Nestled along San Francisco Bay, the Bay Area boasts of one of the finest natural harbor in the world, which has a total area of around 450 square miles. Home to almost 8 million people, the San Francisco Bay Area provides the only real break in the coastal mountains of California making it one of the most ideal spot for living within the state. It is divided into 6 sub-regions (North Bay, San Francisco, East Bay, Peninsula, South Bay, and Santa Cruz) and composed of 10 counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma).

North Bay is a sub-region north of the Golden Gate Bridge, is separated by water from the rest of the Bay Area. It has numerous affluent communities and is probably the least urbanized among the 6 sub-regions. North Bay has many undeveloped parks, farmlands, and plantations. One popular location is Napa Valley, which is well-known for the world class red wines produced from its vineyards.

The City and County of San Francisco was once the largest city, in terms of population in the whole Bay Area. Although it no longer holds that distinction, it remains as the traditional, cultural, financial, and urban center of the region. The most famous landmark in this area is the Golden Gate Bridge, which spans the Golden Gate Strait, a water passage connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The bridge connects the city/county of San Francisco with Marin County in the North Bay.

The East Bay area is split into 2 regions, the Inner East Bay and the Outer East Bay. Inner East Bay, located along the bay