When to Visit San Francisco

You wouldn't know it from its reputation but San Francisco is a sunny place most of the year. 66% of days are sunny, more than Austin, Charleston and Tampa. Plus, SF ranks 13th among all major cities for hours of daylight per year, more than San Diego and Honolulu. The catch is, due to a meteorological phenomenon, SF experiences the bulk of its coldest and foggiest days when the rest of the country is on summer break: June through August (June Gloom through Fogust as some say). So, the best time to visit is late August through early October. No worries if you come in the summer, you'll still see sun, but the mornings will be chilly and gray until the fog burns off in the afternoon.