San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
A bridge opened in 1936 that links San Francisco and Oakland across the bay. The light-up western suspension span and the waterfront views at night are very popular.
The Bay Bridge is about 7 km long and is divided at Yerba Buena Island in the middle of the bay. The western section is a double suspension bridge, while the eastern section is a self-anchored single-tower suspension span built in 2013. The bridge opened half a year before the Golden Gate Bridge and carries more daily traffic. There is no walkway to the San Francisco side, so visitors usually admire it from the shore.
The most popular viewpoint is along the Embarcadero. Walk from the Ferry Building to the Cupid's Span sculpture near Rincon Park to see the bridge and city lights. Every night, the LED art installation “The Bay Lights” illuminates the western cables (check the official announcements for exact times). The eastern section has bike and pedestrian paths, and you can cycle from the Oakland side to Yerba Buena Island, a round trip of about 3 hours. Driving eastbound across the bridge is free, while westbound is tolled.
Opening hours
Open all day; waterfront viewing free
Nearby sights
- Ferry Building Marketplace
- Exploratorium
- Transamerica Pyramid
- Coit Tower & North Beach
- USS Hornet Museum
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
- Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39
- Chinatown, San Francisco