The Golden Gate Strait: Gateway to San Francisco Bay

The Golden Gate Strait is the narrow (~1.7 km / 1 mi at narrowest) channel connecting the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay.

• Location: Between the San Francisco Peninsula (south) and the Marin Headlands (north).
• Dimensions: ~5 km (3 mi) long; minimum width 1.7 km (1.1 mi); depth up to 110 m (360 ft).
• Currents: Strong tidal flows (up to 4.5 kn / 8 km/h) through the narrows.
• Name: Chrysopylae ("Golden Gate") given by John C. Frémont (1846)—before the bridge, before the Gold Rush—evoking the Golden Horn of Constantinople.
• Bridge: The Golden Gate Bridge spans this strait (main span 1,280 m / 4,200 ft).

It is the sole maritime entrance to San Francisco Bay, making it strategically and economically vital.