One of the most well-known aspects of San Francisco is that it's hilly. The hills offer breathtaking views of the bay and city lights, and provide a challenging workout to pedestrians and cyclists (whether they want it or not!). In some areas, the hills are so steep that the city builds concrete stairways instead of regular sidewalks.
In some places, a sign warns to park at a 90-degree angle from the curb to prevent runaways. (2007)
San Francisco's tallest hills are under the Twin Peaks, Forest Hill, West Portal, Bernal Heights and Diamond Heights neighborhoods, which are all found just southwest of the city's center.
Several cities claim to have been built on seven hills ala Rome/Jerusalem (see Wikipedia's extensive list).
If you want seven, wikipedia chose Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Mount Sutro, Twin Peaks and Mount Davidson, but you are free to do as you like.
Incomplete list of hills:
| Name | Height | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alamo Heights | 225 ft (69 m) | |
| 260 ft (79 m) | ||
| Athens Street | 612 ft (187 m) | |
| Candlestick Point | 500 ft (150 m) | |
| Bernal Heights | 433 ft (132 m) | |
| Buena Vista Heights | 569 ft (173 m) | |
| Castro Hill (Liberty Hill) | 407 ft (124 m) | |
| Cathedral Hill | 206 ft (63 m) | |
| City College Hill | 350 ft (110 m) | (Cloud Hill) |
| College Hill (San Francisco) | 200 ft (61 m) | |
| Corona Heights | 510 ft (160 m) | |
| Dolores Heights | 360 ft (110 m) | |
| Edgehill Mountain | 734 ft (224 m) | |
| Excelsior Heights | 315 ft (96 m) | |
| Forest Hill | 778 ft (237 m) | |
| Gold Mine Hill | 679 ft (207 m) | Diamond Heights |
| Holly Hill | 274 ft (84 m) | |
| Hunters Point Ridge | 275 ft (84 m) | |
| Irish Hill | 250 ft (76 m) | |
| Lafayette Heights | 378 ft (115 m) | |
| Larsen Peak | 666 ft (203 m) | Grand View Park |
| Laurel Hill | 264 ft (80 m) | |
| Lincoln Heights | 380 ft (120 m) | |
| Lone Mountain | 448 ft (137 m) | |
| McLaren Ridge | 515 ft (157 m) | |
| Merced Heights | 500 ft (150 m) | Shields Orizaba Rocky Outcrop |
| Mint Hill | 157 ft (48 m) | |
| Mount Davidson | 925 ft (282 m) | Miraloma Park, Sherwood Forest |
| Mount Olympus | 570 ft (170 m) | |
| Mount Sutro | 909 ft (277 m) | |
| Mount St. Joseph | 250 ft (76 m) | |
| Nob Hill | 376 ft (115 m) | |
| Pacific Heights | 370 ft (110 m) | |
| Parnassus Heights | 400 ft (120 m) | |
| Polish Hill | 226.3 ft (69.0 m) | |
| Potrero Hill | 300 ft (91 m) | |
| Presidio Heights | 370 ft (110 m) | |
| 689 ft (210 m) | Diamond Heights | |
| Rincon Hill | 100 ft (30 m) | |
| Russian Hill | 294 ft (90 m) | |
| Strawberry Hill | 412 ft (126 m) |
Golden Gate Park, ringed by Stow Lake |
| Sutro Heights | 200 ft (61 m) | |
| Tank Hill | 650 ft (200 m) | Clarendon Heights |
| Telegraph Hill | 284 ft (87 m) | |
|
Twin Peaks North (Eureka Peak) |
904 ft (276 m) | |
|
Twin Peaks South (Noe Peak) |
910 ft (280 m) | |
| University Mound | 265 ft (81 m) | |
| Washington Heights | 260 ft (79 m) |
Hills in popular culture
SFSU's literary rag is called Fourteen Hills. I have no idea which hills this refers to.
A topographical map of the city can be found on the SF Bike Coalition's website.
