The twelfth most populated city in the United States, San Francisco has an estimated population of 808,976 according to 2008 census, is the second most populated city in the United States. It is the transportation, culture, finance hub of the larger San Francisco Bay Area, a region composed of more than seven million. It is Located at the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula with San Francisco Bay to the east and north and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

The 1848 California Gold Rush propelled the city into a time of extremely rapid growth, transforming it into the West Coast´s largest city at the time. Its roots date back to 1776 when Spaniards established a port at the Golden Gate as well as a mission for Francis of Assisi. After its rapid development, a 1906 fire and earthquake devastated the city and needed to be rebuilt quickly, hosting the Panama-pacific International Exposition 9 years later. At present, San Francisco is a tourist hot spot well-known for its steep hilly streets, the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, Chinatown and a mix of Victorian and modern architecture.