San Francisco Bay
| San Francisco Bay | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°40′N 122°16′W / 37.67°N 122.27°W |
| Type | Bay |
| River sources | Sacramento River San Joaquin River Petaluma River Napa River Guadalupe River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 97 km (60 mi) |
| Max. width | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Surface area | 400–1,600 sq mi (1,000–4,100 km2) |
| Average depth | 12–15 ft (3.7–4.6 m) |
| Max. depth | 372 ft (113 m) |
| Settlements | San Francisco San Jose Oakland |
| Official name | San Francisco Bay/Estuary (SFBE) |
| Designated | February 2, 2013 |
| Reference no. | 2097 |
.jpg){kind=link}
The San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland.
The San Francisco Bay drains water from approximately 40 percent of California. Water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, and from the Sierra Nevada mountains, flow into Suisun Bay, which then travels through the Carquinez Strait to meet with the Napa River at the entrance to San Pablo Bay, which connects at its south end to San Francisco Bay. It then connects to the Pacific Ocean via the Golden Gate strait. However, this entire group of interconnected bays is often called the San Francisco Bay. The bay was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance on February 2, 2013, and the Port of Oakland on the bay is one of the busiest cargo ports on the west coast.