Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco’s architectural masterpiece

| Christie

With a handsome setting around the San Francisco Bay, that eventually gave the city a nickname by which it is often called “The City by the Bay”, San Francisco is known for so many things: from its steep streets featured in so many movies, to Alcatraz Island, where the famous or rather infamous prison is, to the iconic Victorian houses, and last but not the least, the Golden Gate Bridge. If you happen to be in San Francisco, you can’t go far without noticing the Golden Gate Bridge, as it is visible from many points along the Bay shore. Partially hidden at times by the ever-lasting layers of clouds, it is just there, begging for your attention.

Golden Gate Bridge from battery observation deck

Golden Gate Strait

The strait of water that runs between San Francisco Peninsula and Marin Headlands was formed during the last Ice Age by the waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, going through a deep rocky channel all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The strait is about three miles long by one mile wide, and is well known for its depth and powerful tidal currents.

Often shrouded in fog, the strait was surprisingly elusive to the early European explorers from the 16th century. It was much later, on July 1st, 1846, two years before the discovery of gold in California, when U.S. Army Captain, engineer and explorer John C Fremont gazed at the narrow strait and said “it is a golden gate to trade with the Orient”, for the same reason that the harbour of Byzantium (present-day Istanbul) was called Chrysoceras, or “The Golden Horn”.

Golden Gate Bridge from Presidio
Golden Gate Bridge from Coit Tower

Construction

Before the bridge was built, the only short and practical route between San Francisco and what is now Marin County was by boat, crossing a section of San Francisco Bay. A ferry service began as early as 1820 because, although many wanted to build a bridge, many experts said that it was not possible across the 6,700-foot (2 km) strait, due to strong, swirling tides and currents of the 113 m-deep waters (in the center of the channel), frequent strong winds, and occasional earthquakes.

After many debates, projects, lawsuits, and a mass boycott, a suspension-bridge design was chosen, and construction began on January 5, 1933. Under Joseph Strauss supervision, several teams of engineers and contractors worked together, being able to build the bridge in less than 5 years. The tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world was completed by 1937, a prime example of the Art Deco architectural style, very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Although other bridges have since surpassed its size, it remains one of the most famous bridges in the world, a symbol of power and progress.

Golden Gate Bridge from North
Crossing Golden Gate Bridge

Interesting facts

*The Golden Gate Bridge was named after the Golden Gate Strait, the entrance to San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean;

*Its parallel wire construction makes it strong enough to withstand magnitude 8 earthquakes;

*The bridge is constantly repainted to maintain its iconic and vibrant color which is called “International Orange”;

*40 million vehicles cross the bridge annually, and over 10 million people visit it every year;

*The bridge weights 887,000 tons and has a total length of 2.737 km;

*The length of one main cable is 2,332m. Each cable is composed of 27,572 wires grouped together and tightly compressed into their final form by a hydraulic press. If the wires were one continuous length, they could wrap around the Earth over three times;

Love locks fence
In popular culture, especially in romantic contexts, the act of locking a padlock and throwing away the key represents a couple’s commitment to an unbreakable and lasting love.
I couldn’t help but wonder if the couples who locked all these padlocks (which are now so rusted) still have a romantic and beautiful life together?..

*For more information about the Golden Gate bridge, including tolls, speed, and history, you can read here.

~visited in April 2025

22 thoughts on “Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco’s architectural masterpiece”

  1. I’ve never seen the bridge in person but it’s a beautiful bridge. I saw a video yes5erday about how the bridge makes a loud “singing” noise when the wind direction is right. It said the sound can be heard a long way away. Lovely photos! in my experience, love is very fleeting, only God knows what happened to those couples.

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  3. It is quite obvious that the Golden Gate Bridge is a must-see destination that embodies the spirit of San Francisco. I love the architecture and the scenery, with the city on one side and the hills of Marin on the other. I think it’s hard to understand the magnitude or beauty of the bridge until you cross it; therefore, I’d love to do it one day. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva

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    1. It is a picturesque bridge and is visible from so many vantage points in San Francisco. We couldn’t help but marvel at its magnitude🥰
      Happy Friday, Aiva! And a lovely weekend!! xx

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    1. No, we didn’t have time to walk across, but we drove over the bridge two days in a row, when we visited Muir Woods and Pt Reyes. Maybe next time🙂

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  7. This is definitely an iconic bridge, and you have such beautiful photos of it in your post. I am amazed to read how quickly the bridge was built (for some reason, I thought it took them much longer). I like your list of interesting facts – “International Orange” … I don’t think the USA would mind if it was recognised as an official colour 😉.

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  9. The Golden Gate Bridge is truly an outstanding engineering feat, and an icon of California. I was just in SF last spring, and I got to see this famous bridge in all of its glory. Whether in clear, sunny weather or a foggy one, the bridge remains a beauty!

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