01 Jul 2011
Rev. 6.30.2011
Latest data available from the San Francisco Travel Association, California Department of Finance, www.sfgov.org and various industry sources; see final page for annotated resources.
Total visitors and convention participants1 15.92 million
Total visitor and convention spending1 $8.34 billion
Average expenditure per convention delegate per day2 $265
Average daily expenditure per general visitor staying
in hotels/motels2 $240
Average daily expenditure for all visitors1 $175
Average daily room rate3 $161.99
Hotel occupancy (2010)3 79.50%
Top five producing domestic metropolitan statistical areas2 1) San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
2) Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Ana
3) New York, Northern New Jersey, Long Island
4) Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto
5) Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, Southern Maryland, West Virginia
Top four producing international markets21
1) Canada
2) United Kingdom
3) Australia
4) Germany
Top reasons for visiting San Francisco2
1) Atmosphere & Ambiance
2) Scenic Beauty
3) Restaurants
Leading attractions visited2
1) Pier 39
2) Golden Gate Bridge
3) Golden Gate Park
Leading activities2 1) Dine in restaurants
2) Shopping
3) Visit museums
Leading neighborhoods visited2 1) Union Square
2) Fisherman’s Wharf
3) Chinatown
Purpose of visit2
75.4% Leisure/Vacation
10.6% Business Travel
7.1%% Meeting/ Convention
6.9% Other
Visitor Profile2
For detailed profiles on hotel guests, VFR (visiting friends and relatives) and international travelers contact San Francisco Travel Association Media Relations Department; the information below is a compilation of all visitor categories:
Average Age 41
Average Annual Household Income $98,591
Average Length of Stay in City 4.5 Nights
First Time Visitors 25.7%
Gender Female 48.7%
Male 50.3%
Population5
City of San Francisco 805,235
Major ethnic groups (2009):
White 53.9%
Asian 31.4 %
Hispanic Origin 14.2%
African American (Black) 6.5%
Some other race 4.0%
Multiracial 3.3%
Pacific Islander 0.4 %
American Indian 0.5%
Population of the nine Greater Bay Area counties: Alameda (1,510,271), Contra Costa (1,049,025), Marin (252,409), Napa (136,484), San Francisco (805,235), San Mateo (718,451), Santa Clara (1,781,642), Solano (413,344) and Sonoma (483,878)
Total Bay Area population 7.15 million
History and Geography
Total area in square miles in the city of
San Francisco 47.335 miles
Miles of shoreline 29.5 miles
Miles of waterfront6 7.5 miles
Number of piers6 39
Square miles in San Francisco Bay and Delta7 Ranges from 400 to 1,600 miles
Fog signals around the San Francisco Bay 32 signals
Total square miles in Golden Gate National Recreation Area
(GGNRA)8 117 miles (75,500 acres)
Miles of San Francisco streets9 1,088 miles
Parks, playgrounds and squares compromising 4,380 acres, 229
including 960 outside city limit10
Community gardens (Recreation and Park Dept.; a number are 35 (8 acres)
also located on San Francisco Unified School District and Public
Utilities Commission property) 10
High-rises (eight stories and above)11 477
Buildings designated historical landmarks (since 1996)11 260 buildings
Historic districts (Alamo Square, Blackstone Court, 11 total
Bush Street Cottage Row, Civic Center, Dogpatch, Jackson
Square, Liberty Hill, Northeast Waterfront, South End,
Telegraph Hill, Webster St.)11
Convention Facilities
Moscone Center Total Square Feet Meeting Lobby and Exhibit Space 992,123 sf
Lobby Pre-Function Space 151,726 sf
Meeting Rooms 107
Completion Dates:
Moscone South December 1981
Esplanade Ballroom February 1991
Moscone North May 1992
Moscone West June 2003
Lodging
Hotel rooms available12 32,976 rooms
Transportation
Average number of commuters daily13 522,229
Total number of licensed taxis permits (medallions)14 1,500
Yearly cable car riders (FY 2010)9 8 million
Cable Cars 47 cars
Route miles of cable car track 10.2 miles
Speed of cable car per mile 9.5 mph
Average weekday passenger boarding, San Francisco Municipal 707,459
Railway (Muni) (FY 2009)9
Annual passenger volume at San Francisco 39,391,234
International Airport (2010)15
Bridges16 8 bridges
Length of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in miles 8.4 miles
Average number of vehicles crossing the Bay Bridge yearly 38,649,493
(2009-2010)16
Length of Golden Gate Bridge in miles, including approaches17 1.7 miles
Average number of vehicles crossing Golden Gate Bridge yearly 38,976,078
(2009-2010)17
Number of years it took to construct the Golden Gate Bridge 4 years
Attractions
Total visitors to Golden Gate National
Recreation Area (GGNRA) (2009)8 14,200,100
Total visitors to Alcatraz (2009)8 1,354,714
Victorian Houses 14,000
Restaurants18 3,588
Grants for the Arts annual budget20 $11,827,961
Grants for the Arts recipients20 215
Theaters and small theaters19 150
Museums 62
Quick Facts:
BIRD California Quail
CABLE CARS Inaugural run August 2, 1873. Declared a National Historic Landmark on Oct. 1, 1964. Invented by Andrew S. Hallidie; restored June 21, 1984 after $60 million overhaul
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
San Francisco State University, Golden Gate University, University of San Francisco, Hastings College of Law (University of California), University of California Medical Center, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Academy of Art University, San Francisco City College (2 years) and dozens of other private institutions
COLORS Black and gold
25 LARGEST BAY AREA COMPANIES (PUBLIC)21
Chevron Corp.; Hewlett-Packard; McKesson Corp; HP; Wells Fargo & Co.; Safeway, Inc.; Apple, Inc; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Intel Corp.; Google; Oracle Corp; Gap, Inc.; PG&E Corp.; URS Corp.; eBay, Inc.; Synnex Corp.; Ross Stores, Gilead Sciences Inc.; Visa Inc.; Core-Mark Holding Co., Inc.; Yahoo, Inc.; Symantec Corp.; Clorox Co.; Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; Sanmina-SCI Corp.; Applied Materials, Inc.
ELEVATION Highest Point: Mt. Davidson at 938 feet
LOWEST POINT Sea level
FLAG The phoenix rising from the ashes on a white field bordered in gold
FLOWER Dahlia
FOUNDED Presidio of San Francisco established on Sept. 17, 1776; incorporated on April 15, 1850
GEOLOGY San Francisco for the most part rests on a foundation of sandstone, shale and
volcanic rock. Large deposits of serpentine, official rock of California, are located
in the Presidio
GOVERNMENT Mayor (four-year term, two-term limit) and Board of Supervisors (11 members)
HILLS There are 43 hills within San Francisco, major ones are: Twin Peaks (910' and 903'), Nob (376'), Russian (294') and Telegraph (248')
ISLANDS Numerous islands are around the San Francisco Bay, 12 within city limits:
Alcatraz; the Farallones, a group of seven islands; Treasure Island; Yerba Buena;
Angel Island, shared with the city of Tiburon; and Red Rock
MOTTO Oro en paz, Fierro en guerra (Gold in peace, Iron in War)
PATRON SAINT St. Francis of Assisi
SISTER CITIES22 Abidjan, The Ivory Coast; Amman, Jordan; Assisi, Italy; Bangalore, India; Barcelona, Spain; Cork, Ireland; Haifa, Israel; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Krakow, Poland; Manila, Philippines; Osaka, Japan; Paris, France; Seoul, Korea; Shanghai, China; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Thessaloniki, Greece; Zurich, Switzerland
SONG Official: "San Francisco"
Official ballad: "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENT The accordion
STREETS
Steepest: 31.5 percent of grade, Filbert between Leavenworth and Hyde, 22nd
Street between Church and Vicksburg
29 percent of grade, Jones between Union and Filbert
27.9 percent of grade, Duboce between Buena Vista and Alpine
Oldest: Grant Avenue
Longest: Mission Street, 7.29 miles
Widest: Junipero Serra Boulevard (between property lines), 254 feet9
Narrowest: De Forest Way, four and a half feet
STRUCTURES Sutro Tower is the tallest structure at 981 feet, (its base stands 830 feet above
sea level); Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest building at 853 feet; Mission
Dolores, dedicated on Aug. 2, 1791 is the oldest
GRATUITIES Service is not included in restaurant checks. The average tip is 15-18 percent of the total check. A standard tip is sometimes included for groups of six or more. A recent San Francisco health initiative has impacted costs at local restaurants and diners may encounter an additional charge related to this. The average tip is 15 percent of taxi fare. The average tip for airport and hotel baggage handlers is $1 per bag one-way.
TAX RATES Sales tax is 9.5 percent; hotel fees in San Francisco include a 14 percent occupancy tax and 1 to 1.5 percent Tourism Improvement District assessment (depending on the location of the property).
For information on hotel packages and reservations, events, activities and transportation in San Francisco, visit www.sanfrancisco.travel. For lodging reservations by phone, call 800-637-5196 toll free within North America or 415-391-2000 elsewhere.
Visitor guides are available at the Visitor Information Center at 900 Market St. at the corner of Powell and Market streets, lower level, Hallidie Plaza. To receive a copy by mail, call 415-391-2000, write to the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, 900 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94102 or send an email to vic1@sanfrancisco.travel. Domestic and international shipping charges apply.
Sources
1 Breakdown of San Francisco Annual Visitor Volume & Spending (2010), San Francisco Travel Association
2 2010, San Francisco Travel Association/Destination Analysts “Findings, Final Report: San Francisco Visitor Profile Research”
3 PKF Consulting
4 2010, San Francisco Travel Association/Destination Analysts “Findings, Final Report: San Francisco Visitor Profile Research”
5 U.S. Census Bureau (2010) Redistricting Data http://factfinder2.census.gov
6 City and County of San Francisco, Port of San Francisco
7 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
8 Golden Gate National Recreation Area
9 City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
10 City and County of San Francisco, Recreation and Park Department
11 City and County of San Francisco, Planning Department
12 San Francisco Travel Association, 2010
13 MTC-ABAG Library, www.mtc.ca.gov
14 City and County of San Francisco, Taxicab Commission
15 City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco International Airport, www.flysfo.com
16 Bay Area Toll Authority, http://bata.mtc.ca.gov/bridges/sf-oak-bay.htm
17 Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District, http://goldengate.org/organization/annual_reports.php
18 City and County of San Francisco, Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section (MIS); number changes daily.
19 Theatre Bay Area
20 Grants for the Arts and San Francisco Travel Association
21 San Francisco Business Times, “200 Largest Public Companies in the Bay Area,” June 4, 2010.
22 City and County of San Francisco, Office of the Mayor
