Radius Map of San Francisco

The map above is centered on San Francisco, United States, near Union Square, with a default 10 mi radius. Drag to move it, search for a different address, or change the radius and unit using the controls.

San Francisco sits at the northern tip of a narrow peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east, and the Golden Gate to the north. That peninsular geometry means a radius drawn from Union Square loses most of its area to water, and practical land coverage is concentrated on a thin strip running south through Daly City and San Mateo County. Distances on this page are measured from Union Square (37.788° N, 122.407° W).

Population: San Francisco city proper
Country: United States
Coordinates: 37.7879, -122.4075
Time zone: America/Los_Angeles

San Francisco proper fits inside a 7-mile radius — the city limits stop at the peninsula tip, and most of any radius drawn from Union Square falls into San Francisco Bay or the Pacific Ocean.

Also known as: SF, San Fran, The City, Frisco, Fog City, The City by the Bay.

What's within each radius from Union Square

Real coverage at the most-searched radii, including notable places that fall just outside the circle. Use these as ground truth before relying on a circle for real-estate, retail, or service-area decisions.

5 miles from Union Square

A 5-mile radius from Union Square covers all of San Francisco proper end-to-end — Mission, Castro, Sunset, Richmond, North Beach, the Marina, and out to the Golden Gate Bridge. It just clears the southern city limit at Daly City.

Inside the circle

✓All major SF neighborhoods (Mission, SoMa, Castro, Haight)
✓Golden Gate Park and the Sunset
✓The Marina, North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf
✓Twin Peaks and Bernal Heights
✓The Golden Gate Bridge (south side)
✓Daly City's northern edge

Just outside

✗Oakland (~10 mi east across the Bay)
✗Sausalito (~6 mi north, but separated by the Bay)
✗San Mateo (~17 mi south)
✗Berkeley (~13 mi northeast)
✗San Francisco International Airport (~12 mi south)

10 miles from Union Square

A 10-mile radius from Union Square reaches Oakland, Berkeley, Sausalito, the southern half of San Mateo County to roughly Millbrae, and Treasure Island. SFO sits just outside at ~12 miles.

Inside the circle

✓All of San Francisco
✓Oakland and downtown Berkeley
✓Sausalito and Tiburon
✓San Mateo County north of San Bruno
✓Treasure Island and Yerba Buena
✓Daly City, Brisbane, South San Francisco

Just outside

✗San Francisco International Airport (~12 mi)
✗Walnut Creek (~20 mi east)
✗San Jose (~45 mi south)
✗Palo Alto (~30 mi south)
✗Napa (~45 mi north)

15 miles from Union Square

A 15-mile radius covers the inner Bay Area — all of SF, the East Bay from Richmond through Oakland to San Leandro, the inner Peninsula to Burlingame and SFO, and Marin south of Mill Valley.

Inside the circle

✓San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
✓Oakland, Alameda, San Leandro, Berkeley, Richmond
✓Burlingame, Millbrae, San Bruno
✓Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sausalito
✓Most of the inner East Bay

Just outside

✗San Jose (~45 mi)
✗Palo Alto (~30 mi)
✗Walnut Creek (~20 mi east)
✗Napa (~45 mi)
✗Half Moon Bay (~22 mi southwest by road)

25 miles from Union Square

A 25-mile radius covers the inner and middle Bay Area — out to Walnut Creek, Hayward, Redwood City, San Rafael, and Half Moon Bay along the coast.

Inside the circle

✓All of the inner East Bay (Walnut Creek, Hayward, Concord)
✓Most of San Mateo County (down to Redwood City)
✓San Rafael and central Marin
✓Half Moon Bay
✓Most of the Bay shoreline

Just outside

✗San Jose (~45 mi south)
✗Santa Cruz (~65 mi south)
✗Sonoma and Napa cities (~45+ mi north)
✗Livermore (~37 mi east)
✗Santa Rosa (~55 mi north)

50 miles from Union Square

A 50-mile radius from Union Square reaches San Jose, Santa Rosa, Napa, Sacramento's western edge, and Santa Cruz's northern edge — covering most of the nine-county Bay Area.

Inside the circle

✓San Jose and most of Silicon Valley
✓Napa and Sonoma valleys
✓Santa Rosa
✓Tracy (just inside)
✓Most of the nine-county Bay Area

Just outside

✗Sacramento city centre (~85 mi)
✗Monterey (~110 mi)
✗Santa Cruz city centre (~65 mi)
✗Stockton city centre (~80 mi)
✗Modesto (~95 mi)

How San Francisco radius maps get used

City-specific scenarios where a radius is the right tool — and the typical radius sizes professionals use.

Inner-SF apartment search

A 3–5 mile radius from Union Square covers every major SF neighborhood. Renters use this to filter for "anywhere in San Francisco" without spilling into Daly City or the East Bay, where commute patterns and rent dynamics differ.

Typical radius: 3–5 miles for SF-only

Bay Area tech commute zone

A 25-mile radius from downtown SF captures the inner Bay Area but stops short of San Jose. For tech workers commuting to SF or the Peninsula, a 30-mile radius is more representative — but driving time, not distance, is the better filter on the 101 and 280 corridors.

Typical radius: 25–30 miles for inner Bay commute

SFO airport service zone

SFO sits ~12 miles south of Union Square. A 15-mile radius covers SFO, OAK (Oakland Airport, ~9 miles), and the inner Peninsula — useful for hotel proximity, ride-share zones, and ground-transport tariffs.

Typical radius: 15 miles to include SFO and OAK

Bay-wide retail catchment

A 50-mile radius captures most of the nine-county Bay Area's 7.7 million people, but Bay water and bridge bottlenecks mean drive time is closer to 90 minutes from corner to corner. Pair the radius with the Drive Time Map for realistic catchments.

Typical radius: 50 miles plus drive-time validation

Geographic quirks of San Francisco radius mapping

Local geography and infrastructure that change how a radius behaves here. Skipping these is the most common reason a radius decision goes sideways.

A radius is mostly water

Union Square sits about 1.5 miles inland from the Bay and roughly 4 miles from the Pacific. Any radius beyond ~3 miles loses major area to water — a 10-mile circle is roughly 50% water, and a 25-mile circle is closer to 60%. Always interpret population figures inside an SF radius as land-only.

Bridges, not distance, define the East Bay

Oakland is only 8 miles east as the crow flies, but the Bay Bridge is the only direct crossing, and BART under the Bay is the only fast transit. A 10-mile radius "covers" Oakland geographically but driving time at peak hours can be 30+ minutes due to bridge congestion.

The peninsula is linear

San Francisco sits on a 7-mile-wide peninsula. A radius drawn from anywhere in the city only extends meaningfully south (down the Peninsula) and east (across the Bay) — north and west are bounded by water. For Peninsula-focused analyses, a north-south rectangle along US-101 or I-280 is often more useful than a circle.

FAQ — Radius mapping in San Francisco

How big is a 10-mile radius in San Francisco?

A 10-mile radius from Union Square covers all of San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Sausalito, and the inner Peninsula down to South San Francisco. SFO is just outside at ~12 miles, and the East Bay extends to about San Leandro.

What's within 25 miles of San Francisco?

A 25-mile radius reaches Walnut Creek and Concord in the East Bay, Redwood City on the Peninsula, San Rafael in Marin, and Half Moon Bay on the coast. San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Napa are all just outside.

Does a 15-mile radius cover San Francisco International Airport (SFO)?

Yes. SFO sits about 12 miles south of Union Square, comfortably inside a 15-mile radius and outside a 10-mile radius. A 15-mile radius is a common SFO-inclusive service zone for hotels and ground transport.

What's the difference between San Francisco proper and the Bay Area?

San Francisco proper is the city itself — about 47 square miles, 800,000 people, fitting easily inside a 7-mile radius. The Bay Area is the nine-county region around the Bay, home to 7.7 million people, and requires a 50-mile radius to cover.

How far is San Jose from San Francisco?

San Jose sits about 45 miles south of San Francisco — outside a 25-mile radius but inside a 50-mile one. Drive time is typically 50–90 minutes depending on US-101 congestion. Caltrain takes about 90 minutes.

Why does an SF radius look smaller than a similar-sized inland city?

Because so much of any SF radius is water. Union Square sits ~1.5 miles from the Bay; SF's Pacific coast is only ~4 miles west. A circle that covers 200 square miles geographically might only cover 90 square miles of land — always check population figures against the land area, not the raw circle.