California
Distance from San Francisco to San Mateo
Straight-line distance
41.1mi
San Francisco, CA and San Mateo, CA are 41.1 miles (66.2 km) apart in a straight line. From San Francisco, the shortest path starts out heading ESE (106°).
- kilometers
- 66.2
- nautical miles
- 35.7
- heading from San Francisco
- 106° ESE
- heading from San Mateo
- 287° WNW
Orange line: great-circle path · ring: midpoint · thin lines: county borders
How far San Francisco is from San Mateo
The great-circle distance between the Census internal points of San Francisco and San Mateo is 41.1 miles, 66.2 km or 35.7 nautical miles. That is the shortest path over the Earth's surface, computed with the haversine formula on a sphere with the mean Earth radius, 6,371.0 km. A course held on one compass bearing (a rhumb line) would be 41.1 miles, practically the same at this range.
Measurements
- Miles
- 41.1
- Kilometers
- 66.2
- Nautical miles
- 35.7
- Bearing from San Francisco
- 106.1° ESE
- Bearing arriving at San Mateo
- 106.5°
- Bearing from San Mateo
- 286.5° WNW
Halfway between San Francisco and San Mateo
The great-circle midpoint is at 37.644299, -122.670995 (37°38'39.48"N 122°40'15.58"W). The nearest incorporated place of 1,000 or more people is Pacifica, CA, with 37,056 residents, 10.9 miles from the midpoint. To find towns near the midpoint of any two places, use the halfway tool.
Time zones and daylight
Both use America/Los_Angeles, so there is no time difference. On June 21, San Francisco gets 14 h 47 min of daylight and San Mateo 14 h 46 min; on December 21, 9 h 33 min and 9 h 34 min. The two sit at nearly the same latitude, so their day lengths match closely all year.
Population compared
San Francisco has 8.0 times the population of San Mateo. From July 2020 to July 2024, San Francisco changed by -5.4% and San Mateo by -2.5%. Both are in California.
- 01San Francisco, CA827,526 (-5.4%)
- 02San Mateo, CA103,006 (-2.5%)
Questions people ask
How far is San Francisco from San Mateo?
41.1 miles, 66.2 km or 35.7 nautical miles along the great circle between the two Census internal points. Road distance is longer.
Which direction is San Mateo from San Francisco?
ESE. The great-circle path leaves San Francisco on a bearing of 106.1° and arrives at San Mateo on 106.5°. The return trip starts on 286.5°.
What is halfway between San Francisco and San Mateo?
The midpoint is at 37.644299, -122.670995. The nearest incorporated place of 1,000+ is Pacifica, CA, 10.9 miles from it.
Is there a time difference between San Francisco and San Mateo?
Both use America/Los_Angeles, so there is no time difference.
Which is bigger, San Francisco or San Mateo?
San Francisco, with 827,526 residents in July 2024 against 103,006 for San Mateo, 8.0 times as many.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census 2024 Gazetteer internal points and Vintage 2024 estimates; time zones from Open-Meteo.
- 01Census 2024 Gazetteer, places
- 02Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
- 03SunCalc library (Vladimir Agafonkin), algorithms after Jean Meeus
- 04IANA time zone database (clock times and daylight saving rules)
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.