where does the san andreas fault run

The San Andreas Fault runs through California from the northern part of the state down to Southern California, generally tracking the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. It stretches for more than 800 miles and passes near places like San Francisco, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Hollister, and the Cajon Pass area near San Bernardino.

Route

In broad terms, it starts in Northern California near the Gulf of California/Gulf of Santa Cruz region and trends northwest through western California before reaching the San Francisco area. The fault zone is not just a single crack; it is a wide system with several branches, and different strands become active in different places.

Notable areas

Some well-known sections include:

• Near San Francisco and offshore around Point Reyes and Tomales Bay.
• Through the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake struck.
• Through central California near San Juan Bautista and Hollister.
• Into Southern California near the Cajon Pass and, in branching fault zones, toward the San Bernardino area.

One-line version

If you want the simplest answer: it runs the length of California, roughly from the north coast area down through the state to Southern California.