San Francisco Zoo
The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens is a 100-acre (40 ha) zoo located on the West Side of San Francisco, in the southwestern corner of the city between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. 1929 is when its story starts. Look also at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, 7.8 mi away.
A zoo & aquarium inside San Francisco
You can stay in San Francisco
San Francisco Zoo is inside San Francisco, which has 528 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Jose
San Jose is about 48 miles southeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct and Nov
April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November are the mild months, with highs of 62–70°. When to go ↓
An airport 10 miles away
San Francisco (SFO) has airline service, about 10 miles from San Francisco Zoo.
Established in 1929
San Francisco Zoo dates from 1929. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
When to go
This is the year’s weather near San Francisco Zoo.
San Francisco Zoo
The San Francisco Zoo and Gardens is a 100-acre (40 ha) zoo located on the West Side of San Francisco, in the southwestern corner of the city between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. The zoo's main entrance (one located on the north side across Sloat Boulevard and one block south of the Muni Metro L Taraval line) is to the west, on the ocean side. The SF Zoo is owned by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, and managed by the San Francisco Zoological Society, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. under a public-private partnership since 1993, receives $4.2 million annually from the city.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 1,000 animals · 250 species
- Area
- 100 acres
- Established
- 1929
- Wikipedia readers
- 16K a year
A base for San Francisco Zoo
Hotels, motels or campgrounds are closest in San Francisco (528) and Oakland (89).
- 1Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
- 2Chase Center
- 3Presidio of San Francisco
- 4Lombard Street
- 5Oracle Park
- 6USS Hornet
- 7Cow Palace
- 8Oyster Point Marina/Park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From San Francisco Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | in town | — | 528 426 hotels · 24 motels · 37 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 27 hostels · 6 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 826,079 | $1,395K | D |
| Oakland | 15 mi east | 25 min | 89 56 hotels · 22 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds | 440,838 | $930K | D− |
| South San Francisco | 9 mi southeast | 15 min | 36 32 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 64,941 | $1,189K | C |
| Daly City | 3 mi southeast | 5 min | 10 5 hotels · 3 motels · 1 hostel · 1 RV park | 101,261 | $1,115K | C |
| San Bruno | 8 mi southeast | 15 min | 16 14 hotels · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 42,305 | $1,208K | C |
| Berkeley | 14 mi northeast | 20 min | 30 24 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel | 121,911 | $1,414K | D− |
| Pacifica | 9 mi south | 15 min | 13 9 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 36,890 | $1,250K | B− |
| Burlingame | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 17 17 hotels | 31,929 | $2,000K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
What else is near San Francisco Zoo
Every place here is under 12 miles away.
Big draw18 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw35 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw47 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw57 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw611 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
75 mi TheatreCow Palace
88 mi Park & preserveOyster Point Marina/ParkPhoto credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Cow Palace: Dante Alighieri , CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oyster Point Marina/Park: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0
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A visit to San Francisco Zoo: questions
Is San Francisco Zoo in San Francisco?
Yes. It’s inside San Francisco, CA.
When is the best time to visit San Francisco Zoo?
April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, with highs of 62–70°.
How far is San Francisco Zoo from San Jose and Stockton?
About 48 miles southeast of San Jose and about 67 miles east of Stockton, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to San Francisco Zoo?
San Francisco (SFO), about 10 miles away.
Where should I stay near San Francisco Zoo?
San Francisco (in town, 528 places to stay), Oakland (15 mi, 89 places to stay) and South San Francisco (9 mi, 36 places to stay).
Ask people in San Francisco
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in San Francisco’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.