San Rafael

San Rafael, California

San Rafael is the county seat of Marin County, California. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The San Rafael shoreline has been historically filled to a considerable extent to accommodate land development, with underlying bay mud (saturated clayed silt) of up to 90 feet (27 m) in thickness. At certain locations such as Murphys Point, the sandstone or shale rock outcrops through the mud. San Rafael has a wide diversity of natural habitats from forests at the higher elevations to marshland and estuarine settings. There are also riparian areas including the San Rafael Creek  and Miller Creek corridors.

San Rafael has a Mediterranean climate, with mild winter lows seldom reaching the freezing mark. Average highs are in the mid 50s°F (11-15°C) and lows are in mid 40s F°(5-10 C°). In the summer highs are around the low 80s F°. Summer lows are around the mid 50s F°(13 C°).