Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco: history, how to get there and sidewalk hours

The Golden Gate Bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait between San Francisco and Marin County to the north. Its south end sits next to Fort Point, and its north end leads to the Vista Point overlook. People on foot use the east sidewalk while cyclists use both. More places in the city are on our San Francisco city page.

Golden Gate Bridge history

The name is older than the bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which runs the bridge, says Army Captain John C. Fremont named the strait "Chrysopylae", Greek for Golden Gate, around 1846, after the harbor of Byzantium, called the Golden Horn. The name first appeared in his Geographical Memoir, submitted to the U.S. Senate on June 5, 1848.

The dream of a bridge across the strait was more than a century old, and in 1916 engineer and newspaper editor James Wilkins proposed a design. The District that would build the bridge was incorporated on December 4, 1928, and on August 15, 1929, it appointed Joseph Strauss of Cincinnati chief engineer. Strauss had a Russian connection: according to the District, in 1915 he completed a double-leaf Strauss bascule bridge over the Neva in Petrograd.

His first design, a 1921 cantilever and suspension hybrid, was called ugly by the local press. In 1925 consulting engineer Leon Moisseiff, born in Latvia according to the District, raised concerns about the hybrid; the suspension span finally built is, in the District's words, Moisseiff-inspired. Engineer Charles Ellis directed the design calculations until Strauss fired him in 1931. The District says Ellis deserves significant credit for the design, though his name is missing from the dedication plaque on the San Francisco tower. Consulting architect Irving Morrow gave the bridge its art deco lines and chose International Orange, inspired by the red primer on the steel.

On November 4, 1930, voters in six counties approved a 35 million dollar bond issue, 145,657 to 46,954. Construction began on January 5, 1933. Strauss enforced hard hats, safety lines and a safety net, which saved 19 men, the "Halfway-to-Hell Club". Eleven workers still died, ten of them on February 17, 1937, when a scaffold fell through the net.

The bridge opened to pedestrians on May 27, 1937, and to cars at noon on May 28, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a telegraph key in the White House. Its 4,200-foot main span was the longest in the world until New York's Verrazano Narrows Bridge opened on November 21, 1964. The bonds were paid off in 1971, entirely from tolls.

What to see at the Golden Gate Bridge

The towers rise 746 feet above the water and 500 feet above the roadway. The bridge is 1.7 miles long with its approaches, and each sidewalk is 10 feet wide. The tower lighting Morrow had planned was only switched on in June 1987.

At the south end, the Welcome Center has exhibits on the bridge's history and engineering and the original 12-foot steel "test tower" from 1933. A statue of Strauss stands in the southeast visitor area. A plaque naming the workers who died is at the south entrance to the west sidewalk.

Below the south end is Fort Point, a brick fort built from 1853 to 1861. Strauss's engineers carried the roadway over it on a steel arch rather than tear it down. It became a National Historic Site in 1970 and is run by the National Park Service.

At Vista Point on the north end stands the Lone Sailor, dedicated in 2002; the U.S. Navy Memorial says it honors all the sea services: Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Both ends touch the Golden Gate National Recreation Area: the NPS says the Marin Headlands cliffs give sweeping views of the bridge, and on the city side the Golden Gate Promenade runs along the Crissy Field beaches. See more on our San Francisco places page.

How to get to the Golden Gate Bridge

The District recommends transit, because parking is extremely limited and there is construction nearby.

• Golden Gate Transit to the south end: routes 101, 130 and 150 from Salesforce Transit Center (Bus Plaza, Bay A) or Golden Gate Transit stops on Mission Street, or from 7th and Market and McAllister and Polk across from City Hall. Get off at the Toll Plaza stop.
• To the north end: route 130 from the same stops. Get off at the first stop after the bridge and walk back to Vista Point.
• From Fisherman's Wharf: on weekday afternoons, routes 114, 132, 154 and 172 along North Point Street; at other times take Muni 49 to Van Ness and Union and change to 101, 130 or 150.
• Muni 28 19th Avenue: SFMTA says it runs between Daly City BART and Fisherman's Wharf from 5 a.m. to midnight daily, stopping at Golden Gate Bridge/Parking Lot.

Golden Gate Transit details are on goldengate.org and the 28 on sfmta.com. The north-end lot is free with a four-hour limit. For part of the year the District closes the bridge lots to cars on weekends and holidays (in 2026 from May 25 to October 12, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Check the current dates on the parking page before driving.

Hours, rules and tolls

Pedestrians, including wheelchair users, may use only the east sidewalk, which is closed at night by automatic gates. Cyclists ride toll-free around the clock. By day they are given the east or the west sidewalk depending on the day and hour; at night they use the east sidewalk and press a buzzer at the gate for security to open it.

Tolls are charged to vehicles only, southbound into San Francisco. The pedestrian toll was dropped in 1970, and cyclists ride free. No cash is taken at the bridge. Since July 1, 2026, a two-axle car pays 10.25 dollars with FasTrak, 10.50 dollars with a License Plate Account or One-Time Payment, and 11.25 dollars by invoice.

Hours and prices checked November 5, 2026, on goldengate.org and nps.gov. Fort Point is run by the NPS, so its hours are from nps.gov; goldengate.org lists different days (Friday to Sunday).

During suicide deterrent construction, the east sidewalk closes an hour early on some weeknights. In summer one sidewalk may close at 8 p.m., but one always stays open to cyclists. Fort Point closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, and its roof closes at 4:30 p.m.

E-scooters, skates, skateboards, pushcarts and animals other than service animals are not allowed on the sidewalks. All classes of e-bikes are allowed. Bikes are limited to 15 mph, 5 mph around the towers, and must yield to pedestrians. Drones are banned over or near the bridge and over District property. There are no rental bikes at the bridge, so rent one in the city. The District also points anyone in crisis to Crisis Text Line: text GGB to 741741.

Questions people ask

Can you walk across the Golden Gate Bridge at night?

No. Pedestrians may use only the east sidewalk, which is open from 5:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in winter under standard time and from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in summer. Automatic gates then close it until morning. Only cyclists can cross at night.

How much is the Golden Gate Bridge toll?

The toll is charged only southbound, into San Francisco. Since July 1, 2026, a two-axle car pays 10.25 dollars with FasTrak, 10.50 dollars with a License Plate Account or One-Time Payment, and 11.25 dollars by toll invoice. There is no cash lane; you pay online, by phone or at a cash payment location.

Can I bring my dog on the Golden Gate Bridge?

No. The Golden Gate Bridge District does not allow animals on the sidewalks except service animals. E-scooters, skates, skateboards and pushcarts are banned too. E-bikes of every class are allowed under the cyclist rules.

Which bus goes to the Golden Gate Bridge from downtown San Francisco?

Golden Gate Transit routes 101, 130 and 150 run from Salesforce Transit Center and Mission Street to the Toll Plaza stop at the south end. Muni's 28 19th Avenue bus, between Daly City BART and Fisherman's Wharf, stops at the bridge as well.