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For San Fierro in the HD Universe, see San Fierro (HD Universe).

If you're going to San Fierro be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. Gone are the heydays when San Fierro was Mecca to the counterculture of the 60s. Now San Fierro is a bustling metropolis with a laissezfaire atmosphere, a quality missing from its neighbors to the east. Where in Los Santos the trends are picked up and are used to death, San Fierro on the other hand is a trendsetter in everything alternative, from flower power to free love and gay rights; San Fierrians pride themselves on being individualist, down to earth and cultured.
GTA San Andreas City Guides, Page 29 (Official Manual)

The City of San Fierro [1], commonly known as San Fierro, is a city located in San Andreas and is the second city encountered in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Description[]

San Fierro is the second largest city in population and smallest in area in San Andreas. San Fierro has a majority Asian population and is very diverse, economically and ethnically. It is the most urbanized city, and is situated on a peninsula on the western part of the state. South of the city lies the massive Mount Chiliad (based on Mount Diablo) and the small town of Angel Pine in Whetstone. To the north of the city, across the Gant Bridge (a re-creation of the famous Golden Gate Bridge), lies the town of Bayside, and northeast of the city lies the county of Tierra Robada. San Fierro is a moderately sized city with the San Fierro Bay (based on San Francisco Bay) to the northeast and The Panopticon to the east. San Fierro is connected to Los Santos and Las Venturas by road, rail and air.

Supposedly of Spanish foundation like San Francisco, Fierro is old Spanish for Hierro (Iron), not a likely name for a saint. The name derives from the motto for the city of San Francisco, "Oro en Paz, Fierro en guerra", Spanish for "Gold in Peace, Iron in War".

There is a sizeable country club complete with a golf course within San Fierro. In addition to this, San Fierro has a district marked by rainbow signs that is meant to emulate San Francisco's famous Castro District, home to a sizeable homosexual population. San Fierro is also home to the football team, the San Fierro 69ers, a double entendre referring to both the San Francisco 49ers and the "69" sexual position. Furthermore, in a crude reference to anal sex, the city's baseball team, the San Fierro Packers, is sponsored by none other than Fierro Fudge.

The city is also briefly mentioned in Manhunt 2 as the former home of Dr. Daniel Lamb in the mid 1980s.

Inspiration[]

It is inspired by the real-life San Francisco, California.

Earthquake Damage[]

The city bears visible scars of an earthquake, a likely reference to the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989. The most obvious sign of the intense damage is the crumbled section of freeway lying to the immediate west of Garver Bridge's San Fierro approach, which is an apparent emulation of the damage done to San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway or even the Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland, California, whose remnants could be seen for years after the earthquake. The freeway section does not seem to have any visible connection to the existing freeway, however. The city's infrastructure and buildings are not visibly damaged from the earthquake, the only such damage being in the Doherty area.

SanFierro-GTASA-SeenFromTierraRobada

View of San Fierro from Tierra Robada.

GantBridge-GTASA-Sunrise

Sunrise over Gant Bridge.

Weather[]

San Fierro commonly experiences rainstorms. These, combined with the frequent late-night and early-morning fog, can make driving and flying difficult because of reduced visibility. To further complicate the city's weather patterns, the Tierra Robada sandstorms occasionally blow into the northeastern parts of San Fierro, making flying near the Garver Bridge and Downtown skyline extremely treacherous. The weather is very similar to that of San Francisco except for sandstorms and thunderstorms.

Districts and Places of Interest[]

Chinatown-GTASA-Archway

Chinatown's archway entrance.

PalisadesPark-GTASA-Fountain

The Palisades Park.

Because San Fierro is meant to emulate San Francisco, many of its districts are re-imaginings of real neighborhoods in San Francisco:

Highways and Intersections[]

Landmarks[]

San Fierro is probably one of the most scenic cities in all of San Andreas. You have the street trolleys coasting up and down the hills, and when not obscured by the city’s trademark fog, there are spectacular views of the San Fierro Bay and the world famous Gant Bridge.
GTA San Andreas City Guides, Page 29 (Official Manual)
WindyWindyWindyWindyStreet-GTASA

Windy Windy Windy Windy Street

As with every other city in San Andreas, there are recreated landmarks. In San Fierro, these include:

  • The Golden Gate Bridge makes an appearance as the Gant Bridge. This bridge links San Fierro and the town of Bayside. The bridge appears to have functioning tollbooths, as evidenced by the fact that cars heading into San Fierro stop at the toll plaza. However, the player is apparently immune to the toll, not having to pay it. Gant Bridge extends over San Fierro Bay, which is a re-creation of San Francisco Bay and physically separates San Fierro from Bayside and Tierra Robada.
  • The San Francisco Bay Bridge makes an appearance as the Garver Bridge. This bridge links San Fierro and Tierra Robada near Las Venturas. Alongside the Garver Bridge is the Kincaid Bridge, which is modeled after the Forth Rail Bridge, which itself sits beside the Forth Road Bridge outside Edinburgh, Scotland. This may also be a reference to the home of Rockstar North, where the original bridges are located. The Forth Road Bridge and the prior western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge look remarkably similar.
  • The Transamerica Pyramid makes an appearance as the Big Pointy Building, the base of the building surrounded by somewhat humorous signs. One can travel to the top for a bird's eye view of San Fierro. One parachute (and only one, so exercise caution) is provided, in case players have the urge to jump off. However, if the health bar is full, one can jump from the top without deploying the parachute, leaving a tiny bit of health left.
  • Lombard Street, known as the "crookedest street", appears as Windy Windy Windy Windy Street in San Fierro's Calton Heights.
  • Fort Point makes an appearance as Battery Point in the game, which sits underneath Gant Bridge. However, the fort has been taken over by the pimp Jizzy B, and is known as Jizzy's Pleasure Domes.
  • The Castro district is emulated as "Queens", a tongue-in-cheek reference to the neighborhood as being the heart of San Francisco's gay community.
  • San Fierro City Hall, based on the Beaux-Arts styled San Francisco City Hall, is located at the west end of Queens.
  • Missionary Hill Radio Tower a replica of Mount Sutro's radio antenna (Sutro Tower) is located atop Missionary Hill, at the south end of San Fierro. An observation area is located nearby, offering a pristine view of the city's southern side.
  • Foster Valley, located between Missionary Hill and Easter Bay Airport, may be inspired from planned cities such as Foster City (which may explain the origin of the name as well). The contemporary buildings in the area, as well as a row of identical cylindrical buildings along an artificial lake, mildly resemble Oracle Corporation's World Headquarters at Redwood Shores, Redwood City, which is, coincidentally, also located near Foster City.
  • Pier 39, better known as Fisherman's Wharf, makes an appearance as Pier 69.
  • The Union Square, a public square is replicated as the Downtown Square in Downtown San Fierro. A replica of the iconic Dewey Monument appears at the center of the Downtown Square.


Other Landmarks[]

Transportation[]

TrolleyCaltonHeights

A tram between the Calton Heights and Chinatown districts

Although cars are prominent, there are cable cars (trams) that circle San Fierro. The sole tram terminal is located at the King's district. Players are, however, unable to ride them, as they are literally unstoppable, and will plow through any obstacle without incurring damage. It is possible for a player equipped with a jetpack to land on top of a tram and ride it, albeit awkwardly.

The Brown Streak Railroad stops at Doherty's Cranberry Station across from Doherty Garage. The Easter Bay Airport is located at the southeast of the city, off Exit 3, the second to last exit, from the Garver Bridge Approach.

Storyline[]

Site-logo
Spoiler Warning: Plot details, ending details, or both are in the text which follows.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details, ending details, or both are in the text which follows.
Warning
Warning
Xoomer-GTASA-Doherty-exterior

Carl Johnson's Doherty Garage

After Carl Johnson and The Truth burn down The Truth's weed fields, they flee Flint County via the Mothership and meet up with Cesar Vialpando in San Fierro at the garage he won from Catalina and Claude in a race.

Once there, Carl finds that all is wrong. The garage he won from Catalina is derelict, and he discovers the disturbing truth about the Loco Syndicate, the crime organization responsible for the spread of drugs in Los Santos. The syndicate is run by Mike Toreno, a shady person with a surprising background. T-Bone Mendez, a San Fierro Rifa, serves as the muscle of the organization, along with Ryder, CJ's ex homie from Grove Street, and Jizzy B, the biggest pimp in town. As he is investigating the Loco Syndicate, Carl also discovers that Wu Zi Mu (Woozie) is actually the head of a San Fierro Triad gang, the Mountain Cloud Boys, who are in the midst of a war with the Da Nang Boys, a Vietnamese crime organization.

After many odd jobs and errands for multiple bosses, Carl, Woozie and Cesar decide to take down the Loco Syndicate from the inside. Carl first pays Jizzy a visit, offering Jizzy his services. Jizzy gives Carl some work, during which he meets T-Bone Mendez and Mike Toreno. After being sure that Jizzy didn't suspect him, Carl confronted him at the Pleasure Domes nightclub. A massive shootout was followed by a high-speed car chase, in which Jizzy was killed by Carl. Then, he heads down to Pier 69, and kills T-Bone and Ryder in a massive shootout between Triads, San Fierro Rifa, Ballas, Carl and Cesar. Finally, Woozie informs him that Toreno is getting ready to leave in a helicopter, and Carl shoots him down with a rocket launcher. He then destroys the syndicate's crack lab in Doherty, ending the Loco Syndicate once and for all.

Carl then receives a mysterious call from a "friend" who claims knowledge of Sweet's whereabouts, prompting him to head out to the desert, to find none other than Mike Toreno. From there, a new chapter in the San Andreas storyline unfolds.

Carl also receives a call from Jethro, a mechanic working in Carl's garage. Cesar has received a wish list of most wanted cars and he thinks they can make a profit out of it. After Carl buys the Wang Cars showroom, they get started. So Cesar and Carl steal five cars for the showroom, and it becomes an asset.

Much later, Carl returns to San Fierro to do yet another task for Mike Toreno: To steal a jet plane and bomb spy ships in Tierra Robada. Carl enters the Easter Basin Naval Base and successfully steals a Hydra and bombs the spy ships. San Fierro will no longer be seen in the storyline, although the player can return as often as they please.

Crime[]

SanFierro-GTASA-SeenFromMissionaryHill

Looking north towards San Fierro from Missionary Hill.

San Fierro was a major hub for drug-trafficking, especially the crack-cocaine trade. The city itself was one of the major points by which drugs are smuggled into the United States. Due to this, San Fierro became the base of operations to drug cartels such as the Loco Syndicate before their destruction. After the destruction of the Loco Syndicate, and later Big Smoke's cocaine empire; the level of drug-trafficking and drug smuggling in San Fierro gradually decreased.

San Fierro also appears to be plagued by gang violence in some neighborhoods. However, the intensity is not as great as the gang violence in Los Santos. Most of the violence was the direct result of the crack-cocaine trade. During this time small local street gangs such as the Hispanic San Fierro Rifa became affiliated with the Loco Syndicate in the narcotics business and were hired as protection/security.

Other street gangs in San Fierro include the Vietnemese Da Nang Boys. Da Nang Boys were primarily responsible for the human smuggling operations in San Fierro. The gang is considered to be highly violent and ruthless by the SFPD.

A major criminal organization also makes their home in San Fierro; the San Fierro Triads, in Chinatown. The Triads generally remain much more low-key on criminal involvement and seem to be venturing into legal businesses such as gambling. However, they do have a history of arms-trafficking, illegal street racing, assassination/contract killing and human smuggling.

Despite being a focal point for drug-smuggling, San Fierro does not appear to be plagued by crack dealers on the streets. They can only be found in Los Santos. This is likely because the drugs are transported to Los Santos via the connections between the Loco Syndicate and Big Smoke.

Parts of San Fierro also appear to be plagued by prostitution. Jizzy B was one of the key pimps in San Fierro, as well as being involved with drug-trafficking and the Loco Syndicate.

Some of the higher crime areas in San Fierro include:

Notable residents[]

Sports Teams[]

San Fierro has two pro sports teams, a football team, the San Fierro 69ers (based on the San Francisco 49ers) and a baseball team, the San Fierro Packers, based on the San Francisco Giants.

Trivia[]

  • Although some landmarks might have been in the Beta, one landmark (possibly based on Treasure Island that is between San Francisco and Oakland) was going to appear in the game but was deleted (possibly because of the size of the bay and subsequent map). Proof of this can be seen at the map at Toreno's ranch & Lil' Probe'Inn.
  • San Fierro is the smallest city in the 3D Universe areawise.
  • Daniel Lamb, protagonist of Manhunt 2, lived in San Fierro before the events of the game, according to the game's instruction manual.

See also[]

References[]

  1. Name seen on the Pier 69 sign.

Navigation[]

Navigation
[ ve ]Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
LocationsState of San Andreas (Los Santos | San Fierro | Las Venturas | Red County | Flint County | Whetstone | Tierra Robada | Bone County)
CharactersCarl "CJ" Johnson | Sean "Sweet" Johnson | Kendl Johnson | Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris | Lance "Ryder" Wilson | Cesar Vialpando | Frank Tenpenny | Wu Zi Mu | Mike Toreno | Ken Rosenberg
ContentMissions | Vehicles | Weapons | Assets | Characters | Clothing | Tattoo Parlors | Radio Stations | Gang Warfare
Information100% Completion | Achievements/Trophies | Weapon Stats | Player's Stats | Cheats | Trailers | Artworks
[ ve ]Grand Theft Auto series
Grand Theft AutoProtagonists | Liberty City (and New Guernsey) | San Andreas | Vice City | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: London
London 1969Protagonists | London | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
London 1961Protagonists | London | Manchester | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto 2Claude Speed/GBC Protagonists | Anywhere City (Downtown | Residential | Industrial) | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto IIIClaude | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityTommy Vercetti | Vice City | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasCarl Johnson | State of San Andreas (Los SantosSan FierroLas VenturasRed CountyFlint CountyWhetstoneBone CountyTierra Robada) | Characters | Missions | Gangs | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto AdvanceMike | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Soundtrack | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City StoriesToni Cipriani | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesVictor Vance | Vice City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto IVNiko Bellic | Liberty City | Alderney | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Episodes from Liberty City
The Lost and DamnedJohnny Klebitz | Liberty City | Alderney | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
The Ballad of Gay TonyLuis Fernando Lopez | Liberty City | Alderney | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown WarsHuang Lee | Liberty City | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto VMichael De Santa | Trevor Philips | Franklin Clinton | Southern San Andreas (Los Santos (County) | Blaine County) | State of North Yankton (Ludendorff) | Characters | Gangs | Missions | Weapons | Vehicles | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Grand Theft Auto OnlineGTA Online Protagonist (Crews | Organizations | Motorcycle Clubs) | Southern San Andreas (Los Santos (County) | Blaine County) | The Caribbean (Cayo Perico) | Missions | Jobs | Gangs | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Reputation (Arena Points | LS Car Meet) | Content Updates | Events | Achievements/Trophies | Awards
Grand Theft Auto VILucia | Unnamed male accomplice | State of Leonida (Vice-Dale County | Kelly County | Leonard County) | Characters | Missions | Vehicles | Weapons | Radio stations | Achievements/Trophies | Cheats
Collectibles | Multiplayer | Modifications | Controversy
[ ve ]Neighborhoods and areas in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Los SantosCity Hall * | Commerce | Downtown | East Beach | East Los Santos | El Corona | Ganton | Glen Park | Idlewood | Jefferson | Las Colinas | Little Mexico | Los Flores | Los Santos International Airport | Marina | Market | Mulholland | Mulholland Intersection | Ocean Docks | Pershing Square | Playa del Seville | Richman | Rodeo | Santa Maria Beach | Temple | Verdant Bluffs | Verona Beach | Vinewood | Willowfield
San FierroAvispa Country Club | Battery Point | Calton Heights | Chinatown | City Hall | Doherty | Downtown | Easter Basin | Easter Bay Airport | Esplanade East | Esplanade North | Financial | Foster Valley | Garcia | Hashbury | Juniper Hill | Juniper Hollow | King's | Missionary Hill | Ocean Flats | Palisades | Paradiso | Queens | Santa Flora
Las VenturasBlackfield | Blackfield Intersection | Creek | Greenglass College | Julius Thruway East | Julius Thruway North | Julius Thruway South | Julius Thruway West | K.A.C.C. Military Fuels | Las Venturas Airport | Linden Side | LVA Freight Depot | Old Venturas Strip | Pilgrim | Pilson Intersection | Prickle Pine | Randolph Industrial Estate | Redsands East | Redsands West | Roca Escalante | Rockshore East | Rockshore West | Spinybed | The Strip | Whitewood Estates | Yellow Bell Golf Course
Red CountyBlueberry | Dillimore | Palomino Creek | Blueberry Acres | Fern Ridge | Fisher's Lagoon | Hampton Barns | Hanky Panky Point | Hilltop Farm | Montgomery Intersection | Northstar Rock | The Panopticon | Montgomery
Flint CountyBack o Beyond | Beacon Hill | Easter Bay Chemicals | Fallen Tree | The Farm | Flint Intersection | Flint Range | Flint Water | Leafy Hollow | Los Santos Inlet
WhetstoneAngel Pine | Mount Chiliad | Shady Cabin | Shady Creeks
Tierra RobadaAldea Malvada | El Quebrados | Bayside Marina | Bayside Tunnel | Robada Intersection | Bayside | Las Barrancas
Bone CountyFort Carson | Las Brujas | Arco del Oeste | Area 69 | The Big Ear | El Castillo del Diablo | Green Palms | Hunter Quarry | Lil' Probe'Inn | Octane Springs | Regular Tom | Sherman Dam | Sherman Reservoir | Verdant Meadows | Las Payasadas | Valle Ocultado
* denotes not considered a neighborhood in-game, only on the official GTA San Andreas map

Category:NeighborhoodsCategory:Neighborhoods in GTA San AndreasCategory:LocationsCategory:Locations in GTA San Andreas
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