The Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the Golden Gate, a strait about one mile wide that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean in California. It connects the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County, carrying U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, as well as pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and is part of U.S. Bicycle Route 95. The American Society of Civil Engineers considers it one of the Wonders of the Modern World, and it is widely recognized as a symbol of both San Francisco and California.

During the late 19th century, the idea of a permanent link between San Francisco and Marin grew popular, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that it became feasible. Chief engineer Joseph Strauss led the project, with significant design contributions from Leon Moisseiff, Irving Morrow, and Charles Ellis. The bridge opened to the public on May 27, 1937, and has since undergone various retrofits and improvements.

Frommer’s travel guide calls it “possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world.” At its opening, it was the longest and tallest suspension bridge globally, holding those records until the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge (1964) surpassed it in length and the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (1998) in height. Its main span measures 4,200 feet, and its total height is 746 feet.

Before the bridge, the only practical short route between San Francisco and what is now Marin County was by boat across San Francisco Bay. Ferry service began as early as 1820, with regular scheduled trips starting in the 1840s to transport water to San Francisco. In 1867, the Sausalito Land and Ferry Company opened, and in 1920, the Golden Gate Ferry Company took over. This company merged in 1929 with Southern Pacific Railroad’s ferry system, forming Southern Pacific–Golden Gate Ferries, Ltd., the largest ferry operation in the world. Initially for railroad passengers and customers only, Southern Pacific’s automobile ferries became highly profitable and vital to the regional economy. The crossing from Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco to Sausalito Ferry Terminal took about 20 minutes and cost $1.00 per vehicle before 1937, when the price was reduced to compete with the new bridge. The trip from the San Francisco Ferry Building took 27 minutes.

Many wanted a bridge to connect San Francisco to Marin County. San Francisco was the largest American city still primarily served by ferries, and without a permanent link to bay communities, its growth rate lagged behind the national average. Experts argued that a bridge could not be built across the 6,700-foot strait, which had strong, swirling tides and currents, water 372 feet deep at the channel’s center, and frequent strong winds. They also said ferocious winds and blinding fogs would prevent construction and operation.

The proposal that eventually took hold came from a 1916 San Francisco Bulletin article by former engineering student James Wilkins. San Francisco’s city engineer estimated the cost at $100 million, which was considered impractical. He asked bridge engineers if it could be built for less. One respondent was Joseph Strauss, an ambitious engineer and poet who had designed a 55-mile-long railroad bridge across the Bering Strait for his graduate thesis. By then, Strauss had completed about 400 drawbridges, mostly inland, and nothing on this scale. His initial drawings showed a massive cantilever on each side of the strait connected by a central suspension segment, which he promised could be built for $17 million. A suspension-bridge design was chosen, using recent advances in bridge design and metallurgy.

Strauss spent over a decade drumming up support in Northern California. The bridge faced opposition, including lawsuits. The Department of War worried it would interfere with ship traffic, and the U.S. Navy feared a collision or sabotage could block a main harbor entrance. Unions demanded guarantees that local workers would be favored. Southern Pacific Railroad, a powerful business interest, opposed the bridge as competition to its ferry fleet and filed a lawsuit, leading to a mass boycott of the ferry service. In May 1924, Colonel Herbert Deakyne held a second hearing on behalf of the Secretary of War regarding the use of federal land for construction. Deakyne approved transferring the needed land to the “Bridging the Golden Gate Association” and both San Francisco and Marin counties, pending further plans by Strauss. Another ally was the fledgling automobile industry, which supported roads and bridges to boost car demand.

The bridge’s name was first used in 1917 by M.M. O’Shaughnessy, San Francisco’s city engineer, and Strauss. It became official with the 1923 Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District Act, which created a special district to design, build, and finance the bridge. San Francisco and most counties along California’s North Coast joined the district.