San Francisco in May
Rain effectively stops in May and the crowd arrives, but the fog has not yet settled in permanently — the last clear-ish month until September.
Is May a good time to visit San Francisco?
May is a middling month in San Francisco — crowds around 68/100. Not the worst, but January is noticeably calmer.
What’s on in May
- Bay to Breakers — a costumed 12K across the whole city
- Carnaval in the Mission
- Memorial Day weekend
Best days in May
Weekdays are almost always calmer than weekends.
Tue is normally the calmest day of the week.
Best hours in May
The daily rhythm, hour by hour.
The 9:00 AM window is usually the calmest of the day.
Weather in May
Typical highs, lows and wet days.
How May compares
Every month in San Francisco, ranked by how calm it is.
Quieter alternatives
If your dates are flexible, these months are calmer in San Francisco.
Book things to do
Tours and tickets in San Francisco, from our booking partner.
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Frequently asked questions
Is May a good month to visit San Francisco?
May is a middling month in San Francisco — crowds around 68/100. Not the worst, but January is noticeably calmer.
How crowded is San Francisco in May?
San Francisco sits at roughly 68/100 in May on our crowd scale, which is 3 points above the yearly average. The quietest month is January.
What is the weather like in San Francisco in May?
Expect highs around 18°C and lows near 11°C in May, with about 3 wet days across the month.