San Francisco Peninsula facts for kids

Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Francisco peninsula sticks out to the north. San Francisco is at its very end.

A closer look at the end of the San Francisco Peninsula.

The San Francisco Peninsula is a piece of land in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has water on three sides, separating San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. At its northern tip is the big city of San Francisco. To the south, it reaches into Santa Clara County. Here you'll find cities like Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, and Mountain View.

Most of the Peninsula is covered by San Mateo County. This area is located between San Francisco and Santa Clara counties. It includes many towns and cities such as Daly City, Redwood City, and San Mateo.

Even though the word "peninsula" means the whole landmass, people who live here often use "The Peninsula" differently. They usually mean the area south of San Francisco. They call San Francisco "The City."

History of the Peninsula

The San Francisco Peninsula has a rich history. In 1795, a Spanish governor named Diego de Borica gave a large piece of land here to José Darío Argüello. This land was called Rancho de las Pulgas. It was the biggest land grant on the peninsula, covering about 35,260 acres (143 square kilometers).

For a long time, the city of San Francisco and the county of San Francisco were separate. The county of San Francisco used to be the same size as what is now San Mateo County. This is why people started calling the area south of San Francisco "The Peninsula." Many towns in San Mateo County are like suburbs of San Francisco. These include places like Pacifica, Daly City, and South San Francisco.

Silicon Valley's Home

A big part of Silicon Valley is located on the San Francisco Peninsula. This area is famous for its technology companies. You can find the main offices of some of the world's largest tech companies here. These include Google, Yahoo, Facebook (now Meta Platforms), and Apple.

Over the past ten years, many people have moved to the Bay Area. They come from places like India and China to work in the technology industry. There are more than 6,600 tech startups in Silicon Valley. New companies are starting up all the time.

Travel and Geography

The eastern side of the peninsula is very busy. It has many cities and suburbs, including parts of Silicon Valley. This area is a major route for people traveling between San Francisco in the north and San Jose in the south.

Many main roads run north and south through the peninsula:

• El Camino Real (SR 82) and US 101 are on the east side, near the bay.
• Interstate 280 runs down the middle of the peninsula.
• Skyline Boulevard (SR 35) follows the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
• SR 1 is on the west side, along the Pacific Ocean.
• SR 85 forms the southern end of the Peninsula.

The Caltrain commuter train also runs along the peninsula. It goes roughly next to El Camino Real and Highway 101.

Important Roads

Several bridges connect the Peninsula to other areas. These include the Dumbarton Bridge, the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, and the famous Golden Gate Bridge.

In the middle of the Peninsula are the northern parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains. These mountains were formed by the movement of plate tectonics along the San Andreas Fault. This fault is a major crack in the Earth's crust. Along the fault, you can find the Crystal Springs Reservoir and San Andreas Lake. The lake is actually where the San Andreas Fault got its name!

Nature and Wildlife

The San Francisco Peninsula has many different types of natural areas. These include places where rivers meet the sea (estuaries), ocean areas, oak forests, redwood forests, and coastal bushes. Many kinds of wildlife live here. You can see animals along the San Francisco Bay shoreline, on San Bruno Mountain, and in the forests of Montara Mountain.

Special Animals

The county is home to several animals that are in danger of disappearing. These include the San Francisco garter snake, the Mission blue butterfly, and the San Bruno elfin butterfly. These animals are only found in San Mateo County. The endangered California clapper rail is also found along the shores of San Francisco Bay. You can see it in cities like Belmont and San Mateo.

Parks and Preserves

There are many great parks and nature preserves on the San Francisco Peninsula. They are perfect places to explore nature:

• Edgewood Park, in San Mateo County
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area - parts of this big park are on the Peninsula
• Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District - many protected natural areas
• Shoreline Park, in Mountain View, Santa Clara County
• Rancho San Antonio Country Park, in Los Altos and Cupertino, Santa Clara County

Famous Places to See

The San Francisco Peninsula has many well-known buildings and places. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Península de San Francisco para niños