It's the most recognizable shape on the city's western skyline, and it started out as a fix for bad TV reception.
Why it was built
Before 1973, San Francisco's hills blocked line-of-sight TV signals, and transmitters were scattered from San Bruno Mountain to Mount Diablo. KGO, which had bought the Sutro family's La Avanzada mansion site in 1948, formed a consortium with KTVU, KRON and KPIX to build one tower for all of them. With everything in one spot, a single antenna pointed one way could pick up every major station.
By the numbers
The tower rises 977 feet above the ground and 1,811 feet above sea level. It was the tallest structure in San Francisco until Salesforce Tower passed it in 2018. Sutro Tower Inc. says it began operating July 4, 1973. Today it serves 10 television stations, 3 FM radio stations, and nearly two dozen public safety, transportation and wireless services.
Not loved at first
Neighbors opposed the tower before it was even finished. Columnist Herb Caen wrote, "I keep waiting for it to stalk down the hill and attack the Golden Gate Bridge." Fifty-plus years later, third graders at Glen Park Elementary paint it every fall as a school tradition.
The site is closed to the public, but the area around it has panoramic views of the city.