Overview
South San Francisco is a hidden oasis of the Bay Area in California, located just south of Daly City and north of San Bruno on the Peninsula. When you say "South San Francisco" to out-of-towners, they think that you live in the southern part of San Francisco proper. But South San Francisco is very much its own distinct city, which is not even contiguous with San Francisco.
Population has tripled since World War II with the opening of subdivisions on the slopes west of El Camino Real. It has grown from 4,411 in 1920 to 61,824 in 2006.
1 things to do · 1 places to eat · 9 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about South San Francisco
Oyster Point Marina/Park
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Nov. Summer highs reach about 72°F; winter lows dip to about 45°F. Wettest: Dec and Feb. (climate data from nearby Pacifica)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SFO San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco — 4 mi away (major hub). Directions
- OAK Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, Oakland — 12 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
Food-wise, South City offers up some of the best Mexican and Italian food you could ever hope for. Indian and Thai food is not much spoken for.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Truth be told, the 'rough' reputation that South San Francisco has is nowadays mostly undeserved. The first thing you'll notice is a gigantic sign on the hill between South SF (or as the locals say, "South City") and Brisbane which reads in block capitals: "SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO THE INDUSTRIAL CITY". Yes, it is industrial, but not so much anymore. Mostly what that means is there are a bunch of warehouses and train tracks in the southeast corner of South City, and whoops now you're at the airport.
The people of South City seem to be broken down ethnically into thirds, with a third being Pan-Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and a sizable Filipino population - see Daly City for more), a third being Mexican/South American, and a third being white folk with a concentration of Italians.
Weather-wise, South City is on the cusp between fog and sun. Sometimes the fog is carved off by the mountain between South City and Pacifica, but other times it continues on through and keeps things cool. It can get windy in the hills any time of year.
Get in
- By plane. South San Francisco is just north of and adjacent to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
- By train. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train system connects SFO and South San Francisco, with just one stop at San Bruno in between. BART also connects South San Francisco with San Francisco and the East Bay. CalTrain connects South San Francisco with San Francisco and the South Bay.
- By bus. The bus system SamTrans (San Mateo County Transit Authority) connects South San Francisco with the rest of the Peninsula. Buses having a final destination in South San Francisco bear a headsign reading "South City" rather than "South San Francisco."
- By car. Two major freeways, US 101 or Interstate 280, connects South San Francisco to San Francisco and to San Jose. Waymo's self-driving taxi service, which started in San Francisco, has expanded down to South San Francisco and other parts of the Peninsula.
See
Culturally, South City is pretty barren. It is after all a suburb, but you are 20 minutes away by BART or car from the heart of San Francisco, 20 minutes away from the glorious beaches of Pacifica, and 20 minutes away from Burlingame. SSF is a mouse among giants. After you've seen Sign Hill, you've seen the highlight. Strip malls and lots of single family homes and apartments dominate the city. You can park your car when you go shopping (no mean feat if you lived in San Francisco itself) and can get around pretty much anywhere. Few suburbs enjoy as much diverse cultural attractions within a 20-minute radius as South City.
Do
- Hiking on San Bruno Mountain
Buy
- A commercial strip runs south from Serramonte along Gellert Blvd. for a few blocks.
- At Gellert and Westborough is the Westborough Square Shopping Center
- El Camino Real and Westborough Road centers on a commercial cluster for everything you might wish to find.
Eat
Food-wise, South City offers up some of the best Mexican and Italian food you could ever hope for. Indian and Thai food is not much spoken for.
Eat Hung To Seafood Restaurant
Outstanding dim sum is served here. Go with several friends if you can, so that you can try more items.
Drink
There are plenty of bars to get soused with the locals.
Sleep
Go next
North to the heart San Francisco, east to catch a flight out of SFO, south to the Peninsula, and west to the beaches—all within 20 minutes.
Nearby
Brisbane
City / town · 4 listings · 2 mi away
San Bruno
City / town · 12 listings · 2 mi away
Colma
City / town · 4 listings · 2 mi away
Daly City
City / town · 9 listings · 3 mi away
Pacifica
City / town · 12 listings · 4 mi away
Millbrae
City / town · 19 listings · 4 mi away
Burlingame
City / town · 39 listings · 6 mi away
San Francisco
City / town · 66 listings · 9 mi away
My experience
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