bypasses constructed to handle flooding. While quite expensive, the restoration of a natural environment is of high priority in the intensively urbanized areas of the region.
===Windstorms and Wildfires===
Typically between late November and early March, a very strong Pacific storm can bring both substantial rainfall (saturating and weakening soil) and strong wind gusts that can cause trees to fall on power lines. Owing to the wide area involved (sometimes hundreds of miles of coast), service can be interrupted for up to several days in some more remote localities, but service is usually restored quickly in urban areas.
In the Spring and Fall, [[Diablo wind|strong offshore winds]] periodically develop. These winds are an especially dangerous fire hazard in the fall when vegetation is at its driest, as exemplified historically by the [[1923 Berkeley Fire]] and the [[Oakland Firestorm of 1991|1991 Oakland Firestorm]].
===Mudslides and Landslides===
Some geologically unstable areas have been extensively urbanized, and can become mobile due to changes in drainage patterns and grading created for development. These are usually confined to small areas, but there have been larger problems in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
==Transportation==
{{main|Transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area}}
[[Image:Sfbridgemap.jpg|thumb|right|'''(1)''' [[Richmond-San Rafael Bridge]], '''(2)''' [[Golden Gate Bridge]], '''(3)''' [[San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge]], '''(4)''' [[San Mateo-Hayward Bridge]], '''(5)''' [[Dumbarton Bridge (California)|Dumbarton Bridge]], '''(6)''' [[Carquinez Bridge]], '''(7)''' [[Benicia-Martinez Bridge]] ]]
The Bay Area is served by many [[public transportation]] systems, including three international [[airport]]s ([[San Francisco International Airport|SFO]], [[Oakland International Airport|OAK]], [[Mineta San Jose International Airport|SJC]]), six major overlapping [[bus]] transit agencies ([[AC Transit]], [[San Francisco Muni|Muni]], [[SamTrans]], [[Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority|VTA]], [[Golden Gate Transit]], [[County Connection]]), in addition to dozens of smaller ones. There are four [[rapid transit]] and [[regional rail]] systems including [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] and [[CalTrain]] and two [[light rail]] systems ([[San Francisco Muni Metro]] and [[VTA Light-rail]]). There are also several regional rail lines provided by [[Amtrak]], notable the [[Capitol Corridor]]. In addition to rail lines, there are multiple public and private ferry services (notably [[Golden Gate Ferry]] and [[Blue and Gold Fleet]]), which are being expanded by the [[San Francisco Bay Water Transit Authority]]. The regional ferry hub is San Francisco [[Ferry Building]]. AC Transit and some other agencies provide an extensive network of express "transbay" commuter buses from the [[suburbs]] to [[San Francisco Transbay Terminal]].
The [[freeway]] and [[highway]] system is very extensive; however, many freeways are heavily [[traffic congestion|congested]] during [[rush hour]], especially the trans-bay bridges ([[Golden Gate Bridge|Golden Gate]] and [[San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge|Bay Bridge]]). Furthermore there are some large gaps in the highways which run onto city streets in San Francisco, partially due to the [[Freeway and expressway revolts#San Francisco|Freeway Revolt]] ([[San Francisco Board of Supervisors|SF Board of Supervisors]] decisions made in [[1959]], [[1964]] and [[1966]]), which prevented completion of freeways connecting the [[San Francisco Bay Bridge]] western terminus ([[Interstate 80 in California| Highway 80]]) with the southern terminus of the Golden Gate Bridge, and [[U.S. Route 101 in California| Highway 101]] through San Francisco, and additionally due to the destruction of several of those very freeway structures that sparked the revolt, which were damaged in the 1989 [[Loma Prieta earthquake]] and subsequently removed rather than being reinforced or rebuilt.
==Higher education==
The region is home to many [[university|universities]] and [[seminaries]], most notably [[Stanford University]], the [[University of California, Berkeley]], and the [[University of California, San Francisco]]. In 2003, there were approximately 545,000 students enrolled in college or graduate school, while approximately 41 percent of residents aged 25 years and over had a bachelors degree or higher.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Profiles/Single/2003/ACS/Tabular/380/38000US73622.htm U.S. Census Bureau, 2003 American Community Survey], accessed [[November 5]], [[2007]]</ref> The San Francisco Bay Area population is near the top in the Nation for overall education level. The San Francisco and San Jose [[PMSA]]s rank third and fourth in college graduates, ahead of Boston and behind only [[Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area|Boulder–Longmont, Co PMSA]] and [[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Stamford–Norwalk, CT PMSA]]. Santa Cruz PMSA ranks eighth and the Oakland PMSA eleventh.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/metroareas.xls 2002 American Community Survey, SELECTED POPULATION CHARACTERISTICIS FOR LARGE METROPOLITAN AREAS], accessed [[November 5]], [[2007]]</ref>
{| width="100%"
|- valign=top
| width=50% |
'''Public'''
[[Image:Berkeley glade afternoon.jpg|200px|thumb|University of California, Berkeley.]]
* [[Berkeley City College]]
* [[Cabrillo College]]
* [[California Maritime Academy]]
* [[California State University, East Bay]] (Hayward)
* [[Cañada College]]
* [[Chabot College]]
* [[City College of San Francisco]]
* [[College of Alameda]]
* [[College of Marin]]
* [[College of San Mateo]]
* [[Contra Costa College]]
* [[De Anza College]]
* [[Diablo Valley College]]
* [[Evergreen Valley College]]
* [[Foothill College]]
* [[Laney College]]
* [[Las Positas College]]
* [[Los Medanos College]]
* [[Merritt College]]
* [[Mission College]]
* [[Napa Valley College]]
* [[Ohlone College]]
* [[San Jose City College|San José City College]]
* [[San Francisco State University]]
* [[San José State University]]
* [[Santa Rosa Junior College]]
* [[Sonoma State University]]
* [[Skyline College]]
* [[Solano Community College]]
* [[West Valley College]]
* [[University of California, Berkeley]]
* [[University of California, Hastings College of the Law]]
* [[University of California, San Francisco]]
* [[University of California, Santa Cruz]]
'''Seminaries'''
* [[American Baptist Seminary of the West]]
* [[The Church Divinity School of the Pacific]] ([[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal]])
* [[Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology]]
* [[Franciscan School of Theology]]
* [[Fuller Northern California]]
* [[Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary]]
* [[Graduate Theological Union]]
** [[Institute of Buddhist Studies]]
** [[Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences]]
* [[Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley]]
* [[Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary]] (ELCA, Berkeley)
* [[Pacific School of Religion]] ([[United Church of Christ|UCC]], [[Disciples of Christ|Disciples]] & [[United Methodist Church|Methodist]])
* [[Saint Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park|Saint Patrick Seminary]]
* [[San Francisco Theological Seminary]] ([[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]])
* [[Starr King School for the Ministry]] ([[Unitarian Universalist]])
| width=50% |
'''Private'''
[[Image:Stanford MainQuad.JPG|200px|thumb|Stanford University.]]
* [[Academy of Art University]]
* [[American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine]]
* [[Art Institute of California, San Francisco]]
* [[The Arts Institute International]]
* [[California College of the Arts]]
* [[California Culinary Academy]]
* [[California Institute of Integral Studies]]
* [[Carnegie Mellon West]]
* [[Cogswell Polytechnical College]]
* [[Culinary Institute of America at Greystone]]
* [[DeVry University]]
* [[Dominican University of California|Dominican University]]
* [[Ex'pression College for Digital Arts]]
* [[Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising]]
* [[Five Branches Institute]]
* [[Golden Gate University]]
* [[Holy Names University]]
* [[Institute of Transpersonal Psychology]]
* [[International Technological University]]
* [[John F. Kennedy University]]
* [[Menlo College]]
* [[Mills College]]
* [[National Hispanic University]]
* [[New College of California]]
* [[Northwestern Polytechnic University]]
* [[Notre Dame de Namur University]]
* [[Pacific Union College]]
* [[Patten University]]
* [[Presidio School of Management]]
* [[Saint Mary's College of California]]
* [[San Francisco Art Institute]]
* [[San Francisco Conservatory of Music]]
* [[San Francisco Law School]]
* [[Santa Clara University]]
* [[Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center]]
* [[Stanford University]]
* [[Touro University]]
* [[University of San Francisco]]
* [[University of Northern California]]
|
|}
==Religious life==
{{Expand-section|date=April 2008}}
The San Francisco Bay Area has a very diverse religious life with thousands of [[church]]es, [[pagoda]]s, [[mosque]]s, [[temple]]s, [[synagogue]]s, [[gurdwara]]s, and other religious centers. The Bay Area is home to [[Christianity|Christians]], [[Buddhism|Buddhist]], [[Hinduism|Hindu]], [[Judaism|Jewish]], [[Islam|Muslim]], [[Sikh]], and numerous other religious communities.
==Sports==
{{Main|Sports in San Francisco Bay Area}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Team!!Sport!!League!!Venue
|-
|[[San Francisco 49ers]]
|[[American football|Football]]
|[[National Football League]]
|[[Candlestick Park]]
|-
|[[Oakland Raiders]]
| [[American football|Football]]
|[[National Football League]]
|[[McAfee Coliseum]]
|-
|[[San Francisco Giants]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[National League]] ([[Major League Baseball]])
|[[AT&T Park]]
|-
|[[Oakland Athletics]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[American League]] ([[Major League Baseball]])
|McAfee Coliseum
|-
|[[Golden State Warriors]]
|[[Basketball]]
|[[National Basketball Association]]
|[[Oracle Arena]]
|-
|[[San Jose Sharks]]
|[[Ice Hockey]]
|[[National Hockey League]]
|[[HP Pavilion at San Jose]]
|-
|[[San Jose Earthquakes]]
|[[Soccer]]
|[[Major League Soccer]]
|[[Buck Shaw Stadium]]
|-
|[[San Francisco Nighthawks]]
|[[Soccer]]
|[[Women's Premier Soccer League]]
|[[Kezar Stadium]]
|-
|[[San Jose SaberCats]]
|[[American football|Football]]
|[[Arena Football League]]
|HP Pavilion at San Jose
|-
|[[San Jose Stealth]]
|[[Lacrosse]]
|[[National Lacrosse League]]
|HP Pavilion at San Jose
|-
|[[San Francisco Dragons]]
|[[Lacrosse]]
|[[Major League Lacrosse]]
|[[Spartan Stadium]]
|-
|[[San Jose Giants]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[California League]] ([[Minor League Baseball]])
|[[San Jose Municipal Stadium]]
|}
;[[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] [[Division I]] College Sports
* [[California Golden Bears]]
* [[St. Mary's College of California|St. Mary's College]] Gaels
* [[San Francisco Dons]]
* [[San José State Spartans]]
* [[Santa Clara University|Santa Clara]] Broncos
* [[Stanford Cardinal]]
==Music==
{{seealso|Bay Area thrash metal}}
{{seealso|Hyphy movement}}
The San Francisco Bay Area was home to one of the biggest thrash metal scenes in the United States, along with Tampa Bay, Florida. Containing acts like [[Exodus]], [[Death Angel]], [[Vio-lence]], [[Testament]] and [[Metallica]] (Although [[Metallica]] had initially formed in [[Los Angeles]], it wasn't until their relocation to the East Bay area in 1983 that [[Cliff Burton]] and [[Kirk Hammett]] joined as bassist and lead guitarist, sealing the band's first, formative line-up.), the Bay Area Thrash scene was a huge impact on the [[Thrash metal]] world, as well as the [[Death metal]] scene; as [[Possessed (band)|Possessed]] is considered as one of the first death metal bands.
The Bay Area saw a large [[punk ideologies|punk]] movement from the 70s to the present. Bands such as the [[Dead Kennedys]], [[The Avengers (band)|The Avengers]], [[Flipper]], [[D.R.I.]], [[MDC (band)|M.D.C.]] and [[Operation Ivy (band)|Operation Ivy]] were popular in the 70s and 80s, with later bands such as [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]], [[Green Day]] and [[AFI (band)|AFI]] all coming out of [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]].
The Bay Area is now the home of the [[hyphy]] movement, which was started almost 10 years ago. The genre which was originally pioneered by the rappers [[Mac Dre]], [[Too Short]], [[Keak Da Sneak]], and [[E-40]], is now becoming more popular throughout the world. Hyphy themes such as ghost riding, thizzin' and going dumb are now common in other parts of the country. The Bay Area is also home to the [[Hieroglyphics (band)|Hieroglyphics]] hip hop crew, which is composed of local artists including the [[Souls of Mischief]] and [[Del tha Funkee Homosapien]].
The popular group [[GreenDay]] began in [[Berkeley]] as street performers, and [[The Pack]], which did the 'Vans' song, is a group of highschool students from the [[Oakland]] area.
==Regional counties, cities and suburbs==
[[Image:SAN FRANCISCO UND UMGEBUNG.png|right|220px|thumb|An early 20th century German map]]
===Counties===
:''Note: San Benito County and Santa Cruz County are sometimes considered not part of the Bay Area.''
* [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]] (737 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[Contra Costa County, California|Contra Costa County]] (720 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] (520 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[Napa County, California|Napa County]] (754 sq. mi., excluding water)
* ''[[San Benito County, California|San Benito County]]'' (1389 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco County]] (47 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[San Mateo County, California|San Mateo County]] (449 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]] (1,291 sq. mi., excluding water)
* ''[[Santa Cruz County, California|Santa Cruz County]]'' (445 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[Solano County, California|Solano County]] (829 sq. mi., excluding water)
* [[Sonoma County, California|Sonoma County]] (1,576 sq. mi., excluding water)
===Cities and municipalities===
* [[List of cities and municipalities in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
==Notable Bay Area people==
This is a list of notable people that were born in, or who have lived in the Bay Area
*[[Jerry Garcia]] - guitar player, songwriter, ranked 13th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story, was the Lead Guitarist/Vocalist for the [[Grateful Dead]], [[Jerry Garcia Band]], [[New Riders of the Purple Sage]], Old and In the Way, and the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band. Born in raised in the Mission District of [[San Francisco]], lived in [[Marin County]], dying in [[Forest Knolls]], CA.
* [[En Vogue]] – [[Grammy Award]]-nominated female R&B singing group, originated from Oakland, California in 1990
* [[E-40]] - rapper
* [[Ken Carter]] - former high school basketball coach, education activist
* [[Keyshia Cole]] – [[Grammy Award]]-nominated R&B singer-songwriter
* [[Ron Dellums]] – politician, former U.S. Congressman and Representative, 3rd [[African-American]] mayor of Oakland
* [[Francis Ford Coppola]] – [[Academy Award]]-winning film director and [[vintner]]
* [[Clint Eastwood]] – actor, [[Academy Award]]-winning film producer and director
* [[Donald Fisher]] - co-founder of the [[Gap]] clothing company
* [[GreenDay]] - rock band
* [[Richard Gere]] – Actor
* [[Whoopi Goldberg]] – [[Academy Award]]-winning actress and comedian
* [[Tom Hanks]] – [[Academy Award]]-winning actor, born in [[Concord, California|Concord]], raised in [[Oakland, California|Oakland]]
* [[Master P]] - rapper and music producer
* [[MC Hammer]] – musician, born in Oakland
* [[Henry J. Kaiser]] – entrepreneur, businessman, founder of [[Kaiser Permanente]] and [[Kaiser Family Foundation]]
* [[Barbara Lee]] - [[U.S. Representative]]
* [[Brandon Lee]] - actor, [[martial artist]]
* [[Bruce Lee]] - actor, [[martial artist]]
* [[Jack London]] – writer, born in San Francisco, raised in Oakland, namesake of [[Jack London Square]]
* [[Jefferson Starship]] - rock band during the 1970s and 1980s
* [[Courtney Love]] - singer and actress
* [[Huey P. Newton]] - activist, co-founder of the [[Black Panthers]]
* [[The Pack]] - rap group, originated from [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]]
* [[Dwayne Johnson|The Rock]] - former professional wrestler, actor
* [[Too Short]] – rapper, born in Los Angeles, lived in Oakland from 1980–1994
* [[Rebecca Romijn]] – Model, actress
* [[Bobby Seale]] - activist, co-founder of the [[Black Panthers]]
* [[Alicia Silverstone]] – actress
* [[The Pointer Sisters]] – [[Grammy Award]]-winning R&B singing group
* [[Tupac Shakur]] – rapper, songwriter, poet, actor, activist, moved to [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] in 1988
* [[Robin Williams]] - [[Academy Award]]-winning actor, comedian
==See also==
{{commonscat|San Francisco Bay Area}}
* [[Coastal California]]
* [[Islands of San Francisco Bay]]
* [[List of San Francisco Bay Area festivals and fairs]]
* [[List of San Francisco Bay Area wildflowers]]
* [[List of San Francisco Bay Area writers]]
* [[United States metropolitan area]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.limuguide.com/sfbay limuguide.com/sfbay] Live Music in San Francisco Bay Area
* [http://www.bayareaexperiences.com Bay Area Experiences.com] Community-built site with non-touristy things to do in San Francisco and surrounding areas.
===Travel===
* {{wikitravel}}
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/ World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary]
{{SF Bay Area}}
{{California}}
[[Category:San Francisco Bay Area|*]]
[[Category:Metropolitan areas of California]]
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