The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the 14th most populous city in the United States, with a 2006 estimated population of 744,041.Population Finder: San Francisco County, 2006. U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed May 4, 2007. One of the most densely populated major cities in the US,2000 Census: US Municipalities Over 50,000: Ranked by 2000 Population. Demographia. Retrieved on August 1, 2006. San Francisco is part of the much larger San Francisco Bay Area, which is home to approximately 7.2 million people. The city is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east, and the Golden Gate to the north.