San Francisco is in America.
California ( [ kælᵻˈfɔːrnjə , _ - ni.ə ] , ) is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area . California is a state located in the Western United States . Northern California , often abbreviated NorCal , is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California . San Francisco ( initials SF ) ( [ sæn_frənˈsɪskoʊ ] , Spanish for Saint Francis ; Spanish : [ san franˈsisko ] ) , officially the City and County of San Francisco , is the cultural , commercial , and financial center of Northern California .