The centre span of the Golden Gate Bridge, which is 1,280 metres (4,200 feet) long, ranks as one of the world’s longest. With the blue waters of the Pacific to the west and scenic San Francisco Bay to the east, the bridge remains unsurpassed for its beautiful setting. Spanning the Golden Gate Strait, the bridge connects San Francisco to Marin County to the north.

Cosmopolitan San Francisco lies on the northern end of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. The city’s hilly terrain—three hills exceed 274 metres (899 feet) in elevation—offers stunning views of the bay. The upwelling of cold Pacific waters that meets warm moist air above the ocean creates dense fog, which in summer can hang over the city until noon.