San Francisco is generally considered to have been founded on June 29, 1776, when Spanish settlers established a presidio and mission at the site that became the city.

Quick Scoop

  • Founding date (widely accepted): June 29, 1776.
  • By whom: Spanish colonists and Franciscan missionaries under the Spanish Empire.
  • What they founded: A military fort (the Presidio) and Mission San Francisco de Asís (often called Mission Dolores).
  • Original settlement name: The broader settlement in the area was initially known as Yerba Buena, after a local plant.
  • Renamed “San Francisco”: The town name shifted from Yerba Buena to San Francisco in the 1840s, honoring Saint Francis of Assisi.

So if you’re just looking for the one-line answer to “when was San Francisco founded,” the key date to remember is June 29, 1776.

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