About Marin County

Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2000, the population was 247,289. The county seat is San Rafael and county government is the largest employer in the County. Marin County is renowned for its natural beauty, liberal politics, affluence and strong new age influence. According to the 2000 Census, Marin County has the highest per capita income in the country at $44,962, and the third highest mean personal income at $80,580, behind Manhattan and Teton County, Wyoming. It is governed by local cities and the Marin County Board of Supervisors.

San Quentin Prison is located in the county, as is Skywalker Ranch. Autodesk, the publisher of AutoCAD, is located there, as are numerous other high-tech companies. The headquarters of film and media company Lucasfilm Ltd., previously based in San Rafael, have moved to the Presidio of San Francisco. United States Senator Barbara Boxer is from Marin.

The Marin County Civic Center was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and draws thousands of visitors a year to guided tours of its arch and atrium design.

America's oldest cross country running event, the Dipsea Race, takes place annually in Marin County, attracting thousands of athletes. Mountain biking is said to have been invented on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais in Marin.

Marin County's many beautiful natural sites include the famous Muir Woods redwood forest, the Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Mount Tamalpais, one of the West's first tourist mountains

About San Francisco

As a thriving international port and corporate headquarters for many national business firms, San Francisco is a world class city, the #1 tourist destination in the nation, and home to one the most diverse populations of individuals to be found anywhere. From its colorful history as a province of Mexico, the center of the Gold Rush, a Naval and commercial port and the final destination of a transcontinental railway, "the City" as been blessed with riches and cultural diversity for centuries. Now known for its commerce and technology, its huge Asian, Latino, gay and lesbian populations, its sports teams and thriving neighborhoods, San Francisco considers itself a boom town. San Franciscans will quickly tell you that the pricey housing here is worth every penny. In this gastronomic paradise, a bad restaurant is nearly impossible to find due to fierce competition to provide diners with a selection of fresh foods and excellent service.

With a population of around 760,000, San Francisco itself provides about 20% of all Bay Area jobs. Almost 300,000 commute into the City (nearly half of its work force) every weekday. An additional 700,000 ride MUNI, the municipal rail system and 260,000 utilize BART, the rapid rail system.

16 million visitors spend upwards of 5 billion dollars a year in the City. The tourist industry provides for 66,000 jobs. Retail sales in the City add up to over $6 billion per year. As the economic center of the Bay Area, San Francisco's industries include tourism, technology, legal services, finance and business, retail, insurance and real estate. Its Fortune 500 companies include Bank of America, Bechtel, Chevron, The Gap, McKesson, Charles Schwab and Wells Fargo.

The San Francisco International Airport accommodates 35 million passengers (the 5th busiest in the nation) and ranks 3rd in the nation in air import and export trade. Currently new terminals are being added to cope with the travel demands.

According to census reports the median age of San Franciscans is 40. The population is composed of 45% Caucasian, 31%Asian/Pacific Islander, 14% Latino and 9% African American.

Search Here for additional facts on San Francisco see http://www.ci.sf.ca.us