San Francisco cable car system

San Francisco cable car system
San Francisco cable car system
	Cable car on Hyde Street in 2023, with Alcatraz Island and Fisherman's Wharf in the background
Overview
Owner	San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Area served	Chinatown, Embarcadero, Financial District, Fisherman's Wharf, Nob Hill, North Beach, Russian Hill, Union Square
Locale	San Francisco
Transit type	Cable car
Number of lines	3
Line number	59/PM (Powell–Mason line); 60/PH (Powell–Hyde line); 61/C (California St. line);
Number of stations	62
Daily ridership	9,900 (weekdays, Q2 2025)
Annual ridership	5,719,900 (2019)
Headquarters	San Francisco Cable Car Museum
Website	sfmta.com/cablecars
Operation
Began operation	California St. line: 1878; Powell–Mason line: 1888; Powell–Hyde line: 1957;
Operator(s)	San Francisco Municipal Railway
Character	Street running with some reserved right-of-ways
Number of vehicles	California St. line:; 12 double-ended cars; Powell–Mason/Hyde lines:; 28 single-ended cars;
Technical
System length	California St. line: 1.4 mi (2.3 km); Powell–Mason line: 1.6 mi (2.6 km); Powell–Hyde line: 2.1 mi (3.4 km);
No. of tracks	2
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Top speed	9.5 mph (15.3 km/h)
	San Francisco Cable Cars
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	Powell–Hyde cable car crossing Lombard Street on Russian Hill
Location	1201 Mason Street, San Francisco (car barn)
Coordinates	37°47′44″N 122°24′27″W / 37.79556°N 122.40750°W
Built	1873
Architect	Andrew Smith Hallidie
NRHP reference No.	66000233
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	January 29, 1964
System map
System map

The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last manually operated cable car system and an icon of the city of San Francisco. The system forms part of the intermodal urban transport network operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway, which also includes the separate E Embarcadero and F Market & Wharves heritage streetcar lines, and the Muni Metro modern light rail system. Of the 23 cable car lines established between 1873 and 1890, only three remain (one of which combines parts of two earlier lines): two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf, and a third route along California Street.

While the cable cars are used to a certain extent by commuters, the vast majority of the millions of passengers who use the system every year are tourists,^[8]^[9] and as a result, the wait to get on can often reach two hours or more. They are among the most significant tourist attractions in the city, along with Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Fisherman's Wharf.

San Francisco's cable cars are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only two street railways to be named a National Historic Landmark, along with the St. Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans.

^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
^ "Public Transportation Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2019" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association (APTA). February 27, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
^ Kamiya, Gary (February 8, 2014). "How S.F.'s cable cars were saved after an uphill battle". SFGate. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
^ "Ride the Cable Car Lines". Market Street Railway. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
^ "National Register Information System – (#66000233)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ Dillon, James. "San Francisco Cable Cars" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places – Inventory Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
^ "NHL Summary". Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
^ Lovato, Kimberley. "San Francisco Cable Cars". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
^ "Cable car accidents cost San Francisco millions each year in settlements". The Oregonian. The Associated Press. April 14, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2025.

[APTAdaily-1] "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.

[APTA-2019-Q4-2] "Public Transportation Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2019" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association (APTA). February 27, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2021.

[3] Kamiya, Gary (February 8, 2014). "How S.F.'s cable cars were saved after an uphill battle". SFGate. Retrieved April 13, 2016.

[4] "Ride the Cable Car Lines". Market Street Railway. Retrieved April 13, 2016.

[nris-5] "National Register Information System – (#66000233)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.

[nrhpinv-6] Dillon, James. "San Francisco Cable Cars" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places – Inventory Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved May 21, 2012.

[nhlsum-7] "NHL Summary". Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2008.

[8] Lovato, Kimberley. "San Francisco Cable Cars". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved May 21, 2025.

[9] "Cable car accidents cost San Francisco millions each year in settlements". The Oregonian. The Associated Press. April 14, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2025.

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