The sunniest neighborhoods in San Francisco are the Mission District, Potrero Hill and SoMa, and the foggiest is the Outer Sunset. In summer 2025, the Mission averaged 11.4 hours of sunshine a day, while the Outer Sunset averaged 7.7 hours and had fog on 92% of mornings.
San Francisco is only about seven miles across, but its microclimates can make a big difference within a few miles. The Mission can be sunny in the low 70s while the Outer Sunset sits in the high 50s under the marine layer. That layer is the cool, damp ocean air that brings summer fog. Knowing which neighborhood gets which weather helps with where to stay, where to eat outside and what to wear.
What Are the Sunniest and Foggiest Neighborhoods in San Francisco?
The sunniest San Francisco neighborhoods sit east of Twin Peaks, and the foggiest face the ocean. The Mission, Potrero Hill and SoMa rank first, with the most summer sunshine and the least afternoon low cloud. Downtown, North Beach and the northeastern hills follow, and Bernal Heights and Bayview have the fewest foggy mornings. The Sunset, Richmond and West Portal rank last, with the Outer Sunset the foggiest of all.
| Rank | Neighborhoods | Sunshine (hours/day) | Mornings with fog | Low clouds at 2 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mission District, Potrero Hill, SoMa | 11.4 | 73% | 25% |
| 2 | Downtown, North Beach, Chinatown, Russian Hill, Pacific Heights | 11.2 | 78-82% | 25-32% |
| 3 | Bernal Heights, Bayview-Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley | 11.0-11.2 | 66-68% | 29-32% |
| 4 | Marina District | 10.9 | 80% | 48% |
| 5 | Castro, Noe Valley, Haight-Ashbury, Glen Park, Excelsior, Twin Peaks, Forest Hill | 10.4 | 84-85% | 56-58% |
| 6 | Richmond District | 9.2 | 88% | 68% |
| 7 | Inner Sunset, Sunset District, West Portal | 8.9 | 91% | 68% |
| 8 | Outer Sunset | 7.7 | 92% | 82% |
June-August 2025 averages from NOAA's High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model analysis on a 3-km grid, so nearby neighborhoods that share a grid cell share values. "Mornings with fog" counts days with at least one foggy morning hour; "low clouds at 2 PM" is the average low-cloud cover in the afternoon. One summer of data, so treat the order as a guide rather than a long-term normal.
The Castro and Noe Valley sit in the middle, not at the top. They lie at the foot of Twin Peaks, where fog spills over the ridge on many summer afternoons, while the Mission, a little farther east, stays clearer.
Why Are the Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond So Foggy?
The Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond are the foggiest neighborhoods in San Francisco, and it is not particularly close. These western neighborhoods face the Pacific Ocean directly, with nothing between them and the cold California Current but the Great Highway. The marine layer rolls in from the west every afternoon in summer, reaches these neighborhoods first, and tends to linger there longest. On days when the fog burns off entirely, the Outer Sunset may see only two or three hours of direct sun before the afternoon marine push returns.
Summer temperatures in the Outer Sunset usually sit between 55 and 62°F. Strong westerly winds off the ocean add a wind chill that makes it feel considerably colder. Residents of these neighborhoods learn to dress in layers, and a light jacket is never optional. The fog is so persistent in the Outer Sunset that longtime residents judge a good summer day by whether the fog burns off before noon.
The Richmond District behaves much like the Sunset, since it also faces the ocean, just north of Golden Gate Park. The Inner Richmond, closer to the park's eastern end and farther from the beach, tends to be slightly warmer and less foggy than the Outer Richmond.
Why Is the Mission District So Sunny?
The Mission District is sunny because it sits in the fog shadow east of Twin Peaks, one of the warmest and sunniest spots in San Francisco. Twin Peaks and the hills of Noe Valley rise to the west, forming a natural barrier that deflects and weakens the marine layer before it reaches the Mission. Twin Peaks rises to 922 feet, and marine air that crosses it sinks and warms slightly on the eastern side, which thins the fog. This fog shadow means the Mission can be in bright sunshine while the Sunset, just over the hills, remains completely socked in.
On warm summer days, the Mission regularly reaches the mid-70s, and it occasionally pushes into the low 80s during heat waves. The neighborhood's dense buildings and pavement also hold heat better than the windswept western streets. That warmth is one reason the Mission has an outdoor dining and street culture that the beautiful but chilly Outer Sunset cannot match.
The Castro sits higher, at the foot of Twin Peaks, so it catches more wind and more fog spilling over the ridge than the Mission. Dolores Park, in the Mission, has become almost a weather landmark. On weekends when the Outer Sunset is cold and foggy, Dolores Park is packed with people in shorts. The temperature difference between Dolores Park and Ocean Beach, four miles away, can exceed 20 degrees on a summer afternoon.
What Is the Weather Like in Noe Valley, the Haight and Cole Valley?
Noe Valley, the Haight and Cole Valley sit in the middle of San Francisco's microclimate range, sunnier than the western neighborhoods but foggier than the Mission. Noe Valley lies in a sheltered valley between the Castro hills and Twin Peaks. That shelter protects it from the strongest ocean winds, though fog can still spill over on days when the marine layer pushes hard. Temperatures there typically run five to eight degrees warmer than the Outer Sunset and three to five degrees cooler than the Mission.
The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood straddles the line between the foggy west and the sunny east. The Lower Haight, closer to downtown and the Mission, behaves more like the warmer inner city. The Upper Haight, next to Golden Gate Park, gets more fog and tends to be cooler and windier. Cole Valley, tucked between the Haight and Twin Peaks, is surprisingly sheltered, and afternoon temperatures there often climb a few degrees above what its location suggests.
What Is the Weather Like Downtown and in SoMa?
Downtown San Francisco and SoMa are among the sunnier parts of the city, though breezier than the Mission. They are exposed to the Bay breeze from the east and the marine layer coming through the Golden Gate from the northwest. But they are considerably warmer than the western districts because they sit on the lee side of the city's topographic spine.
The eastern waterfront from the Ferry Building to Mission Bay can feel distinctly different from one block to the next, depending on wind channeling through the downtown canyons. The Bay breeze here is strong enough that outdoor dining along the Embarcadero can feel brisk even in sunshine. SoMa proper, shielded by buildings, tends to run slightly warmer. The Dogpatch and Mission Bay neighborhoods, farther south and east, benefit from additional shelter and tend to be among the city's sunnier southeastern districts.
How Does Elevation Change Fog in San Francisco?
Elevation changes San Francisco fog because most of the city's hills sit inside the marine layer, not above it. In summer, the top of the marine layer typically sits between 1,200 and 1,800 feet. Most of the city's hills are lower than that, so neighborhoods on hills often sit inside the fog rather than above it. On days when the marine layer is especially thin, though, some high spots can poke above it into sunshine while the streets below stay gray.
Potrero Hill shows hills working in a neighborhood's favor in a different way. Its south-facing slopes catch more direct sun and are shielded from the main northwest ocean winds. That makes it one of the sunniest and warmest neighborhoods in the city. Bernal Heights works much the same way. Telegraph Hill is exposed to wind from its high position but gets more direct sun on its eastern face. The western slopes of Twin Peaks, by contrast, face the marine layer directly and are often fogged in even when lower streets nearby have clear sky.
How Should You Plan Your Day Around San Francisco Weather?
In practice, planning anything outdoors in San Francisco means knowing which part of the city you are going to, not just the citywide forecast. A National Weather Service forecast for San Francisco reflects conditions somewhere in the middle of the city's range. If you are heading to a park in the Outer Sunset, expect it to be colder and foggier than that forecast suggests. In the Mission or on Potrero Hill, expect it to be somewhat warmer and sunnier.
Summer mornings are when the differences between neighborhoods are most extreme. At 7 AM, the Outer Sunset is often fogged in at 55°F while the Mission is already at 62°F and clearing. By noon on a typical day, the Mission has reached 70°F and the Outer Sunset is still at 58°F. By late afternoon, as the marine layer returns, the gap narrows again. Once you learn this daily rhythm and the geography behind it, San Francisco's famously unpredictable weather becomes much easier to predict.
The city's microclimate variation is one of the things that makes it genuinely interesting as a weather destination. You can experience chilly coastal fog and warm, sunny afternoons on the same day, in the same city, simply by choosing which direction to walk.
