Colma, California
Colma, California | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "It's great to be alive in Colma" | |
Location of Colma in San Mateo County, California | |
| Coordinates: 37°40′44″N 122°27′20″W / 37.67889°N 122.45556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Mateo |
| Incorporated as "Lawndale" | August 5, 1924 |
| Name changed to "Colma" | November 17, 1941 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | John Goodwin |
| • City Manager | Brian Dossey |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.89 sq mi (4.90 km2) |
| • Land | 1.89 sq mi (4.90 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 121 ft (37 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,507 |
| • Density | 796.93/sq mi (307.78/km2) |
| United States Census Bureau | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 94014 |
| Area code | 650 |
| FIPS code | 06-14736 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1658303 |
| Website | www.colma.ca.gov |
Colma (Ohlone for "Springs") is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2020 census. The town was founded as a necropolis in 1924.
With most of Colma's land dedicated to cemeteries, the population of the dead—not specifically known but speculated to be around 1.5 million—outnumbers that of the living by a ratio of nearly a thousand to one. This has led to Colma being called "the City of the Silent" and has given rise to a humorous motto, formerly featured on the city's website: "It's great to be alive in Colma".