Month guide · San Francisco · United States
San Francisco in March
What March is really like in San Francisco: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
March is a shoulder-season month. Expect average highs of 17°C (63°F), lows of 9°C (48°F), about 9 rainy days and roughly 11.8 hours of daylight. Rain becomes less frequent, wildflowers appear on the headlands and crowds are still light.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 17°C (63°F) / 9°C (48°F)
- Rainy days
- About 9
- Daylight
- About 11.8 hours
- Sea temperature
- 12°C (54°F)
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in March
March is the 9th-warmest month in San Francisco: days average 17°C (63°F) against a yearly average high of 19°C (66°F), and nights fall to about 9°C (48°F). Rain falls on roughly 9 of its 31 days. Compared with February (16°C (61°F)), March is about as warm; by April highs stay near 18°C (64°F).
- Sunrise (15 March)
- About 07:21
- Sunset (15 March)
- About 19:17
- Daylight
- About 11.8 hours
- Sea
- 12°C (54°F)
Winter (December–February). Cool and wet with clear days between storms, green hills, Lunar New Year and some of the lowest hotel rates of the year.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, March rates 3 for crowds (the peak is July at 5) and 3 for hotel prices (highest in July). Prices sit in the middle of the year's range.
Events in March
- St Patrick's Day parade (around 17 March)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in March
Mild, settled days suit walking, viewpoints and time outdoors.
Nature · Outer Richmond
Lands End and the Sutro Baths
Start at the Lands End Lookout visitor centre, explore the Sutro Baths ruins, then walk the trail east for bridge views; it is about 5 km out and back.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Off the beaten path
- History
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Two grassy summits near the geographic centre of the city rise to about 280 metres and give a 360-degree panorama down Market Street to downtown, the bay and both bridges.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
Architecture · Alamo Square
Painted Ladies and Alamo Square
Continue about 20 minutes west to Haight-Ashbury for vintage shops and 1960s counterculture history.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
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Museum · Golden Gate Park
California Academy of Sciences
Under a living roof planted with native wildflowers, the Academy combines an aquarium with a Philippine coral reef, a four-storey rainforest dome with free-flying butterflies, the Morrison Planetarium, African penguins and a natural history museum.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
What to pack
For highs near 17°C, lows near 9°C and 9 wet days: layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is March a good time to visit San Francisco?
A shoulder-season month, with a notable event on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, April–May and September–October are better overall. Compare every month.
San Francisco in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is March a good time to visit San Francisco?
It is a shoulder-season month. Rain becomes less frequent, wildflowers appear on the headlands and crowds are still light.
+How warm is San Francisco in March?
Average highs are around 17°C (63°F) and lows around 9°C (48°F).
+Does it rain a lot in San Francisco in March?
Expect rain on about 9 days of the month.