San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay, inlet of the Pacific Ocean, western California. The bay, which is bordered by several cities, including San Francisco and Oakland, is about 80 km (50 mi) long and from 5 to 19 km (3 to 12 mi) wide. It is entered from the Pacific Ocean by a strait known as the Golden Gate and stretches north and south parallel to the coast. At the northern end it widens out into San Pablo Bay, which is connected on the north-east with Suisun Bay by Carquinez Strait. Suisun Bay receives the waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers.