Facts about San Francisco Bay: World's Largest Landlocked Harbor

San Francisco is one of the hottest tourist spots in California. With the appealing charm of its diverse culture and colorful places, tourists and locals can't help but fall in love. With its lovely markets and popular restaurants, San Francisco Bay has the largest landlocked harbor in the world. Here are some of the facts that you should know about the San Francisco Bay:

Fact #1: San Francisco Bay Used to Be Even Bigger

The San Francisco Bay is famous for its enormous 13 miles area and up to 357 ft depth. However, this is nothing compared to the bay's original size before Americans arrived in this place, which is up to 800 square miles. From the 1860s to 1880s, people began transforming it into a major city, which resulted in a massive expansion. Due to the increasing population, people started to create landfills to suffice their needs.

Fact #2: A City Built on History

Today, most of the San Francisco waterfront is a landfill. During the gold rush, hundreds of ships were abandoned in the city and buried under the Financial District. Today, San Francisco's skyline consists of buildings constructed over top of abandoned vessels. The only natural land features of the area are Alcatraz, Angel Island, and Yerba Buena. Aside from that, Treasure Island is human-made.

Fact #3: It's More Than Just Pelicans

When people first discovered Alcatraz, they named it "La Isla de Los Alcatraces" or Pelican Island. Due to the large number of pelicans living in the area. It's not until 1934 that it became famous for being a lighthouse, military fortification, military prison, and a federal prison. Up until now, a lot of tourists have visited this island with various cruises.

Fact #4: That's a Lot of Water!

The maximum daily flow of water under the Golden Gate Bridge to the Pacific Ocean exceeds the water volume that passes over Niagara Falls in a week. The vast quantity of water is seven times more than at the mouth of the Mississippi.

Fact #5: Brrr! It's Chilly

San Francisco has a very unusual climate resulting in a colder summer season and hotter winter months. It is a reasonably cool city having an average temperature of 51°F up to 64°F. With an average water temperature of 56°F, it is much colder in the San Francisco Bay than expected.

Fact #6. Meet "Karl the Frog"

The San Francisco Bay is also famous for its signature summer fog, which results from the upwelling. As persistent warm air blows over the calm water or land, it creates a mist even when it is windy. Officially called advection fog, most locals call it "Karl the Frog," a reference to the 2001 film "Big Fish."

Aside from its summer fog, San Francisco is also very windy due to its geography and climate. There is a consistent wind speed of 25-35 knots per hour in the summer season's afternoons, making it a popular spot for windsurfers. If you plan to build a commercial building around this area, make sure to install reliable coastal access doors to protect your vital components.

Fact #7: San Francisco Bay is Not Flat

People might think San Francisco Bay is flat, but the opposite is true. Due to the powerful currents and tides, there are extensive ridges and valleys. Sadly, much of the ruggedness is from all types of debris being dumped, along with sunken ships and demolished buildings.

Conclusion

Besides the colorful history and rich culture around San Francisco Bay, you can also find great attractions, establishments, and restaurants. If you plan to start a business here, there are crucial coastal area building requirements and codes to follow. Installing coastal access doors will help to ensure your building components' safety and allow you to access for maintenance. Check out our products at California Access Doors. We have a large assortment of sizes, configurations, and high-quality materials. If you have questions, our product specialists are always happy to assist!