What is the population of San Francisco?
San Francisco's metropolitan area has about 4,749,000 people, making it the 85th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.
Metro population
4,749,000
0.057% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+0.25%
About 33 people a day
Archive estimateDensity
680/km²
6,984 km² metro area
City proper
827,526
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNamesAbout San Francisco
With a metropolitan population of 4,749,000, the San Francisco Bay Area ranks among the largest urban centers in the United States. The city proper has 827,526 residents spread across a dense area of 680 people per km², situated at just 16 meters elevation on the Pacific coast. Founded in 1776, San Francisco is governed by Mayor Daniel Lurie.
The region is served by multiple airports, including San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), San Carlos Airport (SQL), and Buchanan Field (CCR). The metropolitan area has experienced minimal growth in recent years, with an annual expansion rate of 0.3%.
This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Key Facts
- Country
- United States
- Continent
- North America
- World rank
- #85 of 140
- Share of country
- 1.4%
- Founded
- 1776
- Leadership
- Daniel Lurie
- Elevation
- 16 m
- Coordinates
- 37.775, -122.419
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- San Francisco International AirportSFO
18 km from the city centre
- Oakland San Francisco Bay AirportOAK
18 km from the city centre
- San Carlos AirportSQL
33 km from the city centre
- Buchanan FieldCCR
40 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.
| Name | Metro population |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 37.4M |
| Delhi | 32.9M |
| Shanghai | 29.2M |
| São Paulo | 22.6M |
| Dhaka | 22.5M |
| Mexico City | 22.3M |
| Cairo | 22.2M |
| Mumbai | 21.7M |
| Beijing | 21.5M |
| Osaka | 19M |
| New York | 18.9M |
| Karachi | 17.1M |
| Kinshasa | 17.1M |
| Chongqing | 16.9M |
| Lagos | 15.9M |
| San Francisco | 4.75M |
Population Trend in United States
No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 154,202,680 |
| 1960 | 180,274,555 |
| 1970 | 207,796,339 |
| 1980 | 229,858,655 |
| 1990 | 253,373,387 |
| 2000 | 281,484,131 |
| 2010 | 311,062,790 |
| 2020 | 339,436,159 |
| 2030 | 355,649,881 |
| 2040 | 370,209,316 |
| 2050 | 380,846,910 |
| 2060 | 388,918,394 |
| 2070 | 398,218,088 |
| 2080 | 407,079,816 |
| 2090 | 414,457,640 |
| 2100 | 421,278,889 |
Other Major Cities in United States
14 more cities in our dataset.
- New York18.9M · +0.05%
- Los Angeles12.5M · +0.10%
- Chicago8.9M · −0.15%
- Dallas7.64M · +1.35%
- Houston7.34M · +1.45%
- Washington D.C.6.39M · +0.75%
- Miami6.17M · +1.02%
- Atlanta6.14M · +1.25%
- Philadelphia5.72M · +0.08%
Nearest Major Cities
Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.
San Francisco Population FAQ
What is the difference between San Francisco's city and metro population?
About 827,526 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 4,749,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.
Is San Francisco growing or shrinking?
San Francisco is growing at +0.25% a year.
What share of United States's population lives in San Francisco?
San Francisco's metro area holds about 1.4% of United States's total population.
How densely populated is San Francisco?
San Francisco has roughly 680 people per km² across a metro area of about 6,984 km².
Which airports serve San Francisco?
The nearest major airports are San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), San Carlos Airport (SQL).
Which country is San Francisco in?
San Francisco is in United States, in North America.
Explore More Cities
- #1 TokyoJapan · 37.4M · −0.14%
- #2 DelhiIndia · 32.9M · +2.78%
- #3 ShanghaiChina · 29.2M · +0.86%
- #4 São PauloBrazil · 22.6M · +0.75%
- #5 DhakaBangladesh · 22.5M · +2.89%
- #6 Mexico CityMexico · 22.3M · +0.80%