how long is the golden gate bridge
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golden gate bridge
But the spirit of San Francisco was not to be vanquished. From here, there is a beautiful panorama of modern San Francisco. The city rose like a phoenix from the ashes of 1906, and energetically, marched into the modern age, hosting two World‘s Fairs and ultimately built an unmistakable symbol of San Francisco’s pride of place, the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge-75 years young this year!
Two slender cables support a six-lane roadway; held aloft by two soaring towers. An unmistakable profile and the world’s most familiar image of California. In the 1930s while the Golden Gate Bridge was under construction, people from San Francisco stood along the shore including where you are now, watching as mechanical looms spun the giant cables in midair. For four years, from January 1933 to April 1937, bridge construction proceeded. Upon opening in May 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The middle span between the 44,000-ton towers stretches 4,200 feet. Even today, few suspension bridges are as long, and none more spectacular. It is a wonder of the world, and San Francisco’s own golden gateway. (music crescendo) However, even this towering arches can be entirely engulfed in fog. Fog-even with lights, bells, buoys and horns-fog. Fog remains a constant danger.
About the Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge we know and love is in an elegant Art Deco style. Strauss worked with architect Irving Morrow to select the bridge’s color, International Orange, chosen for the way the hue plays against the surrounding land, sea, and ever-present fog. In case you were wondering, painting the bridge is an ongoing process that happens year-round, to protect it from the corrosive salty bay air. The bridge’s name is a nod to the Golden Gate Strait, the entrance between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay.
Today, the Golden Gate Bridge is recognized as one of the seven modern wonders of the world. The bridge attracts more than 10 million fans a year and is a huge reason visitors flock to the Presidio. It also links visitors to other sites in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to the north.
Things to Do at the Golden Gate Bridge
The best way to experience the bridge is by walking or biking across its 1.7 mile span, which features vista points on both the southern (San Francisco side) and northern (Marin side) ends. This really is a MUST for locals and tourists alike to get a true sense of the bridge’s scale, to appreciate the marvelous view and, of course, to take some obligatory selfies.
The bridge plaza at the southern end in the Presidio features restrooms as well as the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center. Managed by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service, the center is dedicated to telling the story of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here you can also pick up a truly tasteful memento of your visit and grab a Presidio map.
Following your time at the bridge, continue the day’s adventures by visiting nearby Golden Gate Overlook, Pacific Overlook, and Battery East Vista. Then, head out to explore the Presidio by walking on the California Coastal Trail, the Bay Area Ridge Trail, the Bay Trail, or the Presidio Promenade.
Parking, Transit, and Bikes
Word to the wise…parking is very limited at the bridge, so walking or biking, or connecting with nearby public transportation is your best bet. If you’d like to take a bus across the bridge to the north, Golden Gate Transit runs frequently. You can also rent a bicycle at Sports Basement at Crissy Field or reserve a Bay Wheels eBike.
It can be incredibly windy and foggy on the bridge, so don’t forget to bring layers!
Period of construction:
Just over four years. Construction commenced on January 5, 1933 and the Bridge was open to vehicular traffic on May 29, 1937.
Cost: $35 million dollars in the 1930’s, approximately $1.5 billion in year 2016 dollars.
The name Golden Gate does not refer to the Bridge’s color, it is the name of the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean, which is called the Golden Gate Strait. A suspension bridge is the structural opposite of an arch.
The curving cables of a suspension bridge are in tension, experiencing pulling forces. The opposite or upside down picture of those curves looks like an arch. The forces in the arch, compression forces, are the opposite of the tension forces that the suspension bridge cables experience.
How big is the Golden Gate Bridge?
When constructed in 1937, it set the world record for the longest bridge span, the distance between supports (4,200 ft, 1,280 m) and also the tallest towers.
Height of tower above water: 746 ft = 227 m
Height of tower above roadway: 500 ft = 152 m
Length of suspension span including main span and side spans: 1.2 miles = 6,450 ft = 1,966 m
Total length of Bridge including approaches from abutment to abutment: 1.7 miles = 8,981 ft = 2,737 m.
The width of Bridge: 90 ft = 27 m
The weight of the Bridge, not counting the concrete anchorages, is 840 million pounds (382 million kg) – heavier than the Empire State Building.
Each cable is composed of 27,572 wires. If the wires were one continuous length, they could wrap around the earth over three times. Shown above is a diagram of how the 27,572 wires in a cable were grouped together and then tightly compressed into their final form by a hydraulic press.
Why is it called the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District?
Traffic jams are rare on the Bridge because the Bridge District added ferry (1970) and bus (1972) transit service. Annually, 40 million vehicles cross the Bridge; two-and-one-half million passengers are transported by the ferries; and over 6 million passengers ride the buses.
What to Do During Your Visit to the Golden Gate Bridge
Visiting the world famous Golden Gate Bridge is a unique experience for everyone. Whether you hike, walk, bike, shop, take a guided tour, or just sit back and take it all in, there is something for everyone.
The Bridge’s Welcome Center offers merchandise and historical information. Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Welcome Center is the first on-site center dedicated to telling the stories of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Center welcomes visitors, provides orientation and information services, houses exhibits, and offers high-quality commemorative and interpretive merchandise, and also showcases the original 12-foot stainless steel Bridge “test tower” used in 1933. Be sure to also check out the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy online store for one-of-a-kind gifts and collectibles. Contact the Welcome Center at 415-426-5220 or [email protected].
Onsite Exhibits
Learn about the history, science, and engineering of the Bridge’s construction through interactive and stationery exhibits. Wander through the Plaza just outside the Welcome Center and follow the pathway into an old bunker that houses some of the exhibits.
For a virtual version of these exhibits, go to the Exhibits section of our website.
Free Walking Tours
If you’re interested in the history of the Golden Gate Bridge, twice-weekly (Thursdays and Sundays) free walking Bridge tours are offered by San Francisco City Guides, a non-profit organization associated with the San Francisco Public Library. For more information and a schedule of their walks, visit the San Francisco City Guides website.
Equator Coffee now at the Round House
The Round House is now Equator Coffee. Enjoy a steaming cup of coffee with beautiful views!
Hike and Explore
Both ends of the Bridge touch the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Enjoy picturesque trails and vista points in one of the world’s largest national parks in an urban area. Visit the Parks Conservancy website or National Park Service-GGNRA website to begin your adventure.
Also, be sure to check out the new Golden Gate and Pacific Overlooks near the Bridge.
Things to Do at the Golden Gate Bridge
The best way to experience the bridge is by walking or biking across its 1.7 mile span, which features vista points on both the southern (San Francisco side) and northern (Marin side) ends. This really is a MUST for locals and tourists alike to get a true sense of the bridge’s scale, to appreciate the marvelous view and, of course, to take some obligatory selfies.
The bridge plaza at the southern end in the Presidio features restrooms as well as the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center. Managed by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service, the center is dedicated to telling the story of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here you can also pick up a truly tasteful memento of your visit and grab a Presidio map.
Following your time at the bridge, continue the day’s adventures by visiting nearby Golden Gate Overlook, Pacific Overlook, and Battery East Vista. Then, head out to explore the Presidio by walking on the California Coastal Trail, the Bay Area Ridge Trail, the Bay Trail, or the Presidio Promenade.
Parking, Transit, and Bikes
Word to the wise…parking is very limited at the bridge, so walking or biking, or connecting with nearby public transportation is your best bet. If you’d like to take a bus across the bridge to the north, Golden Gate Transit runs frequently. You can also rent a bicycle at Sports Basement at Crissy Field or reserve a Bay Wheels eBike.
It can be incredibly windy and foggy on the bridge, so don’t forget to bring layers!
