San Francisco Bay Area

The Bay Area consists of five counties that hug the shoreline of San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo.

This area is dominated by coastal valleys and hills, and has a mild climate with occasional winter frosts.

Although many areas support significant urban and suburban populations, nursery and flower crops are still agriculturally important, especially in San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties. A number of fruit and vegetable operations are also important to the agricultural economy in this area. Dairy farms and milk production have long been associated with agriculture in Marin County, and are still of significant value to the area.